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NATIONAL WATER SUMMARY PROGRAM

The U.S.Geological Survey has established the National Water Summary Program in response to recent concerns about an impending water crisis and an increased public interest in the condition of the Nation's water resources. In addition to preparing a national water summary report annually, the Program will describe the geographic extent and severity of water issues and will develop and maintain maps and statistics that describe the condition of water resources in the context of specific issues.

In January 1984, the Survey published National Water Summary 1983Hydrologic Events and Issues, WaterSupply Paper 2250, the first in the planned series of reports to discuss changes and trends in the availability, quantity, quality, and use of the Nation's water resources. These reports have been designed to organize and present water information to aid in the analysis and development of water policies, legislation, and management actions by the Congress and Federal and State officials and to increase public understanding of water

resources.

National Water Summary 1983 consists of four parts: A discussion of the hydrologic cycle and how man influences the movement and quality of water as it moves through the cycle; a review of recent hydrologic conditions-precipitation, streamflow, flooding, and droughts—from January 1982 through August 1983; a hydrologic interpretation of four categories of water issues—water availability, water quality, hydrologic hazards and land use, and institutional and management issues; and a State-by-State discussion of water issues in each of the four categories, highlighted by color-coded maps that show the location and extent of the issues.

A number of water issues that have nationwide significance emerged from the State summary section:

• Short-term vulnerability to drought of surface-water supplies and shallow ground-water supplies;

• Concerns about the reliability of water supplies as competition for water increases;

Declining ground-water levels

associated with increased use of
ground water;

• Need for improved control of surfacewater pollution, especially nonpoint sources of pollution, such as runoff from agricultural and urban areas;

• Prevention of ground-water contamination and the mitigation of existing sources of pollution, such as hazardous waste sites;

• Potential effects of acidic precipitation;

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• Chronic problems of flooding; Effects of resource development, especially coal mining and lowhead hydropower, on water resources; and

Development of water allocation and reallocation procedures.

More than 8,000 copies of National Water Summary 1983 have been distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies, the Congress, the Water Resources Research Institutes, and other members of the water-resources community. News coverage of the Summary was nationwide, and reviews appeared in local, State, and national newspapers and newsletters and on national network television. The favorable response to the report was due, in part, to the State-by-State presentations that one newspaper referred to as "an unprecedented Stateby-State assessment of U.S. water supplies." The National Water Summary also was displayed prominantly as part of the Geological Survey's exhibit at the Louisiana World Exposition.

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WATER RESOURCES EXHIBIT AT THE WORLD'S FAIR

The theme of the Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans, The World of Rivers: Fresh Water as a Source of Life, presented an opportunity for the U.S. Geological Survey to demonstrate the importance of current streamflow data to present and potential national water-resources issues. Highlights of the Water Resources Division exhibit, "Measuring U.S. Water Resources," on display in the Great Hall of the Convention Center May 12 through November 11, 1984, were

• A display of satellite telemetry that demonstrated the latest electronic technology in making current hydrologic data available to users; visitors to the exhibit could select current and historical streamflow

data and obtain a computer-
graphics streamflow display of one
representative stream in each
State;

• A hands-on slide presentation for
water use in each State:

• Panels that described why the Geological Survey collects water information, how the information is collected, and how it is used to define and manage water-resources problems. These panels also featured the National Water Summary 1983; and

Panels that showed water issues of
the 1980's and provided informa-
tion on ground-water mining, floods,
and acid precipitation.

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International Activities

MISSION

The U.S. Geological Survey has conducted international activities as an extension of its domestic programs since about 1940. Authority for Survey participation in foreign studies derives from the revised Geological Survey Organic Act, the Foreign Assistance Act, and related legislation. Principal objectives of the activities are

To help achieve domestic research objectives through the comparative study of scientific phenomena abroad and in the United States;

• To obtain information about existing and potential foreign resources of interest to the United States;

• To develop and maintain relations with counterpart institutions and programs which will facilitate scientific cooperation and exchange; and

• To provide support for the international programs of other Federal agencies including those of the U.S. Department of State that contribute to foreign policy objectives.

MAJOR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

International programs of the U.S. Geological Survey are usually of two general types. The first is technical assistance to other countries and international organizations utilizing funds from other Federal agencies, from international organizations, or from foreign governments as authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act and related legislation. The second is bilateral or multilateral scientific cooperation with foreign counterpart organizations under Governmentapproved cooperative agreements to achieve common research objectives utilizing funds appropriated for Survey research and funds or other financial resources made available by the cooperating countries or organizations.

Many related activities that form integral parts of the programs commonly stem from the international work; for

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In addition to the scheduled training courses, the Survey provided or arranged for on-the-job or academic training for 167 people either at Survey facilities or at other organizations on behalf of the Survey. The 250 trainees (including those in the formal courses) represented 55 countries; 66 trainees were from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Survey also continued to arrange programs for visiting scientists. Through these programs, 106 scientists from 25 countries conducted cooperative research at the Survey or Surveyselected institutions; 25 scientists were from the People's Republic of China.

Programs active during fiscal year 1984 are summarized in the accompanying table. The more significant highlights of fiscal year 1984 are described below.

Caribbean-South America

During 1984, the Survey developed a program supportive of the President's Caribbean Basin Initiative. The program proposes cooperative scientific research with counterpart agencies in Caribbean nations that will enhance the economic conditions and improve the health and safety of the people. The proposals are largely extensions of domestic studies such as the Strategic and Critical Minerals Program, the Geologic Frame

International scientific activities conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in fiscal year 1984, listed by country or region

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