USGS Sediment Vulnerability Ranking for River Basins Across the Contiguous U.S. (2026)

A 2026 USGS study ranking 163 river basins across the lower 48 states by vulnerability to harm from excess sediment, using physical, ecological and socioeconomic data.

USGS ranked sediment vulnerability for 163 four-digit HUC basins in 18 regions of the contiguous U.S. Metrics include geomorphic setting, modeled sediment and phosphorus, hydrologic conditions, human factors and land use, socioeconomic factors and ecosystem sensitivity. Regional results identify the higher-vulnerability basins in each region, and national results show hotspots in the Midwest and central U.S. The study also flags gaps in sediment monitoring and notes that sediment is a leading cause of stream impairment. Published September 15, 2026 in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (DOI 10.1111/1752-1688.70149).