hydrology

Introduction In 1921, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established a streamgage on the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona, to monitor the river’s flow and level as it enters Grand Canyon. The following year, the seven States encompassing the Colorado River Basin (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) negotiated the 1922 Colorado River Compact to regulate distri…

The location of the modeled transect at Allt Dubh that contains many of the topographic features typical of blanket peatlands. These features affect the movement and storage of water (complex concave and convex slopes and depressions) that make it suitable for testing Tom Winter’s conceptual model ( Winter, 2000 ). Credit: Baird et al. [2026] , Figure 1

Unsaturated loess slopes in the Three-River Source Region of Qinghai are prone to landslide hazards under rainfall infiltration. To investigate the influence of rainfall on slope stability in this region and the effectiveness of ecological slope protection, this study first determined the basic physical properties, shear strength under controlled matric suction (50–200 kPa), and soil-water charac…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 30 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-53609-x On-site experiment on the rainfall erosion process of soil slopes and its hydraulic mechanism

  We are proud to sponsor Groundwater Modeling and More 2026, hosted by the Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center (IGWMC) at Princeton University from June 7 through 10. The conference brings together leading groundwater modelers, hydrogeologists, researchers, regulators, and water resource professionals from around the world to explore the evolving future of groundwater science and hydrolo…

Against the backdrop of global warming, an intensified hydrological cycle has led to more frequent and more destructive short-duration extreme rainfall events. Rapid and objective delineation of flood inundation extent is therefore critical for emergency response and post-disaster assessment. Taking the extreme rainfall–triggered flood in Miyun District, Beijing, in July 2025 as a case study, thi…

Nature Water, Published online: 28 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s44221-026-00657-2 The future of hydrology lies in learning from patterns to understand processes across scales.

A new publication in the journal Scientific Reports ( Wang et al., 2026 ) describes an updated version of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model in the Colorado River basin. The revised model is compared to independent observations from GRACE and SMAP satellites. VIC supports short- and long-term streamflow forecasting and hydrologic investigations in the vital basin. Congratulations to t…

This study investigated the spatial distribution and driving factors of evapotranspiration (ET) in the Kuye River Basin during the 2023 growing season. Landsat 8 remote sensing imagery and meteorological data were used to estimate ET based on the surface energy balance system (SEBS) model, and the results were evaluated against reference evapotranspiration calculated using the Penman-Monteith mod…

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located in Tacoma, Washington. The USGS mission is to monitor, analyze, and predict current and evolving dynamics of complex human and natural Earth-system interactions and to deliver actionable intelligence at scales and timeframes relevant to decision makers. As the Nation’s largest water, earth, and biol…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, deepened the St. Johns River channel in Jacksonville, Florida, to accommodate larger, fully loaded cargo vessels. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, monitored stage, discharge, and (or) water temperature and salinity at 26 continuous data collection sites in the St. Johns River and its t…

The quality of water accessed by domestic wells (here referred to as domestic groundwater resources) in the San Joaquin Valley Kern County subbasin (basin number 5-022.14) was assessed as part of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project (GAMA-PBP), in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board. Kern County is at th…

Longitudinal profiles of water surface and riverbed elevations capture key geomorphic characteristics that can be affected by water infrastructure and natural processes. Continuous water surface profiles of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, a river influenced by two of the largest dams in the United States, have been measured infrequently. The water surface profile was first measured in 1923, 1…

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, assessed flooding of the East Fork Little Blue River and tributaries for varying precipitation magnitudes and durations, varying antecedent runoff conditions, and projected climate-change conditions. The precipitation scenarios were used to develop a library of flood-inundation maps for a 2.95-mile reach of the Ea…

Heavy rainstorms can expose weaknesses in a home that may go unnoticed during normal weather conditions. One of the most common problems homeowners experience after major storms is water entering the basement. Even small leaks can lead to costly damage if they are not addressed quickly. Basement leaks are rarely caused by a single issue. […] The post What Causes Basement Leaks During Heavy Rainst…

Scientific Data, Published online: 21 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07384-z Long-term observatory of groundwater, soil moisture and rainfall in a French urban catchment

We have commissioned the British Geological Survey to undertake a new survey of the Fell Sandstone Formation and surrounding strata to help us undertake our regulatory role in protecting groundwater underlying Berwick and the surrounding area.

Bangladesh’s idea of a Padma Barrage downstream of the Ganges/Padma is best understood as a response to a real hydrological problem: dry-season water shortage, salinity intrusion, irrigation stress, and reduced navigability in southwest Bangladesh.

The Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) faces substantial water availability limitations. Although most streamflow originates as snowmelt, the partitioning of snowmelt between surface runoff and groundwater recharge and subsequent groundwater discharge to streams is highly uncertain. On average, over half of the streamflow in the UCRB is estimated to originate from groundwater discharge to streams,…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 17 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-48703-z Quantifying groundwater storage dynamics during the 2024 flood season using GRACE-FO and multi-source hydrological data in Hunan Province, China