All inorganic and organic methods for analyzing samples of water and fluvial sediment, which have been approved for use by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1954 to the present (1994), are listed. Descriptive method names include references to published reports for easy retrieval of methodology. The year each method was approved is listed as well as the year the method was discontinued. Inorganic and organic methods are listed separately by sample type (dissolved, whole water, bottom material, suspended sediment, or fish tissue) and by mode of analysis (manual or automated, or both).