Water-quality data-collection activities in Colorado and Ohio; Phase I, Inventory and evaluation of 1984 programs and costs

Hren, Janet; Chaney, Thomas; Norris, J. Michael; Childress, C.J.

doi:10.3133/ofr85574

Cited by 2 publications

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“…As stated in the Colorado and Ohio report (Hren, Chaney, Norris, and Childress, 1985), the enactment of the Clean Water Act of 1972 initiated a variety of water-quality management programs, all of which required water-quality data to support them. The 303(e) plans mandated by the Act required waste-load allocation studies.…”

Section: Purposes Of Water-quality Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water-quality data-collection activities in Oregon; inventory and evaluation of 1984 programs and costs

Edwards¹

1987

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Recently, National attention has been drawn to environmental monitoring programs by members of Congress asking serious questions about the usefulness of the water-quality data for assessing waterquality issues of a regional or national scope. Interest in the effectiveness of the data for these purposes has been heightened owing to recent economic conditions and large expenditures allocated for environmental monitoring.Studies have been undertaken in Colorado, Ohio, and Oregon, by the U.S. Geological Survey to: (1) determine the characteristics (purpose, type, frequency, availability, quantity, quality, and cost) of 1984 water-quality data-collection programs of Federal, State and local agencies, and universities; and (2) evaluate whether the data from these programs, collected for various purposes, using various procedures, can be used to enhance our ability to answer the following three major questions:(1) What were the natural ambient water-quality conditions?(2) What are the existing ambient water-quality conditions?(3) Has the ambient water-quality changed over time?This study has been divided into three phases:Ninety-four organizations were interviewed as potential water-quality data collectors. Sixty-one of these organizations, representing Federal, State, and local agencies and universities, were asked to complete an information sheet relative to those water-quality data-collection programs in which they are currently involved. Twenty-seven agencies identified 62 water-quality data-collection programs within Oregon. The remaining 34 agencies indicated that (1) their work was done in conjunction with another responding agency and, therefore, a response would be duplicative, (2) their program represented data collected during a year other than 1984, or that, (3) after receipt of the information sheet, they determined that their work did not fit the definition of a water-quality data-collection program. Surface-water samples constitute 97.0 percent of the total number of samples collected, while ground-water samples constitute the remaining 3.0 percent. Eight percent of samples collected east of the Cascade Mountain Range are ground-water samples, while less than 2 percent of samples collected west of the Cascades are from ground-water sources. Federal, State, and local agencies collected the majority of samples for purposes of characterizing ambient conditions. Twenty-two programs only fulfill National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit requirements or demonstrate compliance to some other requirement of a regulating agency.Analytical costs for laboratory processing of samples are reported as given, or estimated from 1984 U.S. Geological Survey Central Laboratory prices, or computed by taking 25.0 percent of the reported program funding when specific constituent analyses were not identified. Based on these actual and estimated analytical costs, 64.0 percent of the total laboratory-analytical expenditure was dedicated to analysis of samples to characterize ambient conditions, 3.0 percent to analysis...

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Section: Purposes Of Water-quality Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water-quality data-collection activities in Oregon; inventory and evaluation of 1984 programs and costs

Edwards¹

1987

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Concepts for a National Water-Quality Assessment Program

Hirsch¹,

Alley²,

Wilber³

1988

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The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey is to assess the quantity and the quality of the earth resources of the Nation and to provide information that will assist resource managers and policy makers at the Federal, the State, and the local levels in making sound decisions. Assessment of water-quality conditions and trends is an important part of this overall mission. The history of the earth sciences demonstrates that the ''scale'' at which scientists examine the Earth has a major effect on the kinds of insights gained from their studies. In geology, for example, roles exist for investigations at the quadrangle map scale (1 :24,000) and for continental or global scale studies focused on plate tectonics. Furthermore, geologic studies at one scale often enhance the understanding of the phenomena examined at the other scales. Similarly, in meteorology, there is a role for microscale climatic studies over distances of less than a mile, mesoscale studies of regional weather systems, and global circulation studies. Again, the overall science would be weakened by the lack of any one of these scales of study. Investigations at different temporal scales also are needed. Some studies of earthquake phenomena, for example, measure processes that last for seconds or even milliseconds, and others chart the buildup of the stresses responsible for earthquakes over periods of decades to centuries. This document defines an approach for examining the quality aspects of water resources at a unique combination of spatial and temporal scales. The spatial scale is primarily regional (several thousands of square miles), and the temporal scale is primarily multiyear and decadal. The study design stems from the view that insights about water quality, which would be of great value to resource managers and policy makers, can be best achieved by examining water quality at these scales and by aggregating the findings of the studies with time and across the Nation. These assessments would rely on many of the data already being collected as part of smaller scale studies focused on local problems, although the questions under investigation would be quite different. The primary questions would concern the natural and human factors that give rise to different types of widespread waterquality conditions and the long-term fate of contaminants stored in aquifers, sediments, or biota. Throughout its history, the Nation has made major investments in assessing natural resources, such as soils, minerals, and hydrocarbons, and human resources in terms of the health, the education, the employment, and the economic status of the population. The reason for these investments in information is that decisions our society makes about using or conserving these resources, investing in their improvement, or regulating their use will be better if they are based on sound information. The maintenance and the improvement of water quality is now one of the major areas of public investment and government regulation. Therefore, it is appropriate that serious attempts be...

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Water-quality data-collection activities in Colorado and Ohio; Phase I, Inventory and evaluation of 1984 programs and costs

Cited by 2 publications

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Water-quality data-collection activities in Oregon; inventory and evaluation of 1984 programs and costs

Water-quality data-collection activities in Oregon; inventory and evaluation of 1984 programs and costs

Concepts for a National Water-Quality Assessment Program

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