USGS releases a comprehensive look at water resources in the United States | U.S. Geological Survey

The assessment found that nearly 30 million people live in areas where available surface-water supplies are limited relative to water use, indicating a high level of water limitation. More people living in areas with high water limitation were socially vulnerable compared to those living in areas with lower water limitation and more available water. With the United States facing growing challenges related to water availability, the assessment provides key insights into understanding where shortages exist, where surpluses can be found and the quality of the water. 

“This assessment is a crucial part of the USGS’s commitment to understanding and reporting on water availability, a growing concern in the face of increasing challenges to this vital resource,” said  David Applegate, USGS Director . “As the first study that looks at water supply, demand and quality across the lower 48 states, it can help support informed decision making for sustainable water management.”

Unlike previous national water availability assessments, which relied solely on data from locations where water was directly measured, this new assessment utilizes state-of-the-art models to fill the gaps between monitoring sites. In addition, prior assessments examined water quality and water use separately, while the new assessment integrates water quality and use for a more comprehensive understanding of water availability. This assessment covers the period from 2010 to 2020, providing insights into the average conditions during that time.

"This assessment is a groundbreaking scientific endeavor that enhances our understanding of the complex dynamics of water availability in the United States,” said  Bill Werkheiser, USGS Associate Director for Water Resources . “By integrating data on water quantity, quality and usage, we are uncovering valuable insights that will help researchers and policymakers address the critical challenges related to our water resources.”

The assessment report is accompanied by the National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion (Data Companion), a user-friendly online platform designed to provide access to underlying datasets used in the assessment. The Data Companion offers tools that policymakers, resource managers and scientists can use to retrieve information to better understand the state of water across the United States. This web-based platform will provide nationally consistent, routinely updated information on water quantity, quality and use and will host data and information that cover past conditions over multiple decades, current or near-current conditions and projections of future condition over multiple decades. The first version of the Data Companion, which will be released alongside the assessment report, will deliver modeled water-use data covering several past decades. Modeled water quantity and quality, updated current conditions and future projections will be available in future updates.

The Data Companion will complement the USGS’s well-established data access website, Water Data for the Nation (WDFN). While WDFN provides access to past and present water resources measurements, the Data Companion provides modeled data that fills in spatial and temporal gaps in observational data. Together, the Data Companion and the WDFN offer a more complete picture of the Nation's water resources. 

The National Water Availability Assessment report is also complemented by an interactive visualization website that uses data-driven storytelling to present key findings in the report in an engaging way. Users are invited to explore the data and findings of the National Water Availability Assessment online through the Data Companion and the visualization website.

The National Water Availability Assessment report, Data Companion and visualization website were launched simultaneously on January 16, 2025. The USGS celebrated the release with a virtual launch event that day at 1:00 PM ET. The event was free and open to the public and featured USGS scientists explaining the significance of the Assessment and highlighting stories of USGS water availability science across the country. 

For more information on the National Water Availability Assessment and to access the report, Data Companion, and visualization website, please visit usgs.gov/iwaas. 

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Taxonomy

• Groundwater
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Groundwater Assessment