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305(b) Reports

In addition to the information on the condition of all waters in the state, tribal land, or territory, the 305(b) report should also provide information (if available) on which pollutants (chemicals, sediments, nutrients, metals, temperature, pH) and other stressors (altered flows, modification of the stream channel, introduction of exotic invasive species) are the most common causes of impairment of water body uses and what are the most common sources (e.g., poorly managed development and agricultural operations) of those stressors. The report also should include a discussion of progress made toward meeting the CWA’s goals since the time of the last 305(b) Report.

The CWA does not give EPA the authority to force states to do additional ambient monitoring. The agency does have some possible leverage with CWA 106 grantees, but it is difficult to leverage. Congress has not provided funding for data collection in states that have not collected sufficient information to assess their all their waters. For example, only about 16 percent of streams and rivers were assessed during the most recent reporting cycle, with approximately 44 percent impaired. For lakes and reservoirs, 39 percent of the total acres were assessed, with 66 percent impaired. For bays and estuaries, 29 percent was assessed, with 30% impaired (see EPA’s National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress).

This table shows a summary of the condition of assessed waters, nationwide. Unfortunately, because of resource limitations, only a portion of waters nationwide have been assessed.