Articles

After years of swinging extremes, state snowpack is at rare average of 110%, setting up good water savings account for year ahead.

Using remote-sensing data and machine learning, a team from NASA and beyond finds that switching to lower-intensity crops can reduce water consumption in California’s Central Valley by 93%, but this requires adopting uncommon crop types.

Does the public sector need the private sector’s help to address the freshwater crisis? 

Resurrected for the first time in decades by an epic deluge of winter rain and snow, by spring the lake covered more than 100,000 acres, stretching over cotton, tomato and pistachio fields and miles of roads.

California's State Water Project has been focused on maximizing the capture and storage of water from this winter’s storms.

This year’s theme, “Water for Peace,” encourages the world to focus not only on the conflicts, but also on how water can be at the center of peacebuilding.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Continuity mission will extend a decades-long record of following shifting water masses using gravity measurements.

While flood flows are dominated by water, debris flows are a slurry of a lot of things, including boulders. 

Seasonal flow variability is decreasing as climate change alters Earth’s systems, creating challenges for water management.

With better infrastructure and “spongy” green spaces, urban areas have made progress but should be soaking up way more free stormwater.

How much water sloshes around in Earth’s lakes, rivers, and oceans? And how does that amount change over time? The upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission plans to find out.

NASA has released a 2021 solicitation for water-resource proposals through NASA's Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES). The first-round deadline is May 21, 2021.

Farmers rely on the Landsat satellite to make decisions about crops, with far-reaching implications that can impact what we see on our dinner plate. In this curious video, Landsat's view of crops from space can be heard in the form of music.

A serious drought has flared up across half of the United States, with about a third of the country suffering from extreme or exceptional drought. This familiar story has been playing out for the past two decades.

WWAO's Navajo Nation Drought Tool User Guide is now live. This marks a milestone in the transition of our Navajo Drought Project from research to decision makers, and is key to building capacity within the Navajo community to use the tool. 

A new study reveals key disparities in piped water access in urban U.S. areas. From 2013 to 2017, 1.1M people had insecure water access, with half located in the 50 largest metropolitan areas. Gaps in water access are underpinned by precarious housing conditions and systemic inequality.

Our new NASA Water Portal is now live. The portal serves as a hub for building connections between our catalogs of Water Data Needs and Water Capabilities and our partners, including water managers, decision makers, and scientists.

A WWAO collaboration has published a new paper on how to use next-generation satellite snow data to improve seasonal water supply forecasts using machine learning.

Learn how to discover, access, and use Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission data and how these data could lead to new, innovative science and applications in the world of water.

State-of-the-art helicopter-based technology and local coordination improve management of our underground water supply.

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite provides a new view of water on land, at the coast, and in the ocean.

As the world looks for sustainable solutions, a system tapping into NASA satellite data for water management has passed a critical test.

The most detailed global look at groundwater shows much loss but also stories of success in restoring some aquifers.

Rapid declines are most common in aquifers under croplands in drier regions, including California, the most extensive analysis of groundwater trends so far shows.

The state has finished reviewing sustainability plans for high- and medium-priority groundwater basins.

In a win for local tribes, dammed reservoirs on the Klamath River are being lowered to save fish habitat and improve water quality.

The driest three-year period on record gave way to a series of atmospheric rivers early in the year that pummeled the state.

The burst of turquoise and tan hues in Alaskan waters is in stark contrast to the snowy shoreline.

With above-average reservoir levels, El Niño, and a dry start to the water year, California is preparing for flood or dry conditions in the months ahead.

California's Department of Water Resources encourages groundwater recharge to maximize capture of upcoming storm runoff.

New assessment finds 25% of freshwater fish are at risk of extinction, and at least 17% of threatened freshwater fish species are affected by climate change.

Though the Sacramento Valley has relatively abundant surface-water supplies, groundwater is also key for many of its communities and farms.

Join us at our Science to Decisions town hall at the AGU Fall Meeting next week! Our fabulous speaker panel comes from NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado Climate Center, and the National Academy of Sciences, Water Science and Technology Board.

Atmospheric rivers have pummeled the region, resulting in the deaths of two people in rushing floodwaters.

California's Department of Water Resources announced an initial State Water Project allocation forecast of 10 percent of requested supplies for 2024. The SWP provides water to 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians.

Most U.S. cities would have to replace lead water pipes within 10 years under new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce lead in drinking water.

Google's immersive experience, "A Passage of Water", uses satellite data to illustrate how climate change is affecting Earth’s water cycle.

Reducing water use in cities and suburbs is key for helping communities get through droughts. The Public Policy Institute of California discusses how to optimize urban water conservation.

Along with aqueducts built over the years to transport water from other regions, the city of Los Angeles is looking at other options for its future water supply.

Record rainfall associated with Hurricane Hilary in August 2023 created a large temporary lake in Death Valley.

Much recent attention towards groundwater sustainability has focused on the heavily overdrafted San Joaquin Valley. However, the Sacramento Valley also needs to bring its groundwater basins into balance and avoid significant undesirable results of pumping.

Sea surface height data from the international Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission yields a mesmerizing view of the planet’s ocean.

California Advances Sustainable Groundwater Management with Release of 17 Basin Determinations.

A recent 23-year-and-counting megadrought on the overallocated Colorado River has led to significant cutbacks for Arizona and junior water rights holders. Could a desalination plant help?

In September, low water levels made it more challenging to ship goods down the river and allowed a wedge of saltwater to move upstream.

OceanWell and Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) announced today their partnership to pilot California's first ever Blue Water farm.

As our climate changes, extreme wildfires are becoming the norm. They cover the ground with debris that can contaminate watersheds and drinking water supplies after a heavy rain.

Image of the day: As the lake in southern Oregon dries up, the remaining water is becoming too salty to support key food sources for birds.

This source accounts for about 10% of all the water that enters this highly productive farmland, including rivers and rain.

Colorful waterways and wetlands are visible along the river that defines a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Wastewater surveillance was a key part of public-health response to COVID-19. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls for further development and continued investment.

A new project involving Columbia University, New York City and NASA scientists will build a climate action plan to reduce the impact of climate change on New York's water supply, and ensure the agricultural sector continues to protect the city's water quality.

What can hidden motions underground tell us about groundwater, climate change, earthquakes and eruptions? NASA scientists are using data gathered 400 miles above Earth to find out.

Citizen scientists and NASA satellites join forces to track water supplies.

Heavy rain and levee breaches triggered flooding in parts of Sacramento and the Bay Area.

Cameras on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography spacecraft captured the antennas for its main science instrument unfurling in orbit.

A new climate-based model suggests that scientists may be underestimating the importance of groundwater in sustaining streams and plant life.

Led by NASA and the French space agency CNES, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will provide high-definition data on nearly all the water on our planet’s surface.

Bright blue water in the Caribbean Sea and smog in Northern India appear in the first worldwide image produced with data from NOAA-21’s VIIRS instrument, which began collecting Earth data in December. VIIRS offers global insight into our atmosphere, land, and oceans.

The U.S. loses about 60,000 acres of wetlands a year. An upcoming Supreme Court decision could settle which wetlands get federal protection under the Clean Water Act.

To prevent devastating droughts and floods, humanity can tune in to natural solutions to repair water cycles disrupted by human development.

Meet the scientific heart of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, which will see Earth’s water in higher definition than ever before.

The upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will provide a trove of data on Earth’s water resources, even in remote locations. Alaska serves as a case study.

As regions around the world face record-breaking droughts, scientists are using seismology to track groundwater levels, showing that well-managed pumping strategies have a big impact.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced new funding to protect the sustainability of the Colorado River System. $4 billion will be focused on water management and conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing similar levels of drought.

A new study from NASA WWAO and other agency partners sets out a roadmap for how environmental research and stewardship can come together.

In summer 2022, water levels in the Great Salt Lake dropped to new record lows. Increased water diversions and climate change are responsible.

Coastal aquaculture has grown rapidly in recent decades. New findings may help decision makers optimize shrimp-farm layouts, which could help improve coastal water quality.

Water in Lake Mead - the U.S.' largest reservoir - is at its lowest level since 1937 when the reservoir was filled for the first time. At just 27% capacity, NASA images offer a stark illustration of climate change and a long-term drought that may be the worst in the U.S. West in 12 centuries.

WWAO is hosting a session at the 2022 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting this December, jointly with NASA's Water Resources Program. Our session looks at how to improve water management using satellite Earth observations. We invite you to join us!

The 2022 National Water Use Data Workshop will focus on improving water-data management and sharing. The event is led by WWAO collaborators including the Western States Water Council Water Information Management Systems Group, U.S. Geological Survey, Interstate Council on Water Policy, and Internet of Water.

Images from Lake Oroville and Lake Shasta compiled by the state show ‘a shocking drop in water levels’ compared to years past. California, like much of the U.S. West can expect a searing, dry summer ahead.

Communities in the Cheat River watershed in West Virginia face frequent flooding, which threatens to reverse years of restoration work aimed at cleaning up pollution from mining. NASA has partnered with a local non-profit to help build resilience to future floods.

How much water is in mountain snowpack? That’s a question science has been attempting to solve for decades. Finally, NASA-developed technology provides an accurate answer, using a cutting-edge airborne sensor system and sophisticated software that also predicts when snow will melt.

NASA has co-launched a new modeling framework for assessing water use and estimating crop yields at regional levels. GEO-CropSim integrates Earth observations into crop models to help decision makers manage crop production while analyzing water use.

OpenET is a satellite-based tool that supplies critical information on water use in 17 western U.S. states. It will help farmers and water managers better understand water use and water lost through evapotranspiration.

In seasons when water is scarce, tools powered by NASA data can help farmers decide where to allocate water and nutrients for irrigation and fertilizer.

WWAO is hosting a session at the American Meteorological Society's 102nd Annual Meeting in January 2022. We invite you to join our discussion on building water solutions that harness satellite data to address decision-maker needs.

California’s reservoirs are rapidly drying up and the water level in Shasta Lake — the largest reservoir in the state — has dipped to about 35% of its capacity. The L.A. Times spoke to WWAO about how the drought looks from space.

WWAO is hosting a session at the 2021 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting this December. Part of the conference’s Science to Action track, our session looks at how to improve water management using satellite Earth observations. We invite you to join us.

NASA’s Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET) is offering a Monitoring Coastal and Estuarine Water Quality webinar as part of its effort to train, empower and advance.

Mountain snow – a bank account for water across the western U.S. – has turned up insufficient funds this year. The Sierra Nevada snowpack melted nearly a month earlier than usual, leaving reservoirs without their usual inflow of freshwater.

In the face of severe west-U.S. drought, NASA has launched a new page highlighting its eyes on the drought, which are helping track and monitor the ongoing drought, predict how much water will be available, and improve how we use the water we have.

Set for launch next year, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will help scientists monitor Earth’s oceans, as well as the amount of freshwater in its lakes and rivers.

The 2021 SnowEx field campaign, which is helping determine how much water winter snowpack holds, has come to a close. Teams took snow measurements at six sites across the western U.S., on the ground and with drones and airplanes flying overhead.

The very ground upon which Corcoran lies has dipped nearly 12 feet in 14 years as a result of pumping of underground water for irrigation. Scientists can track the subsidence in the region using radar and satellite technology.

For years, scientists looked for ways to measure large-scale changes in Earth’s water cycle. Satellites measuring the gravity of water delivered. From 2003 to 2019, land evapotranspiration increased by 10%, one sign that our water cycle is ramping up.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced $2.5 million of funding for 12 projects to advance snow measurement technology with the goal of improving water-supply forecasts.

After one of the warmest, driest springs on record, most of the American west is in extensive drought. Amid acute water shortages in northern and central California, a drought emergency has been expanded to a large swath of the state.

A new study finds that covering thousands of miles of California’s canals with solar panels could help the state meet its ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse emissions as well as improve irrigation management.

Researchers have found a new way to measure the depth of some of the most isolated, shallow lakes, using NASA's ICESat-2 satellite. Knowing the shapes of lake beds in dry regions enables us to better estimate the amount of water stored in these basins.

Floodwaters aren't what most would consider a blessing. But they could help remedy California’s increasingly parched groundwater systems, according to a new study.

The Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) - a joint EPA, NASA, NOAA and USGS project - uses satellites to monitor harmful algal blooms in over 2,000 of the largest U.S. lakes. Since its launch, CyAN has saved millions of dollars in monitoring and health costs. 

Earth data are becoming more widely valued. For the first time, satellite data have been included in the World Health Organization’s guide on monitoring harmful algal blooms worldwide. The update draws directly from the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network, a multi-agency water project involving NASA.

Teams are heading out by land, water and air to collect data that will be used to forecast land gain and loss in the Mississippi River Delta as a result of sea level rise.

In the face of a global pandemic, 2020 underscored the need for data to drive decision making. Improving the way we manage water is as critical as ever. WWAO’s Annual Report, now available, summarizes how we endeavored to move the needle in 2020.

Using NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2), scientists have shown humans are having a much bigger impact on surface storage variability than previously thought, with over half of the planet's variability happening in managed reservoirs.

WWAO is launching new water projects in the U.S. Columbia River Basin. As part of this effort, we’re looking for information on activities using NASA data or technology that could address key water issues in the region.

Work from UC Irvine and NASA shows climate change will move Earth's tropical rain belt, with cascading effects on water availability and potential threats to global food security.

NASA is tracking the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our air, land, water and climate. The data have been collected in a free, openly-available online dashboard.

Nikki Tulley is a member of the Navajo Nation working with WWAO on its Navajo Drought Project. She explains why she's on a mission to help her community protect its most vital resource: water.

Increasing attention is being paid to soil biodiversity, which drives many processes that produce food or purify soil and water. A UN report highlights how critical soil organisms are, and how soil biodiversity can offer solutions to today's global threats.

Water managers need accurate, consistent and timely data. A new online platform called OpenET puts NASA data in the hands of farmers, water managers and conservation groups.

Water is critical for the arid, underserved Navajo Nation. Carlee McClellan, Navajo hydrologist, is working with WWAO to deliver a space-based solution for monitoring water availability. 

In collaboration with the Western States Water Council, WWAO has released a report on transitioning water science from research to decision maker. The findings outline best practices as well as the challenges that must be overcome.

Planet Earth should be named Planet Water, with 70% of its surface covered in ocean. Yet the freshwater that sustains our lives is a precious resource. NASA is at the forefront of monitoring it from every angle.

A new web tool designed by WWAO scientists could help the Navajo Nation anticipate and respond to drought. The latest maps give insight into the moderate to severe drought conditions affecting much of the area.

On the Navajo Nation, access to drinking water is limited. Over 40 percent of homes lack running water. The community is hit by frequent, pervasive drought. WWAO is developing a new drought tool that, with the help of satellite data, will enable Navajo water managers to hone in on drought severity and better manage the water they have.