Watershed Protection Research
Natural water resources, including bodies of water as well as their supporting watersheds, provide critical economic and social benefits to our society. The beneficial uses of many watersheds and water bodies are currently threatened by numerous factors including high levels of nutrients and sediments, habitat alteration, introduction of invasive species, toxic pollutants and land-use changes.
The protection of water systems requires a detailed understanding of how human activities affect such systems, and how the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems changes in response to those effects.
EPA works to sustain and restore natural water resources by viewing them as complex systems. In order to help sustain our precious water resources, EPA research is underway to:
- Assess the condition of aquatic ecosystems
- Obtain a complete understanding of watershed processes
- Quantify the social, economic and environmental costs of water quality degradation
- Establish new approaches to identify, assess and prioritize contaminant risks
- Develop new approaches to minimize the impacts of these contaminants on water resources
- Consider the impacts of climate change, increased population and changing human demographics on watersheds.
Related Resources
- Atmospheric Modeling and Analysis Research - Water
- Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment
- Ecological Exposure Research - Water
- Global Change Impacts & Adaptation Watersheds
- Ground Water Restoration Research
- Sustainable Watershed Management
- Sustainable Watersheds and Nutrient Pollution
- Water Ecosystems Restoration Research
- Water Quality Research
- Water Resource Protection Research
- Watersheds/Green Infrastructure
Tools
- Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System (CADDIS)
- Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard
- Freshwater Biological Traits Database (Traits)
- Watershed Health Assessment Tools Investigating Fisheries (WHATIF)
- Watershed Models
Risk Management Research Watershed Topic Pages:
- In Situ Chemical Reduction
- Nitrogen Management
- Permeable Reactive Barriers
- Riparian Zone and Stream Restoration
- Underground Storage Tank Research
- Watershed Management
- Wetland Restoration
Featured Stories:
- Science Matters: Climate Change and Watersheds: Exploring the Links
- Science Matters: Helping to Protect Wild Salmon
- Science Matters: Keeping an Eye on Wetlands
- Science Matters: Strengthening Streams in California
- Science Matters: New Ballast Water Protocols Designed to Stop Invasive Species
- Science Matters: What’s Ailing Your Stream? CADDIS Can Help You Find Out
- Science Matters: Little Streams, Big Impact
- Science Matters: Streams of Science