CURRENT CONDITIONS

Current streamflow conditions in North Carolina.

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USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Water Resources of North Carolina

Welcome to the USGS North Carolina Water Science Center. These pages are your source for water-resource information collected and interpreted by the U.S. Geological Survey in North Carolina.

Click on a river basin to obtain real-time data.

Of Current Interest

Water in Two Counties to be Sampled and Studied before Possible Shale Gas Exploration

Water from wells in Lee and Chatham counties will be sampled and tested for baseline information because of potential for shale gas exploration in these areas.
NC Shale Gas Baseline Groundwater Sampling Project

The baseline data collected from both private and public water supply wells will be used by state and local agencies to identify background concentrations of major ions, metals, volatile organic compounds, methane gas, and stable isotopes in the aquifer prior to increased shale gas exploration in North Carolina. If shale gas exploration occurs, this data will be used to compare to post-drilling water-quality samples.

Sampling of private wells can be requested from owners at no cost to them, and no well owner names or addresses will be made public. Both Lee and Chatham County Health Departments and supporting partners are providing well records that have been compiled as part of their permitting processes.

Questions regarding this sampling effort and water quality work in Lee and Chatham counties, or an interest in participating in the study, should be directed to Melinda Chapman, USGS, Raleigh, NC, at (919) 571-4047; e-mail mjchap@usgs.gov

Recent Publications
USGS Fact Sheet 2012-3075 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the East Coast Mesozoic basins of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge Thrust Belt, Atlantic Coastal Plain, and New England Provinces, 2011

USGS Energy Resources Program

View 'Of Current Interest' Archive

Recent Publications

Effects of Flood Control and Other Reservoir Operations on the Water Quality of the Lower Roanoke River, North Carolina By Ana María García Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5101

Representation of Regional Urban Development Conditions Using a Watershed-Based Gradient Study Design By Silvia Terziotti, Gerard McMahon, and Amanda H. Bell Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5070

Characterization of Nutrients and Fecal Indicator Bacteria at a Concentrated Swine Feeding Operation in Wake County, North Carolina, 2009–2011 By Stephen L. Harden, Shane W. Rogers, Michael A. Jahne, Carrie E. Shaffer, and Douglas G. Smith Open-File Report 2012–1047

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Podcasts

USGS CoreCast: Groundwater Awareness Week is March 6-12
From large drawdowns in the Great Plains aquifer to arsenic in some wells in New England, this episode of CoreCast highlights six different USGS groundwater studies all across the United States, including Wake County in North Carolina. (7.68 Mb)

Download podcast (right click - save as)
A transcript is available.

North Carolina Podcast Series