Interactive Map

Watershed Stress Index — U.S. Water Resilience by Region

Explore water resilience across all 50 states, aggregated from 42,517 ZIP codes. The Watershed Stress Index combines drought severity, groundwater availability, and water source diversity into a single 0–100 resilience score.

42,517 ZIP Codes Analyzed
65/100 National Avg Resilience
4 Stressed/Vulnerable States
RI Most Resilient (87)
FL Most Stressed (41)

Resilience Components (National Average)

69
Drought Score
55
Groundwater Score
65
Source Diversity Score
65
Overall Resilience
Loading watershed stress map…
Stressed (<30) Vulnerable (30-49) Stable (50-69) Resilient (70+)

Data: USGS groundwater monitoring, USDM drought monitor, EPA water source data. Map updated 2026-05-14.

State Resilience Rankings

All states ranked by average water resilience score. Lower scores indicate greater stress.

# State Resilience Status Drought Groundwater Source ZIPs
1 Florida 41 Vulnerable 31 43 67 1,668
2 Georgia 47 Vulnerable 41 44 67 987
3 South Carolina 48 Vulnerable 48 36 65 566
4 Arkansas 48 Vulnerable 38 55 62 712
5 Louisiana 51 Stable 60 27 67 801
6 Texas 51 Stable 53 30 69 2,727
7 New Mexico 52 Stable 53 40 67 428
8 Mississippi 53 Stable 65 26 66 565
9 North Carolina 53 Stable 45 55 68 1,132
10 New Hampshire 53 Stable 58 34 67 284
11 Oklahoma 54 Stable 48 57 65 775
12 Wyoming 56 Stable 55 50 65 195
13 Idaho 57 Stable 66 38 66 324
14 Utah 57 Stable 55 52 68 349
15 Alabama 58 Stable 66 41 61 845
16 Nebraska 59 Stable 55 58 67 624
17 Maryland 60 Stable 64 50 65 630
18 Colorado 60 Stable 58 59 68 661
19 Tennessee 61 Stable 71 45 61 791
20 Maine 62 Stable 44 88 65 504
21 Virginia 62 Stable 63 55 65 1,272
22 Oregon 63 Stable 76 37 68 483
23 District of Columbia 64 Stable 0 70 55 284
24 Iowa 64 Stable 82 33 66 1,065
25 Montana 65 Stable 64 65 65 408
26 Illinois 65 Stable 75 46 65 1,609
27 South Dakota 66 Stable 71 58 63 397
28 Nevada 66 Stable 85 32 71 255
29 Hawaii 66 Stable 94 18 65 140
30 Connecticut 66 Stable 0 85 65 433
31 Missouri 67 Stable 79 46 64 1,194
32 Arizona 70 Resilient 69 68 71 555
33 Washington 71 Resilient 83 50 69 733
34 New Jersey 71 Resilient 74 71 61 771
35 Minnesota 73 Resilient 86 56 65 1,023
36 California 73 Resilient 99 31 69 2,672
37 Massachusetts 74 Resilient 67 91 64 743
38 Vermont 74 Resilient 80 67 65 312
39 Kansas 74 Resilient 85 63 61 754
40 Pennsylvania 76 Resilient 78 81 63 2,251
41 Indiana 76 Resilient 81 73 66 986
42 Alaska 77 Resilient 96 54 64 274
43 Kentucky 79 Resilient 97 61 57 993
44 Wisconsin 79 Resilient 95 60 66 902
45 West Virginia 80 Resilient 97 62 59 939
46 Ohio 80 Resilient 88 76 66 1,454
47 North Dakota 80 Resilient 99 58 63 414
48 New York 81 Resilient 89 74 67 2,257
49 Delaware 82 Resilient 80 97 64 104
50 Michigan 84 Resilient 99 68 65 1,178
51 Rhode Island 87 Resilient 89 96 65 94

How the Watershed Stress Index Works

The index combines three equally weighted components into a 0–100 resilience score:

  • Drought Score (0–100) - based on USDM drought monitor data. Measures the severity and duration of drought conditions. A score of 100 means no drought; 0 means extreme (D4) drought.
  • Groundwater Score (0–100) - based on USGS groundwater monitoring well data. Reflects aquifer levels and recharge rates. Areas with declining aquifers score lower.
  • Source Diversity Score (0–100) - measures how many independent water sources serve the area. Communities relying on a single source are more vulnerable to disruption.

What Watershed Stress Means for Homeowners

Areas with low resilience scores may face water rate increases, usage restrictions during droughts, or supply disruptions. If your area is stressed or vulnerable, consider water-efficient fixtures, rainwater collection (where legal), and understanding your utility's drought contingency plan.

Data Sources

USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) groundwater data, U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) water source data. Scores updated monthly with latest drought conditions.

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