Luckiamute State Natural Area Hike with the Luckiamute Watershed Council
USGS Real time data sites
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Real-Time Water Quality Information Available Across the Nation
Real time water-quality data are now easily accessible online through the USGS WaterQualityWatch website
( http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/wqwatch
).
Continuous real-time information on water quality is a vital asset
that helps safeguard lives and property and ensures adequate water
resources for a healthy economy.
Real-time water quality measurements are available at more than 1,300
sites across the United States in streams with watersheds as small as a
few square miles to more than a million square miles in the Mississippi
River. Measurements include streamflow, water temperature, specific
conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity.
"Real-time water information is breaking new ground in science
and technology and is proving to be very useful, helping local
water managers make important daily decisions, such as regarding
drinking water, water treatment, recreation, and public safety on
beaches throughout the U.S." said Matthew Larsen, USGS Acting Associate
Director for Water.
The public also uses the on-line data to decide
whether conditions, such as water temperature or turbidity, are favorable for
recreational activities such as fishing, boating or swimming.
As the
science advances, real-time measurements for relatively simple parameters
such as temperature, conductance, and turbidity can be used to help predict
more health-related conditions, such as if E. coli levels will exceed safety
standards at beaches.
Access
additional USGS real-time water information sites by visiting WaterWatch for
surface water information ( http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/ )
and Ground-Water Watch (http://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/
).
Jennifer LaVista
Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Geological
Survey, Office of Communications
703-648-4432
Email:
jlavista@usgs.gov
Science sounds like this: usgs.gov/podcasts
