GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS)

An agency of the U.S. Department of Interior responsible for providing extensive earth-science studies of the Nation's land, water, and mineral resources. The USGS was established by an act of Congress on March 3, 1879, to provide a permanent federal agency to conduct the systematic and scientific "classification of the public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of national domain." An integral part of that original mission is to publish and distribute the earth-science information needed to understand, plan the use of, and manage the nation's energy, land, mineral, and water resources. Since 1879, the research and fact-finding role of the USGS has grown and been modified to meet the changing needs of the nation it serves. As part of that evolution, the USGS has become the map-making agency for the federal government, the primary source of data on surface- and ground-water resources of the nation, and the employer of the largest number of professional earth scientists. The USGS is organized into three operational Divisions: the National Mapping Division (NMD), charged with development and application of mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology; the Geologic Division (GD), which conducts geologic mapping and research; and the Water Resources Division (WRD). The mission of the Water Resources Division of the USGS is to provide the hydrologic information and understanding needed to manage the nation's water resources to benefit its residents. Typical water resource programs sponsored by the WRD include: (1) Data collection to aid in evaluating the quantity, quality, distribution, and use of the nation's water resources; (2) Analytical and interpretive water-resources appraisals to describe the occurrence, quality, and availability of surface and ground water throughout the nation; (3) Basic and problem-oriented research in hydraulics, hydrology, and related fields of science and engineering; (4) Scientific and technical assistance in hydrology to other federal, state, and local agencies; (5) Development and maintenance of national computer data bases and associated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) of hydrologic data: streamflow, water quality and biology, groundwater characteristics, and water use; and (6) Public distribution of water-resources data and results of water-resources investigations through reports, maps, computerized information services, and other forms of release. Programs of the Water Resources Division are funded under three types of arrangements:(1) Federal Program: funding is appropriated directly to USGS by the U.S. Congress for projects of national interest; (2) Cooperative Program: funding is shared by USGS and interested state and local agencies; and (3) Other Federal Agencies (OFA) Program: funding is supplied by federal agencies requesting technical assistance from the USGS. The Water Resources Division's headquarters is at the USGS National Center in Reston, Virginia. Regional offices are maintained in Reston; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; and Menlo Park, California. With the exception of the National Research Program (NRP) centers at Reston, Denver, and Menlo Park, most of the WRD program is distributed to 51 USGS District Offices organized by state boundaries.