Water Quality in the Nation's Stream and Rivers

Science activity #50119, updated 29 April 2022

Water Quality in the Nation's Stream and Rivers

Description / purpose

In 1991, Congress established the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project to address where, when, why, and how the Nation's water quality has changed, or is likely to change in the future, in response to human activities and natural factors. A prominent feature of NAWQA is the development of long-term consistent and comparable information on streams, rivers, ground water, and aquatic systems. The NAWQA Project is designed to answer these questions: 1. What is the current condition of our Nation's streams, rivers, and groundwater? 2. How are these conditions changing over time? 3. How do natural features and human activities affect these conditions, and where are those effects most pronounced? Under the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project, there are several surface water and ecology studies, including the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RQSA) (a baseline assessment of streams), and current conditions and long-term trends monitoring.

Linked science activities

None specified

Collaborators

None specified

Activity status

1 Awarded / Initiating (2018)
2 In progress / Ongoing (2018 - 2019)
3 Complete

Funding summary

Total allocated funding: $0

Location

Subbasins

Delta regions

Geographic tags

UNION ISLAND EAST , UNION ISLAND WEST

Products and outputs

Type	Title	Description	Views
	National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) Webpage	In 1991, Congress established the National Water-Q	0
	Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) Webpage	The Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) is a	0
	Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) Online Mapping Tool	Users can access an online mapping tool to compare	0
	Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) Data Downloader	Data can be downloaded for hundreds of chemical co	0
	Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) California Factsheet	A brief overview of the RSQA for the California re	0
	Water Quality in the Nation's Streams and Rivers - main webpage	The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless re	0
	NAWQA: Online water-quality tracking tool	An online water-quality tracking tool shows graphs	0
	Partners contributing water quality data	The many partners contributing to the long-term wa	0
	NAWQA: Water-Quality Changes in the Nation's Streams and Rivers - Trends Mapping Tool	This mapper provides results from the largest-ever	0

Type and context

Science action area

Unspecified

Management themes

Water quality

Science themes

Environmental conditions , Habitat changes , Land use and human activities , Species

Types

None specified

Science functions

None specified

Management actions

Pollution control

Science Topics

Wastewater discharge , Nitrogen / ammonia , Phosphorous , Carbon , Chlorophyll A / B , Harmful algal blooms HAB , Suspended sediment , Chemistry , Toxicity , Salinity , Water temperature , Dissolved oxygen , pH , Turbidity , Hg and methyl mercury , Polychlorinated biphenyl PCB , Hydrocarbons / polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAH , Flame retardants , Endocrine disruptors , Lead , Cadmium , Copper , Zinc , Arsenic , Selenium , Constituent of emerging concern CEC , Insecticides , Rodenticides , Herbicides , Fungicides , Microplastics , Other discharge contaminants , Main channels , Sloughs , Backwater , Benthos , Insects , Mollusks , Crustaceans , Fish , Invertebrates

Lead implementing organization

U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]

Partner implementing organizations

None specified

Funding organizations

None specified

Funding programs

None specified

Funding sources

None specified