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U.S. EPA'S SURVEY OF THE NATION'S NON-WADEABLE STREAMS AND RIVERS
Citation:
REYNOLDS, L., J. E. FLOTEMERSCH, T. SMITH, S. G. PAULSEN, AND S. HOLDSWORTH. U.S. EPA'S SURVEY OF THE NATION'S NON-WADEABLE STREAMS AND RIVERS. Presented at Association of Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Biologists, Berkeley Springs, WV, April 04 - 05, 2007.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
The U.S. EPA is engaging states, tribes and other parties in designing a national survey to assess the condition of non-wadeable rivers and streams. The rivers survey is one of a series of surveys being implemented as a partnership among states, tribes and U.S. EPA, with the collaboration of the U.S. Geological Survey and other organizations. The purpose of these surveys is to periodically generate statistically valid and environmentally relevant reports on the condition of the nation's water resources. These collaborative assessments are intended to facilitate improved collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries and to enhance states' and tribes' ability to assess and manage water quality. The goal of the rivers survey is to address two key questions about the quality of the nation's non-wadeable rivers and streams: what percent of the nation's non-wadeable rivers are in good, fair and poor condition for key indicators of ecological health and human activities, and what is the relative importance of key stressors such as nutrients and pathogens?