Monitoring Program Development Strategy

Water quality monitoring programs are designed for different objectives as well as for different sizes of waterbodies and watersheds. Federal programs such as USGS's National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) and state ambient water quality monitoring programs are generally extensive, long-term efforts. Local governments, industries, universities and schools, watershed associations, environmental groups, and concerned citizens also collect water quality information. Each of these users will have different data requirements, program goals, and available resources. The development strategy for any watershed monitoring program will therefore have to consider many different issues. This module is designed to illustrate the major steps to developing a watershed monitoring program and to provide general guidance on important questions your group should address.

What are the Program Objectives?

Defining program objectives or goals is one of the first steps to developing a monitoring program. Some typical goals include:

• Documenting watershed condition and water quality trends over time
• Screening for potential water quality problems
• Determining whether waterbodies meet regulatory standards and/or support designated uses (safe for swimming, drinking, fishing, etc.)
• Providing data for scientifically-based watershed management decisions
• Determining the impacts of discharges (sewage treatment plants or industries) to support appropriate effluent limits
• Determining the impacts of land use activities (farming, forestry, or urban development)
• Supporting management of water quality-limited waters, including assessment of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
• Educating the watershed's citizens, leaders or users

Once the program objectives are broadly defined, it is essential to establish the scope of study. Monitoring efforts can vary in geographic scale and duration. The scale can range from a single stream site, discharge point, or watershed to an entire state, region, or nation. Depending on the program goals, sampling duration can include single event screening, short-term intensive studies, or long-term assessments.