The US Geological Survey (USGS) has released the National Water Availability Assessment, a groundbreaking study offering an overview of the balance between water supply and demand across the lower 48 states. The report highlights that nearly 30 million people reside in areas where surface water supplies are insufficient for their needs, revealing significant water limitations in certain regions.
The assessment is important because it integrates data on water quantity, quality, and use, offering a more comprehensive understanding of water availability than previous studies. It utilizes state-of-the-art models to fill in gaps where direct monitoring data is not available, providing insights into water conditions from 2010 to 2020. This integrated approach helps identify regions experiencing water scarcity, surpluses, and variations in water quality.
Accompanying the report is the National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion, an online platform offering easy access to the datasets used in the study. This tool is designed to help resource managers, scientists, and policymakers retrieve crucial information about the state of water resources across the country. The platform will be regularly updated and will offer historical data, current conditions, and future projections. It complements the USGS’s existing Water Data for the Nation (WDFN) website, which provides real-time water measurements. Together, these platforms will offer a more complete picture of the nation’s water resources.
For more information about the findings, visit the USGS interactive website to explore the report along with other data visualization tools.
