The states' ability to confidently determine compliance of ambient conditions with water quality standards is limited by the availability of data and selection of appropriate assessment methodologies, resulting in greater likelihood of misinterpretation of the status of our nation's waters. The objective of this research was to critically evaluate the methodologies states employ when assessing waterbodies for the Integrated Reporting process and provide recommendations to facilitate more effective integration of monitoring data and technically sound assessment methodologies into the waterbody assessment process. Research tasks included the following:1. Gathered information on current methodologies that regulatory agencies and others use to assess waterbody conditions.2. Identified current assessment approaches which optimize available monitoring data and best characterize waterbody conditions and associated uncertainty.3. Provided recommendations of appropriate assessment methodologies to more reliably determine attainment/non-attainment of beneficial uses.

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