Created by an act of Congress in 1879, the USGS provides science for a changing world, which reflects and responds to society’s continuously evolving needs. As the science arm of the Department of the Interior, the USGS brings an array of earth, water, biological, and mapping data and expertise to bear in support of decision-making on environmental, resource, and public safety issues.
This grant program focuses on addressing water problems and issues that are regional or interstate in nature, extending beyond concerns unique to a single State. It emphasizes research on topics that relate to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary of the Interior and the water resources research institutes. The program operates under the provisions of Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 and subsequent amendments, directing program grants to Institutes established in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.