USGS Science in Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia

04/13/2026

Testing the next generation of water monitoring...from the air!

We continue to test our aerial drones as a means of measuring stream velocity. Along this scenic stretch of the Brandywine Creek in Delaware, we tested our aerial stream velocity measurements against the reliable measurements from our in-stream measurements.

The idea for this project is to measure stream velocity using a high-resolution camera mounted to the drone flying above the river, allowing us to measure during floods from a safe distance.

Our ability to measure streamflow with this method is still in its early stages, and this project is part of the Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS), a program which develops innovative ways to improve water science and keep communities informed during extreme events.

📸1: An aerial view of hydrologic technicians on a truss bridge above Brandywine Creek measuring streamflow with an ADCP.
📸2: A drone landing pad and drone adjacent to Brandywine Creek. Photo credit: Nick Giro, USGS.
📸3: An aerial view of Brandywine Creek with a stone building to the right and an historic mill building to the left.
📸 Aerial photos credit Nick Giro and Chris Lewis, USGS.

04/06/2026

03/31/2026

📣 Job Announcement!

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is hiring a Biological Science Technician (Field Assistant) to work at the Maryland-Delaware-DC Water Science Center.

This position will:
✅ Collect biological, botany, fisheries, or wildlife data from study files or monitoring stations.
✅ Perform laboratory analysis of biological samples to determine specified chemical, biological, or physical characteristics.
✅ Operate a government motor vehicle or a boat as an incidental driver.

This is a temporary excepted service position not-to-exceed 1 year but may be extended without further competition. Employment may not exceed 1,039 hours in a service year.

📍 Baltimore, MD
📅 Open March 30 – April 3, 2026

Learn more and apply: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/862734300

📸 Examining stream habitability in Baltimore County, Maryland. Photo credit: Neel Hodgkinson, USGS.

03/30/2026

📣 Job Announcement!

The U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center is looking for Biological Science Technicians (Field Assistants) to join our team in Laurel, MD; Kearneysville, WV; and Turners Falls, MA!

If you love working outdoors, organizing data, and supporting real-world scientific research, this could be a great fit. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and able to meet physical and driving requirements.

These positions will:
🟢Collects biological, botany, fisheries, or wildlife data from study files or monitoring stations.
🟢Performs laboratory analysis of biological samples to determine specified chemical, biological, or physical characteristics.

These are temporary excepted service positions not-to-exceed 1 year but may be extended without further competition. Employment may not exceed 1,039 hours in a service year.

📍 Laurel, MD
📍 Turners Falls, MA
📍 Kearneysville, WV
📅 Open March 30– April 3, 2026

To learn more and apply: https://ow.ly/YBuB50YzJ6G

📸: Biologist demonstrates how to identify the gender of an Eastern Box Turtle. Credit: Megan Evans, USGS.

03/25/2026

Map it and they shall see. 🗺️

The USGS released an interactive heat-map of where 6PPDQ sources are estimated to be across the United States.

Tires contain a chemical called 6PPD which prevents them from quickly breaking down. Microscopic tire particles, generated mainly from the friction of tires on roads, release 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) when they come into contact with oxygen.

When it rains, 6PPDQ can be washed off roads and can harm fish in nearby waterways. In response to requests from fishery managers, the USGS is studying 6PPDQ in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to understand its potential effects on sensitive species like brook trout.

This work can help protect and recover brook trout in the Chesapeake region and support the outdoor recreation economy for generations to come.

See the interactive map: https://geonarrative.usgs.gov/6ppdqsourcedashboard/

📷: 6PPDQ heat map of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and surrounding region. Darker shades of blue represent areas with higher factors contributing to 6PPDQ.

03/19/2026

As we celebrate the USGS’ recent 147th birthday, we look back on how far scientific methods have advanced in the field of stream monitoring.

Just look at the size of the contraption needed! Technicians used this boom crane to measure the velocity of the river from a bridge, much like we do today, though with far less cumbersome equipment.

The crane was used to lower a sounding weight and current meter with spinning cups into the water. Each full rotation of the spinning cups produced a click, and the technicians would count the number of clicks per minute to calculate the velocity of the water.

Today we have equipment that can measure stream velocity automatically. But we still use similar crane setups to collect water samples from bridges, and every so often there’s a situation that calls for bringing out this large contraption!

📷 1: A historical photo from July 1930 at the Chain Bridge along the Potomac River showing a technician posing next to a boom crane.
📷 2: USGS technicians using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to measure stream velocity from a bridge in 2024. Photo credit: David Fisher, USGS.
📷 3: Similar spinning cups that would spin in the water. Photo credit: David Fisher, USGS.
📷 4: An example of spinning cups and with a weight to keep the system stable in flowing water. Photo credit: David Fisher, USGS.
📷 5: Technicians would use a number table to convert the rotations per minute to a stream velocity. Photo credit: David Fisher, USGS.

03/16/2026

A picture is worth a thousand words. 🥶

During the recent cold snap in the Eastern United States, the USGS has been measuring streamflow at dozens of iced-over streams and rivers. We measure even in these frigid conditions to have a complete snapshot of streams and rivers in all conditions and times of year.

📷: A photo composite of 31 images showing hydrologic technicians Nick Giro, Ashley Ryan, and Augustine Barquin breaking up an icy river and measuring streamflow along the Northwest Branch Anacostia River at Brentwood, MD (USGS-01651003). Photo by David Fisher, USGS.

03/13/2026

As you (hopefully) know by now since you follow our page (or soon will 😉), our Center monitors the rivers and stream in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C to provide the public with data on our region.

Sometimes you don’t truly realize how much you’ve accomplished in a year until you take a step back. Here are Center stats from calendar year 2025 that are sure to impress:

🤯 20 million data points collected.
️🏞️ 4000 field visits.
🧪 592 water-quality samples.
📈 1800 record approvals.
🔨 8 new monitoring sites.
📄 64 science products published.

Our USGS team deserves a shoutout! None of this would be possible without them.

📷: Hydrologic technicians on an icy river. Text on photo: 2025 Recap. Credit: David Fisher, USGS.

03/11/2026

Read our Winter 2026 newsletter for more on water science in the Nation’s capital region:
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/md-de-dc-water/news/winter-2026-newsletter-flow

In this edition:
🔢 2025 By the Numbers
🧊 Measuring Streamflow in Icy Rivers and Streams
🧪 Video: Studying 6PPDQ in the Anacostia River tributaries
📈 The USGS modernizes water data web pages
📊 New Streamflow Charts Showing Average Flow

📽️ A video of a USGS sign in the snow. Text on screen reads: New Winter Newsletter.