U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2007-3006

January 2007

Cooperative Reconnaissance Activities

In 1960, the Nevada legislature authorized the Nevada 

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Nevada 

Division of Water Resources (NDWR), to begin a series of 

cooperative reconnaissance water-resources studies with the 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These studies produced 

reconnaissance appraisals of the water-resource potential of 

almost all the hydrographic areas in Nevada (fig. 1). 

Results of these studies were published in a series of 60 individual peer-reviewed USGS reports between 1963 and 1975. In 

addition, a separate reconnaisance study of the Humboldt Basin 

was published. These reports provided valuable preliminary estimates of water availability, including recharge estimates. USGS 

has continued to work cooperatively with NDWR to update these 

reconnaissance studies throughout the State (fig. 1).

Data Collection and Dissemination

The need for accurate streamflow, ground-water, waterquality and other water-resources data continues to increase as a 

result of growth in Nevada’s population and economy, and associated changes in water demands and land uses. USGS programs 

have an established record of providing reliable, unbiased, consistent, and easily accessible information concerning Nevada’s water 

resources. This data is essential to decision makers in both the 

public and private sectors for a wide variety of planning, design, 

and management functions. USGS data reliability is built upon 

extensive quality assurance and control through an internally consistent protocol and training following National standards. 

In 1889, the USGS established its first gaging station in 

Nevada and began providing data to the public about Nevada’s 

water resources. Today, this systematic collection and dissemination of hydrologic data for more than 20,000 sites is available 

online through a web-based system (NWISweb) available at 

<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis>. Information includes real-time 

surface-water data, ground-water and water-quality data along 

with information about the collection sites. This effort is made 

possible with the cooperation of State, Federal, Tribal and local 

government agencies. 

Water-resources information for the State of Nevada 

should be readily accessible to community planners and 

the general public in a user-friendly web environment 

and should be actively managed and maintained with 

accurate historic and current hydrologic data. The USGS, 

in cooperation with State of Nevada and local government 

agencies, has established a data framework that provides 

critical hydrologic information to meet the challenges of 

water resources planning for Nevada.

Figure 1.  Hydrographic areas in Nevada where

reports were completed during the reconnaissance

investigations or updated after the reconnaissance

investigations.

NYE

ELKO

LINCOLN

CLARK

HUMBOLDT

WHITE PINE

WASHOE

LANDER

PERSHING

EUREKA

CHURCHILL

MINERAL

LYON

ESMERALDA

DOUGLAS

STOREY

CARSON CITY

Explanation

Reconnaissance report complete

Reconnaisance report updated

0 50 100 Miles

0 50 100 Kilometers

Regional Water-Resources Studies in Nevada

Gaging station on the Little Walker River.
Current Studies

The following are some examples of on-going efforts by 

the USGS to provide regional information and assessment of 

hydrologic conditions.

Central Nevada Regional Water Authority

The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority (CNRWA) 

has identified three priority water-resources needs for communities in the central region of Nevada: 1) compilation and analysis 

of hydrologic data, 2) water-resources planning, and 3) information management and dissemination. To satisfy these needs, a 

robust information management system of accessible, current, 

and continuously maintained information is being developed. 

This cooperative project between USGS, CNRWA, and NDWR 

provides hydrologic data, demographic information, and 

supporting documentation to assist county and regional waterresources planners and serve as a model for all Nevada counties.

Diamond Valley Regional Flow System

The Diamond Valley regional flow system study focuses 

on describing the occurrence and movement of ground water 

and historical water-level changes in the basin-fill aquifers that 

underlie the five valleys in northeast Nevada that make up the 

flow system. The project, in cooperation with Eureka, Lander, 

and Nye Counties and NDWR, will benefit local and other 

water-resources agencies by providing information necessary 

for sound resources development and management decisions.

Basin and Range Carbonate-Rock Aquifer System Study

The Basin and Range Carbonate-Rock Aquifer System

Study in White Pine County and adjacent areas in Nevada will 

improve current understanding of processes controlling regional 

ground-water flow and initiate long-term studies of potential 

impacts of future ground-water pumping. Results of this study 

will provide needed information on the aquifer system in White 

Pine County to help water-resource agencies and interested 

stakeholders make informed decisions about future watersupply issues. 

Ground-Water Modeling

In southern Nevada, Federal and county agencies are 

working with the USGS to develop an adaptive-management 

tool to better assess potential impacts to natural resources from 

population growth and associated increases in water use. The 

USGS is modifying the recently (2004) calibrated numerical 

model of the Death Valley regional ground-water flow system 

(DVRFS) to evaluate potential pumping-induced changes to 

water levels and spring discharge near Ash Meadows National 

Wildlife Refuge and Devils Hole. The DVRFS model will be 

modified to include a finer-resolution ground-water flow model 

and, working together, the models will have the capability to 

simulate small-scale changes near these areas of concern, but 

incorporate regional stresses from ground-water pumping or 

changes in atmospheric conditions. Cooperators for this effort 

include Nye County, National Park Service, Bureau of Land 

Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

—Eva M. Bauer and Shannon C. Watermolen

For more information about these studies or other 

USGS water-resources studies in Nevada, please 

contact:

Kimball E. Goddard, Director

USGS Nevada Water Science Center

2730 North Deer Run Road

Carson City, NV 89701

Tel: (775) 887-7635 Email: kgoddard@usgs.gov

Fax: (775) 887-7621 URL: http://nevada.usgs.gov

Discharge measurement on the Walker River.

Ground-water-quality sampling in eastern Nevada.

Evapotranspiration station in Diamond Valley.