U.S. Federal Government Resources

Bureau of Reclamation

• For information about BuRec, it's programs and projects see http://www.usbr.gov.
• Watershare
  Provides information about reducing water consumption, approaches to restore better water quality and river health, best management practices, and lesson plans for teaching river ecology.

EPA

• Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
  EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds has a web site that provides links to resources and information pertaining to restoration and water quality of our nations rivers, wetlands, estuaries and coastal waters.
• Surf your Watershed
  Developed by EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, you can find your watershed, request a map, search for information, and contribute information
• Center for Environmental Information and Statistics
  Environmental statistics from EPA program databases; published environmental quality reports accessible by keyword and subject area searches; and an environmental atlas.
• EPA’s Groundwater Report to Congress (.pdf, 1.6 MB)
  This report provides a compilation of fact sheets prepared by each of the states describing their ground water protection programs strengths, needs, and concerns. Take a look at it at:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
  FERC regulates the licensing of small hydro projects. Their web site includes information on their proceedures and their hydroelectric page includes a list of licensed projects. (Note that this table is organized by project number instead of by project name, state of project, or major river).

Forest Service

• Stream Systems Technology Center
  This web site has information gathered by the Forest Service on riparian restoration, watershed protection, and related topics. It also has copies of their publication Stream Notes and links to related web sites.
• Global River Discharge Database
  The web site located at contains information, displayed graphically and as text files, of selected river discharges for the period 2169 through 2184 from over 1000 stations located across six continents. The information was originally compiled by UNESCO.

National Park Service

• Nationwide Rivers Inventory
  The National Park Service has compiled and maintains the Nationwide Rivers Inventory (NRI), a listing of more than 3,400 U.S. river segments that are believed to possess one or more “outstandingly remarkable” natural or cultural values judged to be of more than local or regional significance. There is an interactive map server on the site, or you can send for a free CD-ROM. For more information, or to order a free copy of the NRI CD-ROM, contact Corita Jones at: Corita_Jones@nps.gov.

USDA

• Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library Water Quality Information Center
  Provides electronic access to information about water and agriculture. Has databases on water and water resources and agriculture, lists of water resources listserves and discussion groups.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
  NRCS provides technical expertise to private landowners regarding conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources. Includes resources, tools, models, and data on such topics as conservation practice standards, nutrient management, erosion, stream corridor restoration, conservation buffers, and water resources.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force
  The Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANS) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to preventing and controlling aquatic nuisance species, and implementing the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA) of 1990 and the National Invasive Species Act (NISA) of 1996. Includes ANS Management Plans, publications, and information on research and research needs.

U.S. Geological Survey

• Water Resources Division
  USGS has the principal responsibility within the Federal Government to provide the hydrologic information needed by others to achieve the best use and management of the Nation's water resources. This site provides detailed information about water resources (including real time flow information and water quality data), technical expertise and available funding.
  
  USGS also has an on-line data warehouse of 6.5 million records on water quality for 2,800 stream sites and 5,000 wells in 46 states. The data were collected by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. For more information, visit http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/data.
• USGS report identifies actions for the agency's riverine science
• National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC)
  NWRC is a source and clearinghouse of science information about wetlands in the United States and the world. Resources include publications, GIS data, and maps.