The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released a new interactive map that shows freshwater use by state every five years over 60 years, from 1950 to 2010.

There are two interesting things that this data reveals. According to USGS, "This collective data set not only shows variations across the country and throughout time, it lays the framework for an emerging story about our evolving relationship with water." So in a nutshell, how water is used is different throughout the country and those needs have changed over time.

How can this information help us plan for the future? Understanding how much water we've used in the past and what we've used it for can help us plan for future water needs.

To learn how we use water, check out DrinkTap's Water Use Statistics webpage.