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Research Guides

Government Resources

Institute for Water Resources,  United States Army Corps of Engineers: The Institute is the USACE center of expertise for integrated water resources management, focusing on planning analysis and hydrologic engineering and on the collection, management and dissemination of Civil Works and navigation information, including the nation’s waterborne commerce data. It also serves as the USACE center of expertise for collaborative planning and environmental conflict resolution. Look under the "Missions" heading for details on their different projects.

National Water and Climate Center (NWCC):  From the National Resources Conservation Service, this site contains data, reports and information related to water supply forecasts, reservoirs, and the Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI).

Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) and Snow Course Data and Products: Also from the NWCC, this part of the site includes customizable climate data reports on precipation, snow course, and soil moisture levels.

Wastewater Management, EPA:   Wastewater management encompasses a broad range of efforts that promote effective and responsible water use, treatment, and disposal and encourage the protection and restoration of our nation's watersheds. EPA's Office of Wastewater Management oversees the regulatory and voluntary programs that help manage our nation's wastewater.

Seattle Power and Water Supply Collection: Historical photographs and pamphlets documenting the construction of hydroelectric power and water supply facilities built in Washington State from the late 1890s to the 1950s, including Snoqualmie Falls Power Plant, the Electron Plant, the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, and the Cedar River water supply system.

Grand Coulee Damn Collection: This collection contains images of photographs and text documenting the creation of the Grand Coulee Dam, built during the first half of the twentieth century. Included are images of the Works Progress Administration work camps, land clearing activities, the moving of towns, and the dam construction itself. Also presented are documents outlining arguments both for and against this enormous undertaking.

Government Reports on the Columbia River:
  State and federal documents, reports, and surveys regarding irrigation, dams, and water in Washington state during the 20th century.

Planning for Rising Sea Levels: Seattle and Washington

Planning for Rising Sea Levels: New York City

Keywords: resilient infrastructure; coastal flooding; rising sea levels; polar ice cap melting; icemelt consequences;

Planning for Rising Sea Levels: International

Find Water Data

The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS): an internet-based system for sharing hydrologic data. It is comprised of databases and servers, connected through web services, to client applications, allowing for the publication, discovery and access of data.

Western Waters Digital Library: The Western Waters Digital Library (WWDL) provides free public access to a wide range of significant resources on water in the Western United States. Available resources include classic water literature, legal transcripts, maps, reports, personal papers, water project records, photographs, audio recordings, videos, and other material.

Elliott Bay Seawall Project, Seattle

Books on Water and Architecture

Recent UW Dept of Landscape Architecture Theses on Water

Water Organizations

Water Education Association: Aquapedia:  Aquapedia centers on resource articles supplemented with photos, videos, interactive maps and other online tools, which provide background and context to understanding California and the West's complex water issues.

American Waterworks Association: Provides a database for searching the Journal of the AWWA, Opflow, and AWWA Standards.

National Ground Water Assocation: NGWA is composed of U.S. and international groundwater professionals — contractors, scientists and engineers, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers. Its purpose is to provide guidance to members, government representatives, and the public for sound scientific, economic, and beneficial development, protection, and management of the world's groundwater resources.

American Water Resources Association: Indexes previous AWRA proceedings and publishes Journal of the American Water Resources Association.

Environmental and Water Resources Institute (American Society for Civil Engineers):The Environmental & Water Resources Institute is ASCE’s technical source for environmental and water-related issues. They provide technical information via their Journals, Technical Reports, Manuals of Practice, and Standards, and Conferences and Workshops.

Water Environment Foundation: WEF is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization representing water quality professionals around the world. WEF and its global members provide water quality professionals around the world with the latest in water quality education, training, and business opportunities with the goal of improving water quality around the world.

Water Environment Research Foundation: America’s leading independent scientific research organization dedicated to wastewater and stormwater issues. All research is peer reviewed by leading experts.

Water Research Foundation:WRF sponsors research and collaboration to advance the science of water and to solve the challenges of a sustainable and safe water supply. They also maintain the Climate Change Clearinghouse, which provides materials to meet the climate change information needs of the water utility community.

The Clearinghouse provides access to information and tools by means of multiple pathways, including geographic locations, specific utility operations, and climate change impacts. This will allow users with various perspectives on climate change issues to find the most relevant and specific resources for their needs.

The WateReuse Research Foundation: The WateReuse Research Foundation is an educational, nonprofit public benefit corporation that serves as a centralized organization for the water and wastewater community to advance the science of water reuse, recycling, reclamation, and desalination. The Foundation's research covers a broad spectrum of issues, including chemical contaminants, microbiological agents, treatment technologies, salinity management, public perception, economics, and marketing.

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