Of Interest...

Toxic Algae Meeting Convened.

11/18/2009 -- Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) can produce toxins harmful to humans and deadly to fish and pets. In recent years Microcystis, a common type of toxic algae, has reemerged in parts of Lake Erie and some inland lakes of Ohio. The USGS Ohio Water Science Center recently hosted a meeting on toxic algal issues with representatives from Federal, state, and local agencies and organizations. Presentation topics ranged from toxin genetics to a landscape analysis and included a talk on the Ohio EPA’s Ohio Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Initiative and the state of the science by toxic algae expert Jennifer Graham of the USGS Kansas Water Science Center.

Celebrate Earth Science Week – October 11-17, 2009.

10/9/2009 -- "Understanding Climate" is the theme for this year's Earth Science Week. The USGS is a major contributor to this annual international event sponsored by the American Geological Institute.  Earth Science Week promotes responsible stewardship of the Earth and encourages children and adults alike to explore the earth sciences. Scientists from the Ohio Water Science Center are taking representatives from several Ohio agencies to a streamgage to demonstrate the operation of gages and describe the variety of ways streamgage data are used, including the role streamgages play in understanding climate. There are many Earth Science Week events in Ohio and throughout the world open to the public. Earth science is all around us!

Stormwater Runoff at the Cincinnati Zoo.

10/6/2009 -- The conversion of a parking lot to the new “African Savannah” exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo is being designed to incorporate a variety of best-management practices (BMPs) to reduce stormwater runoff. According to the USEPA, “BMPs are designed to manage the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff in the most cost-effective manner." Although similar BMPs have been installed in Ohio and throughout the United States, little supporting hydrologic data are being collected to evaluate BMPs’ relative efficiency — and it is not well understood how local site conditions (e.g., soils and geology) influence BMP effectiveness.  In this new study, the USGS and the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati will monitor water quantity of the runoff and shallow groundwater before and after the installation of the BMPs.

Older News

Recent Publications

Variations in Withdrawal, Return Flow, and Consumptive Use of Water in Ohio and Indiana, with Selected Data from Wisconsin, 1999-2004

Relations Between Environmental and Water-Quality Variables and Escherichia coli in the Cuyahoga River With Emphasis on Turbidity as a Predictor of Recreational Water Quality, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio, 2008

Comparison of the Immunomagnetic Separation/Adenosine Triphosphate Rapid Method and the Modified mTEC Membrane-Filtration Method for Enumeration of Escherichia coli

Predicting Recreational Water Quality Using Turbidity in the Cuyahoga River, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio, 2004-7

Water Resources Programs in Ohio

• Beach-Monitoring Research
• Microbiology Program
• (NAWQA) National Water-Quality Assessment Program
• (LERI) Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Basins
• (MIAM) Great and Little Miami River Basins
• (WHMI) White River and Great and Little Miami River Basins
• (TANC) Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants to Supply Wells
• Ohio Gap Analysis Program
• Ohio StreamStats
• Ohio's Water-Use Program
• Riverspill Study

Ohio WSC Brochures

Activities & Info

Surface Water

Ground Water

Water Quality & Ecology

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