Freshwater Ecology: Government Resources

This is an excellent starting point for collecting state-generated information and reports about Rivers, Lakes & Streams, Drinking Water, Septic Systems Storm Water, Water Conservation, Wastewater and Sinkholes.

Access news releases, events & deadlines, features, photos & videos, public notices, publications & fact sheets and success stories.

The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center is your direct link to all kinds of water-resource information. Data collection and interpretive studies are done in cooperation with various local, State, and Federal agencies.

"... the gateway to the vision, goals and recommendations for Pennsylvania in meeting the challenges of sustainable water use into the future."

Provides basic background information on the impact of agriculture on water, the water cycle, watersheds, and links to water resources. Also includes information on related programs of this federal department.

A comprehensive and distributed application that supports the acquisition, processing, and long-term storage of water data in PA. The types of data collected are varied, but generally fit into the broad categories of surface water and groundwater. Surface-water data, such as gage height (stage) and streamflow (discharge), are collected at major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Groundwater data, such as water level, are collected at wells and springs.

The National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) is a collaborative survey that provides information on the ecological condition of the nation’s rivers and streams and the key stressors that affect them, both on a national and an ecoregional scale.

"The focus of the National Stream and Aquatic Ecology Center is on developing tools and science applications for the more effective management and conservation of watersheds, streams, riparian ecosystems, fisheries and aquatic ecosystems on National Forests and Grasslands."

"The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment."

Contains interactive maps on current and past stream-flow, reservoirs, ground water, forecasts and snow. This site is a companion to the the U.S. Drought Monitor and the Drought Impact Monitor. Links to both of these monitors are on this site.

"As the leading Federal agency for assisting in restoring watershed health on private land, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to producers who implement conservation practices and management strategies, including the restoration and protection of wetlands, that benefit water quality and improve water management. "

"These pages provide access to water-resources data collected at approximately 1.5 million sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. .... "The USGS investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality, distribution, and movement of surface and underground waters and disseminates the data to the public, State and local governments, public and private utilities, and other Federal agencies involved with managing our water resources."

"Water is one of seven science mission areas of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Water's mission is to collect and disseminate reliable, impartial, and timely information that is needed to understand the Nation's water resources."

"...we offer data, metadata, reports, country profiles, river basin profiles, regional analyses, maps, tables, spatial data, guidelines, and other tools on:
Water resources: internal, transboundary, total
-Water uses: by sector, by source, wastewater
-Irrigation: location, area, typology, technology, crops
-Dams: location, height, capacity, surface area
-Water-related institutions, policies and legistation

"Building on a long history of coordination in the UN System, UN-Water was formalized in 2003 by the United Nations High Level Committee on Programmes. It provides the platform to address the cross-cutting nature of water and maximize system-wide coordinated action and coherence."

Agriculture faces complex challenges between now and 2050 to satisfy an estimated population of nine billion. One certainty, however, is that more water will be needed to produce the estimated 60% of extra food needed. FAO’s work in water focuses on a more efficient, equitable and environmentally friendly use of water in agriculture.

Source for listing of World Bank projects, data, and research relating to issues in water worldwide.
"Practically every development challenge of the 21st century – food security, managing rapid urbanization, energy security, environmental protection, adapting to climate change – requires urgent attention to water resources management."