Due to a lapse in appropriations, the majority of USGS websites may not be up to date and may not reflect current conditions. Websites displaying real-time data, such as Earthquake and Water and information needed for public health and safety will be updated with limited support. Additionally, USGS will not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted. For more information, please see www.doi.gov/shutdown
Arizona Water Science Center
Home
Welcome to the U.S. Geological Survey Arizona Water Science Center. Our mission is to collect and interpret high quality, impartial scientific information to provide resource managers and the public with the knowledge required to understand and manage the critical water resources of Arizona and the Southwest.
Featured Science
Changes in the amount of water stored in underground aquifers cause small changes in Earth’s gravitational field. Scientists measure these small changes to map changes in groundwater storage and to improve models that simulate groundwater flow.
Learn MoreNews
USGS Prepares to Measure Flooding Across Arizona
Reporters: Do you want to accompany a USGS field crew as they measure flooding? Please contact Jennifer LaVista or Jim Leenhouts
Levels of Possible Human Carcinogen Declining in Most Wells in Tucson International Airport Superfund Site
Levels of a potential human carcinogen, 1,4-dioxane, have mostly declined in wells in the commercial and residential areas of the Tucson International Airport Area Superfund Site during 2002-2017, according to a new map published by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Uranium in Spring Water North of Grand Canyon Likely Not Related to Nearby Mining Activity
Uranium levels in Pigeon Spring, just north of the Grand Canyon, are likely due to a natural source of uranium and not related to the nearby former Pigeon Mine, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Publications
Groundwater, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona—2015–2016
The Navajo (N) aquifer is an extensive aquifer and the primary source of groundwater in the 5,400-square-mile Black Mesa area in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in the Black Mesa area because of continued water requirements for industrial and municipal use by a growing population and because of the arid climate....
Mason, Jon P.; Macy, Jamie P.
Groundwater-storage change and land-surface elevation change in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley, south-central Arizona—2003–2016
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors groundwater-storage change and land-surface elevation change caused by groundwater withdrawal in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley—the two most populated alluvial basins within the Tucson Active Management Area. The Tucson Active Management Area is one of five active management areas in Arizona established by the...
Carruth, Robert L.; Kahler, Libby M.; Conway, Brian D.
Filtering of periodic infiltration in a layered vadose zone: 2. Applications and a freeware screening tool
We have developed a screening tool to visualize and conceptualize the filtering properties of a layered vadose zone. Climate projections indicate that rainfall timing and magnitude may change and impact groundwater resources. This increases the importance of understanding how the vadose zone filters infiltration variability and ultimately affects...
Dickinson, Jesse E.; Ferre, T.P.A