Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center
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Welcome to our Water Science Center! Water resources of Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia consist of numerous streams, springs, lakes, and aquifer systems. Streamflow, groundwater levels, and water-quality data are collected at numerous locations, and water-use data are collected throughout the area in cooperation with other federal, state and local agencies, universities, and research centers. Feel free to examine the hydrologic data we collect and the scientific investigations we conduct at the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center.
See our video: Working with the USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center
Explore Our Capabilities
We’ve created a series of websites thematically named to characterize our work as “Capabilities”. Our highly skilled staff work with a diverse array of cooperative partners to produce the high-quality output for which the USGS is world-renown.
SEE OUR CAPABILITIESLocal Water Conditions
Explore real-time streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality conditions and access data for MD, DE, and DC with our new interactive map application. This application offers data displays on multiple device platforms with various basemap options.
Local Water ConditionsQUICK LINKS
Featured below are some popular features on the MD-DE-DC Water Science site. To better navigate our pages, please use the vertical header listing to the left side of this window.
Water Conditions for Washington, DC
Science Center Seminars Series
Freshwater Flow into Chesapeake Bay
OUR NEW NWIS-MAPPERNews
USGS Crews Work Fast to Capture Critical Flooding Measurements in the Mid-Atlantic
To learn more about USGS’s role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Ida, visit https://www.usgs.gov/Ida
Newly Installed Super Gauge Helps USGS Monitor Water Quality, Bacteria Levels in Lower Anacostia River
Washington - A newly installed U.S. Geological Survey “super gauge” will provide people in the Washington area near real time information on bacteria levels and other water quality information for a portion of the Lower Anacostia River.
USGS Studies Low-Flow Changes in the Delaware River Basin
USGS scientists published a new study of low flow in streams in the Delaware River Basin. In general, the low flows measured during 1980-2018 increased along with increased precipitation, although low flows decreased in the Coastal Plain area, in the southern part of the basin, where water use and impervious surface...
Publications
Simulated effects of sea-level rise on the shallow, fresh groundwater system of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, developed a three-dimensional groundwater-flow model for Assateague Island in eastern Maryland and Virginia to assess the effects of sea-level rise on the groundwater system. Sea-level rise is expected to increase the altitude of the water table in barrier island aquifer...
Fleming, Brandon J.; Raffensperger, Jeff P.; Goodling, Phillip J.; Masterson, John P.
Is there an urban pesticide signature? Urban streams in five U.S. regions share common dissolved-phase pesticides but differ in predicted aquatic toxicity
Pesticides occur in urban streams globally, but the relation of occurrence to urbanization can be obscured by regional differences. In studies of five regions of the United States, we investigated the effect of region and urbanization on the occurrence and potential toxicity of dissolved pesticide mixtures. We analyzed 225 pesticide compounds in...
Nowell, Lisa H.; Moran, Patrick W.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Mahler, Barbara; Van Metre, Peter C.; Bradley, Paul; Schmidt, Travis S.; Button, Daniel T.; Qi, Sharon L. Evaluating low flow patterns, drivers and trends in the Delaware River Basin
In the humid, temperate Delaware River Basin (DRB) where water availability is generally reliable, summer low flows can cause competition between various human and ecological water uses. As temperatures continue to rise, population increases and development expands, it is critical to understand historical low flow variability to anticipate and...
Hammond, John; Fleming, Brandon J.