What We Do
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Water Resources team provides strategic guidance on water resource issues and challenges, offers water rights and hydrologic expertise, and maintains the national water database.
Management and Conservation
The Water Resources Team provides national coordination and professional and technical advice on water resource management and policy to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The team provides core agency leadership on water science, water policy, and water rights.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service water resources team performs tasks including:
- Identify and develop products and services needed to assess and protect water resources at the local, regional and national level
- Evaluate water resource needs, and identify critical components needed to quantify, acquire, and protect water supplies of sufficient quantity, quality, and reliability
- Provide expertise on water rights and hydrology to ensure that water rights are acquired, managed and protected
- Strengthen the Service’s ability to address water resource issues affecting trust resources
- Partner with other federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, Tribes, and others to manage water resources
- Provide strategic guidance on water resource issues and challenges
- Provide expert advice/guidance on water issues on public lands
Water Resource Inventory and Assessment reports have been completed for most of the more than 570 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The reports assess water status and needs, and provide a standardized inventory of each refuge’s water resources features.