These words by the American poet Henry David Thoreau underscore America's love of lakes. Lakes are places of reflection, relaxation, and repose, but like all our waters, they are being increasingly stressed. Growing anthropogenic pressures have prompted many governments, associations, and individuals to invest time in preserving or restoring the water quality of their lakes. To protect our nation's lakes, Americans must strive to understand how their actions as individuals and as a society are affecting them. Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must report periodically on the condition of the nation's water resources by summarizing water quality information provided by the states. However, approaches to collecting and evaluating data vary from state to state, making it difficult to compare the information across states, on a nationwide basis, or over time. EPA and the states are continually working on ways to address this problem to improve water quality reporting.

Format not distributed to depository libraries. Includes bibliographical references (pages 99-101). "EPA 841-R-09-001."