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USGS Science in Nevada

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USGS Science in Nevada

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http://nevada.usgs.gov/water — Providing reliable, unbiased scientific information about Nevada's water resources

http://usgs.gov/ — The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from nature.

10/30/2026

The story of the historic Comstock Lode didn't end when the mines closed. It continues to flow through the Carson River.

USGS scientists are monitoring water quality in the Carson River, including sampling for mercury linked to historic milling and mining practices associated with the Comstock Lode.

As Nevada celebrates Nevada Day on October 31, we're reminded that the state's history is reflected not only in its communities and landscapes, but also in its waterways. This ongoing research helps us better understand how Nevada's mining legacy continues to influence the environment today and supports informed stewardship of the Silver State's natural resources for future generations.

📷1: Carson River water quality sampling site upstream of Lahontan Reservoir near Silver Springs on 6/11/2026
📷2: The US D-95 water quality sampler being lowered in the Carson River at the sampling site below Lahontan Reservoir.

Credit: Venus Cruz, USGS

10/15/2026

Meet the tinaja: the desert's hidden water source 🏜️💧

Out in the rocky landscapes of Clark County, Nevada, there are natural rock basins called tinajas (Spanish for "big jars") that fill up with rainwater and become small but vital watering holes for desert wildlife.

USGS scientists spent two years (2021–2023) tracking five of these pools to answer a simple but important question: how reliable is this water source?

What they found:
💧 Tinajas can hold water for weeks to months after a good rain, but they are not permanent water sources
☀️The pools ran driest between April and August, right before monsoon season kicks in
🧪 Water chemistry tests (nutrients, metals, major ions) showed levels safe for wildlife and within EPA drinking water standards

This kind of baseline data helps land managers and conservationists better understand, and protect, these small but vital desert water sources that countless animals depend on. Tinajas punch way above their weight when it comes to supporting desert life!

Find the report here: https://ow.ly/rJ0N50ZXpFw

📷1 - 4: Subset of the tinajas monitored during 2010-23 in Clark County, Nevada.
Credit: Joshua Gonzales and Katie Earp, USGS

10/07/2026

Surface beauty while investigating groundwater flow paths in the heart of Nevada 🌻🌄

While our field crews were out measuring and sampling wells in Hot Creek and Little Smoky Valleys, they came across striking desert blooms brightening these central Nevada basins.

These valleys sit adjacent to Railroad Valley, where ongoing work helps us better understand how groundwater moves between basins—known as interbasin flow. Both groundwater levels and water chemistry can provide clues as to where the water comes from and where it is flowing. And these desert blooms were a lovely reminder of the connection between hydrology and the unique desert ecosystems that depend on Nevada’s groundwater. 💧

📷1: Blooming yellow flowers in Little Smoky Valley, NV.
📷2: Blooming white flowers in Hot Creek Valley, NV.

Credit: Gwen Davies, USGS

09/18/2026

USGS plays a vital role in water accounting in Las Vegas Valley.

The USGS monitors streamflow at 10 different locations along the Las Vegas Wash, providing essential data for the region.🌄

Accurate streamflow measurements help water resource managers in the Las Vegas Valley strengthen flood awareness and control, ensuring they have the information needed to understand how water moves through this critical urban waterway. And at two of these sites, the data also helps account for the volume and timing of water entering Lake Mead, supporting long term planning and management of Southern Nevada’s water resources. 💧

🔗Access the 09419749 streamflow data at: https://ow.ly/8fxy50ZMK3y

📷: Shad Ashton pulls an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) behind his kayak to measure streamflow on the Las Vegas Wash above Homestead Weir site (09419749). Photo credit: Michael Steiner

09/10/2026

Even when the channel runs dry, the data still matter. 💦

At first glance, the PFD, hip waders, and streamgaging equipment might seem unnecessary for confirming a zero‑flow measurement. But for the USGS, accuracy and consistency come first.

Zero flow isn’t “no data” — it’s a critical data point that tells us the exact condition of the river at that moment. These measurements help improve models, support water‑management decisions, and document drought and seasonal patterns.

Whether it’s high flow, low flow, or no flow at all, every measurement counts. 📏

📷: Hydrologic Field Assistant, Janine Robinson, is all suited up to collect streamflow data from the dry channel of the South Fork Little Humboldt River. Photo credit: Cory Rogaczewski

09/02/2026

Ever wonder how USGS keeps streamflow data accurate? 💧

📏One of the unsung heroes of our streamgages is the staff plate—the vertical ruler that shows the water level (or “gage height”). To make sure those readings stay trustworthy, we routinely run levels at our gages, which is a process using a levels rod to check elevation at designated object points around the site.

Object points comprise each point that is surveyed during a levels run: reference marks (specific, permanent locations we’ve identified as references for maintaining gage datum), reference points, gages, water surface, and other points. They can be t‑posts, rebar, bolts on larger structures, or even large, stable rocks. Some of these points are installed in the most secure spots we can find and help us confirm that the staff plate hasn’t shifted over time. Others act as backup reference points—helping us obtain a reliable gage height when the staff plate is damaged or inaccessible after storms or floods.

By validating both staff plates and object points, we ensure our gage heights—and ultimately our published streamflow data—are as accurate as possible. It’s careful work that keeps the nation’s water information dependable.

📷1: Hydrologic technician, Liam Mccann, verifies the staff plate is level.
📷2: A closer look at the verification process Liam is doing.
📷3: Liam uses a levels rod to check elevation at designated object points around the site.

Credit: Cory Rogaczewski

08/27/2026

In Nevada, groundwater is a lifeline—supplying at least part of the drinking water many residents rely on every day. 💧

This summer, our USGS crews were out across the Truckee Meadows and Carson City sampling deep municipal, domestic, and monitoring wells that tap the principal aquifers beneath the region.

As part of the National Water Quality Program, we collect these samples every 10 years to track long‑term trends in groundwater quality. These data help communities understand changing conditions and support efforts to keep drinking water sources clean and reliable.

📷1: Sampling crew, Chris Morris, Sara Doyle, and Harold Jones, work together to collect and process a groundwater sample from a deep monitoring well in Carson City, NV. Photo credit: Chris Morris

📷2: Sampling crew, Venus Cruz and Sara Doyle, collecting a groundwater sample from a municipal well in Carson City, NV. Photo credit: Harold Jones

08/21/2026

At the heart of one of southern Nevada’s rare wetlands, a breached dam meets cutting‑edge modeling—exposing how floodwaters might move when nature and infrastructure collide.

The Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is home to the Carson Slough, the largest wetland complex in southern Nevada, which provides critical habitat for several threatened and endangered species. Mud Lake Dam, a rock and earth embankment structure, stretches across the main natural channel into the Carson Slough, but was breached in the 1990s.

The USGS recently developed hydrologic and hydraulic models to evaluate how modifications to the dam could affect flooding in the Carson Slough.

The models simulated flood-inundation extent, depth, and velocity under a range of precipitation recurrence intervals and dam configurations. Results indicate that the evaluated dam modifications would produce only minor differences in the overall inundated area, although actual effects may vary depending on how modifications are constructed.

Find the report here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/sir20265053

📷: Dry natural stream channel below the existing breach at Mud Lake Dam, near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada. Person for scale near the eroded embankment on the left side. Photo credit: Chris Morris

08/04/2026

We're breaking new ground to better understand Nevada's groundwater resources. 💧

The Nevada Water Science Center recently wrapped up a successful trip to Monte Cristo and Railroad Valleys, where our team drilled new groundwater monitoring wells in some of the most data-scarce regions of the state. 🌄

These wells will provide critical long-term groundwater information to support the Nevada Water Initiative, a collaborative effort with the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Division of Water Resources and the Desert Research Institute. This new data will help us better understand Nevada’s water resources and strengthen science-based decision making for years to come.

📷: The augur drilling rig ready to pull away from a newly drilled monitoring well in Monte Cristo Valley, NV. Photo credit: David Smith

07/28/2026

In the desert, every drop counts. 🌄💧

Springs, like Preston Big Spring, are indicators of groundwater availability, ecosystem health, and long-term hydrologic change. By keeping a close eye on springflow, we're helping land and water managers understand how groundwater resources respond to changes in, like drought and groundwater use.

These summer days are long, and our field crews are taking full advantage of the extra daylight—visiting sites, checking instruments, and verifying measurements to make sure the data you rely on is accurate and on point.

USGS Preston Big Spring (09415510): https://ow.ly/RBzu50ZrbJt

📷1: USGS equipment used to monitor springflow at Preston Big Spring.
📷2: USGS truck parked near Preston Big Spring near evening twilight.

Photo credit: Sade Cromratie Clemons

Address

2730 N Deer Run Road
Carson City, NV
89701

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17758877600

Website

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nv-water

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