USGS scientists deploy SPMD and POCIS samplers to collect waterborne contaminants in Manoa Stream on Oahu, Hawaii.

Noteworthy

Press Releases

• USGS Assessment of Brackish Water Could Help Nation Stretch Limited Freshwater Supplies
• First-of-its-kind Interactive Map Brings Together 40 Years of Water-Quality Data
• 20 Years Researching Harmful Algal Blooms Supports Sustainable Water Supply in Wichita
• The Quality of the Nation's Groundwater: Progress on a National Survey (1/19/2017)

Featured Science:

• Spatial variability of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas, July and August 2015
• Why Monitor Water Quality? [1.7MB PDF]

Past featured science...

Water Quality Data

Today's Water Conditions

Get continuous real-time water-quality measurements from Water-Quality Watch maps.

Water Quality Portal (WQP)

Get current and historical USGS and EPA water-quality data at the WQP.

BioData

Get stream ecosystem aquatic bioassessment data from BioData.

For More Data

View a complete list of USGS water-quality data resources.

USGS in Your Area

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Past "Noteworthy" Listings

Note: Links were active and correct at the time the announcement was originally posted to the Water-Quality Information web site. Outdated or broken links on this page are not updated.

2016

• Coal-Tar-Sealant a Major Source of PAH Contamination in Milwaukee Streams (12/22/2016)
• USGS Releases Results of Gem County Groundwater Quality Study (12/21/2016)
• USGS, NASA Study Finds Widespread Coastal Land Losses from Gulf Oil Spill (11/17/2016)
• USGS Study Reveals Interactive Effects of Climate Change, Invasive Species on Native Fish (11/16/2016)
• SF Bay-Delta Conference: Science for Solutions (11/15/2016)
• Removal of Fallen Leaves Can Improve Urban Water Quality (11/17/2016)
• Using Data to Build a Sustainable Water Future
• Wastewater Disposal Likely Induced February 2016 Magnitude 5.1 Oklahoma Earthquake (10/24/2016)
• The Science of Harmful Algal Blooms (10/24/2016)
• An Evaluation of Methods for Estimating Decadal Stream Loads
• Where Does it Go? New Method Evaluates Fate of Methane Released into Streams (10/17/2016)
• New water-quality station is a step forward for Baltimore water pollution clean-up (10/14/2016)
• Common Insecticide Identified in Midwestern Streams (10/12/2016)
• Widespread Plastic Pollution Found in Great Lakes Tributaries (9/14/2016)
• Sources of Excessive Nutrients in the Transboundary Red-Assiniboine River Basin Identified by Binational Research Team
• Potential Corrosivity of Untreated Groundwater in the U.S.
• New Study Shows High Potential for Groundwater to be Corrosive in Half of U.S. States
• USGS to Discuss New Study on Potential for Groundwater to be Corrosive-Press Conference
• External quality assurance project report for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program's National Trends Network and Mercury Deposition Network, 2013-14
• Science-Based Tools Can Help Prevent Illness at Ohio and New York Beaches
• New Study Quantifies Benefits of Agricultural Conservation in Upper Mississippi River Basin
• USGS Uses Science Diplomacy and Collaboration to Advance Precipitation Monitoring in Cuba
• Pharmaceuticals Commonly Detected in Small Streams in the Southeastern United States
• Scientists and Officials Celebrate 40 Years of Groundbreaking Science in Lakewood
• Evidence of Unconventional Oil and Gas Wastewater Found in Surface Waters near Underground Injection Site
• Study Links Contamination in Southern California Streams to 2009 Station Fire
• Fireworks Likely Caused Water Contamination at Mount Rushmore
• Despite Long-Lasting Pollutants, Ospreys Thrive in US' Largest Estuary
• Crude Oil Byproducts in Groundwater Plumes
• USGS Assesses Baseline Conditions Prior to Uranium Mining near Grand Canyon National Park
• Algal Toxins Detected in One-Third of Streams Assessed in Southeastern United States
• USGS Increases Public Access to Scientific Research

2015

• Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring During December 2015 Floods
• Carbon in Water must be Accounted for in Projections of Future Climate
• Intersex Prevalent in Black Bass Inhabiting National Wildlife Refuges in Northeast
• Rapid Algal Bloom Predictions are Possible for Ohio Lakes
• New Tool Can Determine the Sources of Mercury Found in the Great Lakes
• 2015 Gold King Mine Release: USGS Water-Quality Data and Activities
• Understanding how Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Affect Fish
• Storage and Treatment of Liquid Waste from Landfills Doesn't Remove All Contaminants, Including Pharmaceuticals
• New Tool Rates Stream Vulnerability to Unconventional Oil and Gas Development
• Acid Rain Effects on Forest Soils begin to Reverse
• Ancient Permafrost Quickly Transforms to Carbon Dioxide upon Thaw
• Scientists Able to Track Contaminated Water from Lower Yakima Valley Wells to Sources
• Uncovering the Mighty Mississippi's Natural Potential for Nitrogen Removal
• New Model Improves Predictions for How Climate Change Will Affect Fish Habitat
• A Century of Induced Earthquakes in Oklahoma?
• Lakes and Reservoirs: USGS Guidelines for Study Design and Sampling
• USGS Responds to Hurricane Joaquin and Nor'easter
• Storms after Wildfire Lead to Impaired Water Quality
• Predicting Pesticides in Streams and Rivers: Where is Water Quality at Risk?
• USGS Guide to Help Native Americans and Alaska Natives Identify Harmful Algal Blooms
• Trends in River Pesticide Levels Echo Pesticide Use
• USGS Scientists Study Effects of Gold King Mine Release
• Water Used for Hydraulic Fracturing Varies Widely Across United States
• Scientists Expect Slightly Below Average Chesapeake Bay 'Dead Zone' this Summer
• NOAA, Partners Predict an Average 'Dead Zone' for Gulf of Mexico
• Atmospheric Release of BPA May Reach Nearby Waterways
• Tracking Water Quality of the Nation's Rivers and Streams
• The Chemistry of Waters that Follow from Fracking: A Case Study
• Water Quality in Principal Aquifers of the United States, 1991-2010

2014

• Innovating to Protect our Waterways: Nutrient Sensor Challenge 
• USGS Investigations of Water Produced During Hydrocarbon Reservoir Development
• Mercury in Stream Ecosystems
• USGS GeoHealth Newsletter
• NPS-USGS Collaboration to Support Science and Resource Management in the National Parks 
• Understanding the Relation between Energy and the Environment using Integrated Science
• New Findings on Contaminants of Emerging Concern
• USGS Releases New National Produced Waters Geochemical Database
• Principal Aquifer Water-Quality Surveys
• New USGS Sediment Data Portal
• Report: Pesticides and nitrate in groundwater underlying citrus croplands, Lake Wales Ridge, central Florida, 1999-2005
• Report: Sampling history and 2009-2010 results for pesticides and inorganic constituents monitored by the Lake Wales Ridge Groundwater Network, central Florida
• Laser Spectroscopy for Field Hydrology and Biogeochemistry - USGS/CUAHSI Virtual Workshop

2013

As of September 30, 2013, updates to this page only include items noted under "Featured Science" on the Water-Quality Information Site. Past USGS Press Releases are available from the USGS Newsroom.

• seawaveQ: An R Package Providing a Model and Utilities for Analyzing Trends in Chemical Concentrations in Streams
• USGS Water Resources Internet Tools
• Briefing Paper on the Effects of Wildfire on Sourcewater and Fisheries
• California: South Coast Range Coastal Groundwater Quality: Nitrate More Prevalent at High Concentrations than Statewide
• Press Release: How Global Change Will Impact Mercury around the World
• Press Release: New USGS Approach Identifies Priorities for Ambient Water and Sediment Quality Monitoring
• Press Release: Unprecedented Rate and Scale of Ocean Acidification Found in the Arctic
• USGS Recognizes "Protect Your Groundwater Day"
• USGS Geohealth Newsletter
• USGS Geohealth Newsletter
• Kentucky: Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids Likely Harmed Threatened Kentucky Fish Species
• Chesapeake Bay: Contaminants Affect Fish and Wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay
• Press Release: New Insight on Vulnerability of Public-Supply Wells to Contamination
  • - Report: Factors Affecting Public-Supply-Well Vulnerability to Contamination
• Report: Optical Techniques for the Determination of Nitrate in Environmental Waters
• National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI) v.4 
• Report: Streamflow Characterization and Summary of Water-Quality Data Collection during the Mississippi River Flood, April through July 2011
• Press Release: Health of U.S. Streams Reduced by Streamflow Modifications and Contaminants
• Iowa: Eleven-Year Trend in Acetanilide Pesticide Degradates in the Iowa River 
• Meeting the Science Needs of the Nation in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy — A USGS Science Plan for Support of Restoration and Recovery
• New Chemical Mixtures Software
• 9th National Monitoring Conference Call for Abstracts [425KB PDF] 
• USGS Office of Water Quality Technical Memorandum 2013.02: Guidelines for FISP Bag Sampler Intake Efficiency Tests and Operational Velocities [275KB PDF]
• Press Release: New Method Monitors Riverbed and Flows to Protect Spawning Salmon
• Arkansas: Journal Article: Geochemical and isotopic variations in shallow groundwater in areas of the Fayetteville shale development, north-central Arkansas 
• Arkansas: USGS Report: Shallow Groundwater Quality and Geochemistry in the Fayetteville Shale Gas-Production Area, North-Central Arkansas, 2011
• Fact Sheet: Integrated Synoptic Surveys Using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and Manned Boats
• Press Release: Decades-old Nitrate Found to Affect Stream Water Quality
• 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
• Press Release: New water-quality test for preventing unnecessary beach closures
• March 10-16: National Groundwater Awareness Week
• New Hampshire: Concentrations of Chloride and Sodium in Groundwater in New Hampshire From 1960 Through 2011
• 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
• An Economic Value of Remote-Sensing Information: Application to Agricultural Production and Maintaining Groundwater Quality
• WaterNow: Get current water conditions by text or email
• Arkansas: Press Release: No Contamination from Fayetteville Shale Exploration Found in Sampled Wells

2012

• Press Release: Research, Response for Future Oil Spills: Lessons Learned from Deepwater Horizon
• Congressional Briefing: Effects of Urbanization on Streams [80KB PDF]
• Press Release: Streams Show Signs of Degradation at Earliest Stages of Urban Development
• USGS Water-Quality Sampling after Hurricane Sandy
• Stream Nutrient Reductions from Conservation Practices Not Consistently Detectable Across U.S
• Increased Sediment and Nutrient Delivery to Chesapeake Bay as Susquehanna Reservoirs New Sediment Capacity
• Kansas: Cyanobacteria and associated toxins in the Kansas River
• Wyoming: USGS Releases Reports on Groundwater-Quality Sampling Near Pavillion
• New Water Quality Portal integrates USGS and EPA data
• Report: Variability in Stream Chemistry in Relation to Urban Development and Biological Condition in Seven Metropolitan Areas
• Updated: National Field Manual Chapter on Arsenic Speciation [2.52MB PDF]
• Factors Associated with Sources, Transport, and Fate of Chloroform and Three Other Trihalomethanes in Untreated Groundwater Used for Drinking Water
• Press Release: High Salt Concentrations in Water Resulting from Coal-bed Natural Gas Production Harmful to Aquatic Life
• New Water Quality Portal Provides Access to over 150 million records
• Technical Announcement: From Decade to Decade: What's the Status of our Groundwater Quality?
• Fact Sheet: Water Quality Studied in Areas of Unconventional Oil and Gas Development, Including Areas Where Hydraulic Fracturing Techniques are Used
• Media Advisory: USGS at the National Water Quality Monitoring Council's Eighth National Monitoring Conference
• Video: Shale Gas, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Induced Earthquakes
• California: Groundwater Quality in the San Fernando-San Gabriel Groundwater Basins, California
• New Water Quality Portal integrates USGS and EPA data
• Public Lecture: Shale Gas, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Induced Earthquakes (Reston, Virginia)
• Health-Based Screening Level values updated for 48 contaminants
• Workshop Summary: In Situ Optical Water-Quality Sensor Networks
• Press Release: Phosphorus and Groundwater: Scientists Establish Links Between Agricultural Use and Transport to Streams
• New Tools for Well Owners in Southeastern Wyoming
• April 30: National Water Quality Monitoring Council's 8th National Monitoring Conference
• Press Release: New Study Confirms Low Levels of Fallout from Fukushima and Enhances Knowledge
• Fact Sheet: Principal Aquifers Can Contribute Radium to Sources of Drinking Water Under Certain Geochemical Conditions
• Press Release: Acid Rain Study Show Substantial Decreases, But More Progress Is Needed
  • – National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011

2011

• Acidification of Earth: An assessment across mechanisms and scales
  • – Journal Article
  • – News Interview
• Podcast: Phytoremediation of Contaminated Groundwater
• Podcast: A Study in Stream Ecology
• Briefing on New Science to Identify Sources of Excessive Nutrients in Rivers and Estuaries
  • – Press Release: New Science to Help Direct Action on Excessive Nutrients in Rivers and Estuaries
• Press Release: New Science to Help Direct Action on Excessive Nutrients in Rivers and Estuaries
  • – Press Release: Briefing - New Science to Identify Sources of Excessive Nutrients in Rivers and Estuaries
  • – Regional SPARROW Model Assessments
  • – Interactive Decision Support System
• Press Release: Widely Used Herbicide Commonly Found in Rain and Streams in Mississippi River Basin
• Press Release: Arsenic, Uranium and Other Trace Elements, a Potential Concern in Private Drinking Wells | Report
• Water-Quality Sampling after Hurricane Irene
• Nevada: Endocrine Disruption in Lake Mead
• No Consistent Declines in Nitrate Levels in Large Rivers in the Mississippi River Basin
• Podcast about Emerging Contaminants
• Pharmaceutical Compounds Found at Low Levels in Some California Aquifers
• Arkansas: Determining Potential Effects of Fayetteville Shale Gas Extraction on Water Resources
• Mississippi Flood Waters:
  • Major Flooding on the Mississippi River Likely to Cause Large Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone
  • USGS Water-Quality Sampling of the Mississippi Flood Waters – May 2011
• Congressional Briefing: PAHs Increasing in Urban U.S. Lakes — Fact Sheet | Presentation/Video | More Information
• Press Release: Satellite Images Show Extent of Mississippi River Sediment
• Video: USGS Measures Flooding and Water Quality at Morganza Spillway and Across Louisiana
• Press Release: How does the Mississippi River Change When the Levee Breaks?
• USGS Data Collection Activity at the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
• Press Release: Arsenic and Uranium in Water from Private Wells Completed in Bedrock of East-Central Massachusetts | Report
• Press Release: Nauset Marsh Estuary Red Tide Study
• Press Release: Online Guide to Diatoms in the U.S., developed with USGS and USEPA support

2010

• Press Release: Water well tests show more towns with elevated arsenic in Maine | Report
• Press Release: Altered flows leads to ecological degradation in streams across the U.S.
• Hydrogeology and Groundwater Quality of the Anacostia River Watershed
• Press Release: A New Understanding of 31 Years of Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Trends
• Press Release: Contaminants in Groundwater Used for Public Supply | Report & Data | Podcast
• Press Release: Manufacturing Facilities Release Pharmaceuticals to the Environment | Report, Data, and Background
• Press Release: Congressional Briefing on Contaminants in Groundwater Used for Public Supply | Presentation
• Design and Performance of an Enhanced Bioremediation Pilot Test, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (SIR 2009-5112)
• Role of Redox in Aquifer Contamination
• New Source of Methylmercury Entering the Pacific Ocean

2009

• Pesticide Levels Decline in Corn Belt Rivers
• Study Reveals Mercury Contamination in Fish Nationwide
• Tackling Fish Endocrine Disruption
• Algal Toxins in Recreational Waters [350KB PDF]
• Indiana: Investigations & Monitoring of Mercury
• Quality of Water from Domestic Wells

2008

• California Water Science Center - Pesticides flowing into the Salton Sea (Previously online at http://ca.water.usgs.gov/news/releaseNov5_2008.html announcement is no longer online)
• USGS investigations of national and regional trends in ground-water quality [30KB PDF]