Summary of the U. S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program

Book · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5544397

Hirsh, R M; Alley, W M; Wilber, W G

Beginning in 1986, the Congress appropriated funds for the US Geological Survey to test and refine concepts for a National Water Quality Assessment Program. At present, the program is in a pilot phase with field studies occurring in seven areas around the Nation. In 1990, a committee of the National Academy of Sciences will complete an evaluation of the design and potential utility of the program. A decision about moving to full-scale implementation will be made upon completion of the evaluation. The program is intended to address a wide range of national water quality issues that include chemical contamination, acidification, eutrophication, salinity, sedimentation, and sanitary quality. The goals of the program are to: (1) provide nationally consistent descriptions of current water quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's water resources; (2) define long-term trends in water quality; and (3) identify and describe the relations of both current conditions and trends in water quality to natural and human factors. This information will be provided to water managers, policy makers, and the public to provide an improved scientific basis for evaluating the effectiveness of water quality management programs and for predicting the likely effects of contemplated changes in land- and water-management practices.

• OSTI ID: 5544397
• Resource Relation: Related Information: USGS Open-File Report 88-95
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
WATER QUALITY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ACIDIFICATION
AQUIFERS
EUTROPHICATION
GEOLOGIC SURVEYS
LAND USE
METALS
NUTRIENTS
PESTICIDES
WATER POLLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
POLLUTION
SURVEYS
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects