Surface-water level refers to the elevation or height of free water surfaces in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, or other surface-water bodies relative to a defined vertical datum or local reference point. It is a fundamental hydrologic state variable controlling hydraulic gradients, flow directions, storage volume, and exchange with groundwater and the atmosphere. Surface-water level is monitored using gauges, pressure transducers, radar or ultrasonic sensors, and remote sensing, and is used to derive stage–discharge relationships, flood frequency statistics, and water-balance components. Temporal variability in surface-water level reflects the integrated effects of precipitation, evapotranspiration, inflows, outflows, regulation, and anthropogenic withdrawals.
The Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine was destroyed on June 6, 2023. The event unleashed a catastrophic flood that forced thousands of residents to evacuate their communities as water levels rose 10 feet (3 meters) above normal.
Earth Sciences
8 hours ago
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The two largest reservoirs in the United States have fallen to record lows as a severe drought grips the country's West, according to data released over the weekend.
Environment
21 hours ago
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In the aftermath of the devastating July 4, 2025, floods that took 139 lives in Central Texas, an associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin set out to make a new type of outdoor flood alarm: a low-tech, loud ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 15, 2026
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Syria's energy ministry warned on Thursday of rising water levels on the Euphrates River after flooding in the north and east following increased flows from neighboring Turkey and recent rains.
Environment
May 29, 2026
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Canyons in eastern Utah will churn this spring with huge volumes of water—as much as 50,000 toilets flushing constantly at the same time—in a desperate attempt to maintain electricity generation for thousands of homes across ...
Environment
Apr 22, 2026
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Communities worldwide rely on reservoirs for drinking water, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and more. These critical freshwater resources are affected by seasonal and long-term changes; water levels in reservoirs can dip ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 31, 2026
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Across much of the Western United States, winter 2026 was the year the snow never came. Many ski resorts got by with snowmaking but shut down their winter operations early. Fire officials and water supply managers are worried ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 25, 2026
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The Sierra Nevada snowpack, the source of nearly one-third of California's water supply, is looking a little like a New Year's resolution: full of hope and promise at the beginning of January, but now struggling with a bothersome ...
Environment
Jan 30, 2026
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What's the shape of water? In 2022, NASA launched the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite to answer this question by precisely measuring the height and extent of bodies of water. Virginia Tech geoscientists ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 19, 2026
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When it rains, it pours. And that's good news for California's water supply.
Earth Sciences
Jan 6, 2026
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