WHAT IS THE NATIONAL WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM?
During the past 25 years, industry and government made large financial investments that have resulted in better water quality across the Nation; however, many water-quality issues remain. To address the need for consistent and scientifically sound information for managing the Nation’s water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey began a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in 1991. This program is unique compared to other national water-quality assessment studies in that it integrates the monitoring of the quality of surface and ground waters with the study of aquatic ecosystems. The goals of the NAWQA Program are to (1) describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation’s freshwater streams and aquifers (water-bearing sediments and rocks), (2) describe how water quality is changing over time, and (3) improve our understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting water quality.
