USGS Oregon Water Science Center

Welcome to the home page for the U.S. Geological Survey Oregon Water Science Center. This is your gateway to a wealth of information on surface water, ground water, and water quality in Oregon and the Nation. The Oregon Water Science Center provides water data and interpretation of data to Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes; and the public. Our data and study results are widely used to manage Oregon's water resources for the benefit of both people and our environment. We hope that you will find this Website informative and useful.

Streamflow Conditions in Oregon

USGS Oregon WSC Highlights

The USGS Cooperative Water Program

Many USGS streamflow gages, such as this one on the Metolius River in the Deschutes River Basin, are funded in part by non-Federal partners, in this case the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and Portland General Electric.

As the primary Federal science agency for water-resource information, the USGS monitors the quantity and quality of water in the Nation's rivers and aquifers, assesses the sources and fate of contaminants in aquatic systems, develops tools to improve the application of hydrologic information, and ensures that its information and tools are available to all potential users. This broad, diverse mission cannot be accomplished effectively without the contributions of the Cooperative Water (Coop) Program. For more than 100 years, the Coop Program has been a highly successful cost-sharing partnership between the USGS and water-resource agencies at the State, local, and Tribal levels. Throughout its history, the program has made important contributions to meeting USGS mission requirements, developing meaningful partnerships, sharing Federal and non-Federal financial resources, and keeping the agency focused on real-world problems. Learn more about the Coop Program....

Featured Study

Emerging Contaminants are Widespread in Stream Sediments of the Lower Columbia Basin

Columbia Slough, an urban waterway that receives surface runoff and combined sewer overflows, is a hotspot for PPCPs, AWIs, and EDCs. (Photo courtesy of Lyn Topinka, Columbia River Images, Vancouver)

A recent USGS reconnaissance study in the lower Columbia River Basin found a widespread occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and anthropogenic (human-produced) waste indicators (AWIs) in streambed sediments— 49 compounds in all. Some of these chemicals are endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) that can affect reproduction in wildlife and in humans. Sediment samples were collected from the Columbia River, the Willamette River, the Tualatin River, and several small urban creeks that enter the Columbia River or the River. Concentrations and frequency of detection were higher in tributaries and small urban creeks than in the Columbia River itself, pointing to a higher risk of impacts on juvenile salmonids and other aquatic life in smaller streams. At least one EDC was detected at 22 of 23 sites sampled; several EDCs were widespread among the sites.

The USGS study is the first to document the occurrence of PPCPs and AWIs in the sediments of the Columbia River Basin. The role of sediments in exposure of aquatic organisms to these chemicals is not well understood. Some of these compounds are known to have detrimental impacts on aquatic life, while the effects of others are unknown and require further study. Their presence in the sediments raises the possibility that the compounds could be ingested by organisms that feed in and on the sediment and concentrate up the food chain. There is clearly a need for a monitoring strategy for these classes of emerging contaminants, especially because their use and subsequent discharge into the environment is likely to increase in the future.

Recent Publications

Water Quality Conditions in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon, 2005, by Gene R. Hoilman, Mary K. Lindenberg, and Tamara M. Wood

Pesticide Occurrence and Distribution in the Lower Clackamas River Basin, Oregon, 2000–2005, by Kurt D. Carpenter, Steven Sobieszczyk, Andrew J. Arnsberg, and Frank A. Rinella

Development of an Interactive Shoreline Management Tool for the Lower Wood River Valley, Oregon, Phase I: Stage-Volume and Stage-Area Relations, by Tana L. Haluska and Daniel T. Snyder

Total Dissolved Gas and Water Temperature in the Lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2007: Quality-Assurance Data and Comparison to Water-Quality Standards, by Dwight Q. Tanner, Heather M. Bragg, and Matthew W. Johnston

Questions and Answers about the Effects of Septic Systems on Water Quality in the La Pine Area, Oregon, by John S. Williams, David S. Morgan, and Stephen R. Hinkle

View the complete list of 2007-08 Oregon Water Science Center publications

Of Current Interest

Updated USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps Show Increased Risk of Earthquake Damage in the Pacific Northwest

The U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program has updated its National Seismic Hazard Maps to include new seismic, geologic, and geodetic data on earthquake recurrence rates and ground motion (shaking). The information on these maps is used in the creation of building codes, to set insurance rates, to estimate the stability and landslide potential of hillsides, and for emergency management planning.

The changes to the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps indicate that earthquakes are still a threat for 46 states in the U.S., but that the severity of ground shaking in most of the country could be less than previously assumed. However, the news for the Pacific Northwest is not as good:

Oregon and Washington are likely to have more severe ground shaking than shown on previous versions of the maps.
Several new faults were included or revised as a source of earthquake ground shaking in the Pacific Northwest.
The next "Big One" caused by a rupture of the Cascade Subduction Zone, which extends along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to northern California, will likely be a magnitude-9 earthquake that involves the entire length of the subduction zone rather than a smaller, magnitude-8 quake that involves a smaller portion of the zone.

Read the news release.

To view the maps, read the documentation, or view a Fact Sheet summary, go to the 2008 United States National Seismic Hazard Maps Web page.

USGS Global Climate Science

USGS meteorological station

Climate plays an important role in shaping the environment, natural resources, infrastructure, economy, and other aspects of life in all countries of the world. The Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) was established in 2002 to empower the Nation and the global community with the science-based knowledge to manage risks and opportunities of change in the climate and related environmental systems.The CCSP integrates Federal research on climate and global change, as sponsored by 13 Federal agencies and overseen by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Council on Environmental Quality, the National Economic Council and the Office of Management and Budget.

USGS research contributes directly to CCSP strategic goals, principally through studies designed to understand the interactions between climate, earth surface processes, and ecosystems on time scales ranging from years to millennia. The goal of global change research at USGS is to improve knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s past and present climate and environment, the forces bringing about changes in the Earth’s climate, and the sensitivity and adaptability of natural and managed ecosystems to climate changes. Learn more about USGS climate research….

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