Warning: Javascript must be enabled to use all the features on this page!
Click to hideNews Bulletins
  • Explore the NEW USGS National Water Dashboard interactive map to access real-time water data from over 13,500 stations nationwide.
  • How are we doing? We want to hear from you. Take our quick survey to tell us what you think.

USGS Groundwater Data for the Nation


Current Conditions
(2,114 sites)

Current conditions at selected sites based on the most recent data from on-site automated recording equipment. Measurements are commonly recorded at a fixed interval of 15- to 60-minutes and transmitted to the USGS every hour. Values may include "Approved" (quality-assured data that may be published) and/or more recent "Provisional" data (of unverified accuracy and subject to revision). Most current data are provisional.

Historical Observations
(6,014 sites)

The same data accessed by the Current Conditions link above but including both active and discontinued sites with data for any part of the period October 1, 2007, through the present. Values may include "Approved" (quality-assured data that may be published) and/or more recent "Provisional" data (of unverified accuracy and subject to revision).

Daily Data
(8,561 sites)

Summary of all data for each day for the period of record and may represent the daily mean, median, maximum, minimum, and/or other derived value. Values may include "Approved" (quality-assured data that may be published) and/or more recent "Provisional" data (of unverified accuracy and subject to revision).

Statistics
(4,384 sites)

Statistics are computed from approved daily mean data at each site. These links provide summaries of approved historical daily values for daily, monthly, and annual (water year or calendar year) time periods.

Field Measurements
(914,119 sites)
Manual measurements of depth to water in wells.
Introduction

The USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) contains extensive water data for the nation. Public access to many of these data are provided via the USGS Water Data for the Nation site (additional background).

The Groundwater database consists of more than 850,000 records of wells, springs, test holes, tunnels,drains, and excavations in the United States. Available site descriptive information includes well location information such as latitude and longitude, well depth, and aquifer.
The USGS annually monitors groundwater levels in thousands of wells in the United States. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders. Data from some of the continuous record stations are relayed to USGS offices nationwide through telephone lines or by satellite transmissions providing access to current groundwater data.

Once a complete day of readings are received from a site, daily summary data are generated and made available online. USGS finalizes data at individual sites on a continuous basis as environmental conditions and hydrologic characteristics permit.