USGS Recognizes "National Groundwater Awareness Week," March 6-12, 2016

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) joins our community partners, including the National Ground Water Association, in recognizing March 6-12, 2016, as National Groundwater Awareness Week because groundwater is important to all of us!

Groundwater: A Valuable Resource

Groundwater is one of the Nation's most valuable natural resources. It occurs almost everywhere beneath the Earth's surface and is a major source of water supply worldwide. It is the Nation's principal reserve of freshwater and represents much of the potential future water supply. Groundwater is a major contributor to flow in many streams and has a strong influence on river and wetland habitats for plants and animals.

Did you know:

• Groundwater occurs almost everywhere beneath the land surface.
  (Source: Ground Water)
• Groundwater commonly is an important source of surface water in streams, lakes, and wetlands.
  (Source: USGS Circular 1186)
• Groundwater is used as a source of water supply by almost one-half the population of the United States.
  (Source: Circular 1344)
• About 79,300 million gallons of groundwater were withdrawn per day in the United States during 2010.
  (Source: Circular 1405)

At the USGS we observe and monitor groundwater conditions at locations across the United States. USGS scientists work constantly to improve our understanding of how groundwater moves through the subsurface and what human and natural factors affect the quantity and quality of that groundwater.

Get Current Groundwater Conditions Data

The USGS Active Groundwater Level Network includes about 20,000 wells that have been measured by the USGS or USGS cooperators at least once within the past 13 months. Visit the USGS Groundwater Watch web site to see how recent water-levels in these individual wells compare to their past conditions.

The USGS collects groundwater data from wells across the Nation as part of USGS investigations and programs. Water-level measurements in observation wells are the main source of information about the hydrologic stresses acting on aquifers and how these stresses affect groundwater. Collecting groundwater levels at selected observation wells over time -- sometimes for decades or more -- is one important task conducted by the USGS to help us understand groundwater recharge, storage, and discharge in our major aquifers.

The wells in USGS networks are groundwater wells that have been part of USGS groundwater studies or programs. The goals of a study determine the types and frequency of data collected at the wells that are part of that study. As a result, the frequency and types of measurements can vary from well to well or even for a given well over time.

Get Your Data On the Go

Did you know you can get USGS groundwater data sent to your email or mobile phone?

USGS WaterAlert sends email or text messages when certain time-series measurements at USGS sites exceed user-definable thresholds. Water Now enables users to send an email or text message with a USGS site number to WaterNow@usgs.gov and quickly receive a reply with the most recent measurement.

You can use this online map to find USGS groundwater sites in your area of interest.

Find USGS Local Water-Resources Information

The USGS has Water Science Centers around the country. Hydrologists in our Water Science Centers collaborate with State and local agencies to monitor and study groundwater issues affecting their area. For local questions and information, scientists in our local offices For local USGS water information or data, contact the USGS Water Science Center in your area by selecting the state or region:

Select a State or Region Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Caribbean Colorado Connecticut Delaware Dist. of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Is. Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pacific Islands Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Virgin Islands Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

USGS Groundwater Site 380758115204601. Credit: USGS/Hartley Delvalle. Photo is in the public domain. Click on photo for larger version.

Stay Connected!

You can stay connected with the latest USGS groundwater science in many ways:

»Check out our new monthly USGS groundwater news and highlights

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