USGS collects data at the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway

Noteworthy

National & Regional Science:

• Circular 1383-G: USGS Water Science Strategy – Observing, Understanding, Predicting, and Delivering Water Science to the Nation
• OFR 2013-1054: User's Manual for the National Water Information System of the USGS
• New water-quality test for preventing unnecessary beach closures
• OFR 2012-5228: Organic contaminants, trace and major elements, and nutrients in water and sediment sampled in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
• Fact Sheet: Tracking and Forecasting the Nation's Water Quality Priorities and Strategies for 2013–2023

Local Science Features:

• New Hampshire: Concentrations of Chloride and Sodium in Groundwater in New Hampshire From 1960 Through 2011
• Arkansas: No Contamination from Fayetteville Shale Exploration Found in Sampled Wells

Past listings...

Water Quality Data

National Water Information System (NWIS)

NWIS provides current and historical water-quality data.

Today's Water Conditions

Water-Quality Watch provides continuous real-time water-quality measurements.

Water-Quality Web Services

Web services automate the sharing of USGS and USEPA water-quality monitoring data.

For More Data

Additional water-quality data resources are available.

USGS in Your Area

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

USGS Quality Assurance for Water-Quality Activities

Laboratory quality assurance and quality control

• Branch of Quality Systems (BQS)
  • Laboratory Evaluation Program
  • Standard Reference Water Samples
  • Sediment laboratory quality-assurance project
• National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL)
  • NQWL quality assurance & systems
• Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory
• Mercury Research Laboratory

Field quality assurance and quality control

• USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data incorporates and specifies USGS quality-assurance protocols throughout each chapter. Specific topics include:
  • Chapter 1: Section 1.1.2 addresses data-quality plans and preparations
  • Chapter 4: Section 4.0 addresses preventing sample contamination, good field practices, and clean hands/dirty hands techniques
  • Chapter 4: Section 4.3 addresses quality control for environmental sampling
• National Field Quality Assurance Program