Watersheds Research

People rely on natural water resources, including bodies of water and the watersheds that flow into them, for critical social, economic, and ecosystem benefits. Numerous human-caused factors are threatening the quality of natural water resources and their beneficial uses, including nutrient pollution, sedimentation, chemical and microbial contaminants in surface waters, the proliferation of microplastics, habitat alteration, introduction of invasive species, and land-use changes. Furthermore, climate change is threatening water supply and the integrity of marine, coastal, and freshwater ecosystems.

The protection and restoration of aquatic resources requires improved understanding of how human activities affect water quality and quantity and how the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems changes in response to those effects. The science needed to develop integrated water quality and watershed management tools is key to managing water resources, and effectively restoring impaired water bodies.

Research in watersheds builds on EPA’s monitoring, assessment, and mapping of aquatic resources to address existing and future water resource challenges related to climate change, multiple stressors, environmental justice, and equity. These efforts will help to develop solutions to build resilient communities and ecosystems.

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