Protecting Water

Water is the blood of our land, flowing through our forests, filling our lakes and crashing onto our shores; while providing nourishment to the life surrounding it. It is the blue and shining beauty at the heart of our landscape. Entrusted by the American people, the National Park Service manages, protects and preserves this precious resource in nearly 400 National Parks throughout the United States. Whether it is water resources policy formulation and guidance; securing and protecting NPS water rights and water resources; planning assistance and regulatory reviews; water resource inventories and monitoring; identification, evaluation, and mitigation of existing and potential threats to park water quality and quantity; floodplain and flood hazard analyses and delineation; natural resource condition assessment; watershed management; protection and restoration of wetland and riparian habitats; assessment and management of fish and aquatic resources; ocean and coastal resource management; river assessment and restoration; locating and testing surface and ground water sources for potable water needs; and conducting and funding projects and studies in support of water resource needs, the Water Resources Division of the National Park Service provides the leadership and senior-level technical, scientific, policy, and resource management expertise to ensure that this valuable resource is available for future generations; because without it life could not endure.

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Featured Content

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Useful Resources

• Water Resources Division Summary of FY10 Accomplishments (PDF - 4.48MB)