Water Resources of California

Welcome to the USGS web site for the water resources of California. This is your direct link to all kinds of water-resource information. Here you'll find information on California's rivers and streams. You'll also find information about ground water, water quality, and many other topics. The USGS operates the most extensive satellite network of stream-gaging stations in the state, many of which form the backbone of flood-warning systems.

Naturally high levels of chromium found in groundwater

A toxic chemical usually associated with industrial activities occurs naturally in groundwater in California's Mojave Desert, sometimes at levels that exceed California drinking-water standards, the U.S. Geological Survey has found. Chromium-6, also known as hexavalent chromium, can have many toxic effects on humans, such as stomach ulcers; damage to liver, kidney, circulatory and nerve tissues, and skin irritation. Hexavalent chromium also may be a carcinogen. Read the press release.

USGS releases comprehensive study of groundwater quality in Central Sierra Nevada

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticides were detected in less than one-third of the 30 wells sampled in a wide-ranging survey of groundwater quality in the central Sierra Nevada, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says in a new report. Read the press release.

USGS Webcam captures images of flash flood

Sudden and torrential rainfall on hillsides left bare by last fall's wildfires caused dangerous flash flooding in several Orange County canyons on Thursday, May 22. A USGS Webcam, installed in December, captured the rush of water and debris in Modjeska Canyon starting shortly after noon. The video shows photos taken every 30 seconds from noon to 1 p.m. View the Webcam

USGS releases major study on agricultural chemicals

A series of papers in the May/June issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality report on the findings from a national study on the sources, transport and fate of water and selected agricultural chemicals. This multi-state research looked at environmental processes on a watershed scale. It compared and contrasted the interaction between water and agricultural chemicals within and between the atmosphere, surface water, groundwater and the zones above the water table. The lower Merced River basin in California’s Central Valley was one of five watersheds studied nationwide. The others were in Washington, Nebraska, Indiana and Maryland. To read or download the papers, go to http://jeq.scijournals.org/content/vol37/issue3/ and click on "Special Submissions."

How stream-gaging system monitors burn-damaged Southern California watersheds

Rainbow Creek is a tributary of the Santa Margarita River, near Fallbrook, San Diego County, CA. Al Caldwell, deputy hydrologic monitoring chief for the USGS California Water Science Center, discusses the role of stream-gaging in monitoring the risk of floods and debris flows in this drainage following the 2007 Southern California wildfires.

Wetland Revival

View a new 21-minute video on the role of science in restoring San Francisco Bay's salt ponds to wetland habitat. The video, posted on the Newsroom page, was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Our scientists span a broad range of research

There are over 130 scientists working in the California Water Science Center and their expertise and interests span a very broad range of disciplinary approaches to modern water management issues. The majority of senior Center scientists have been officially recognized as "Research and Development Scientists" by the USGS for their ongoing scientific contributions, demonstrated excellence in scientific pursuits, leadership, and the impact their work has had on both the development of scientific knowledge and its application to real world management problems.

There are many opportunities to collaborate with researchers at the Center. Many of the projects are conducted by multidisciplinary teams whose members include scientists from other USGS offices, universities, and our partner agencies. Several of the most senior researchers have hosted post-doctoral fellows and hold joint appointments at nearby universities.

Picture above of a device invented by USGS CAWSC scientists for collecting depth-dependent samples from production wells under pumping conditions.

Recent publications:

(June 02, 2008) Ground-Water Quality Data in the Central Sierra Study Unit, 2006—Results from the California GAMA Program: U.S. Geological Survey Data SeriesReport 335, 74 p.
(May 07, 2008) USGS research helps the county of Los Angeles address new arsenic standards: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2008–3043 online
(May 07, 2008) Multi-disciplinary approach to trace contamination of streams and beaches: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2008–3040 online
(May 07, 2008) Research to more effectively manage critical ground–water basins: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2008–3037 online
(May 07, 2008) Science to help understand and manage important ground–water resources: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2008–3039 online
(May 07, 2008) Providing data and modeling to help manage water supplies: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2008–3038 online
(Apr 24, 2008) Majewski, M.S., Foreman, W.T., Coupe, R.H., Goolsby, D.A., and Wiebe, F.W., 2008, Pesticides in air and rainwater in the midcontinental United States, 1995–Methods and data: U.S. Geological Survey Open–File Report 20071369, 24 p.
(Apr 16, 2008) Landon, M.K., and Belitz, Kenneth, 2008, Ground–water quality data in the Central Eastside San Joaquin Basin 2006: Results from the California GAMA Program: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 325, 88 p.
(Apr 04, 2008) Shellenbarger, G.G., Schoellhamer, D.H., Morgan, T.L., Takekawa, J.Y., Athearn, N.D., and Henderson, K.D. , 2008, Dissolved oxygen in Guadalupe Slough and Pond A3W, South San Francisco Bay, California, August and September 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Open–File Report 2008–1097, 28 p.
(Feb 21, 2008) Zamora, Celia, 2008, Estimating Water Fluxes Across the Sediment–Water Interface in the Lower Merced River, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5216, 47 p.
(Jan 30, 2008) Dawson, B.J., Bennett, G.L., V, and Belitz, Kenneth, 2008, Ground–Water Quality Data in the Southern Sacramento Valley, California, 2005–Results from the California GAMA Program: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 285, 93 p.
(Jan 16, 2008) Lionberger, M.A., Schoellhamer, D.H., Shellenbarger, G.G., Orlando, J.L., and Ganju, N.K., 2008, Box Model of a Series of Salt Ponds, as Applied to the Alviso Salt Pond Complex, South San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5173, 28 p.
(Jan 16, 2008) Curtis, J.A., 2008, Summary of Optical–Backscatter and Suspended-Sediment Data, Tomales Bay Watershed, California, Water Years 2004, 2005, and 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5224, 16 p.

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