NAWQA - Studying Water Quality Over Time

Follow a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist as he takes part in the National Water-Quality Assessment Program in the Pacific Northwest. In 1991, the U.S. Congress established the program to develop long-term, nationally consistent information on the quality of the Nation’s streams and ground water, and thereby support scientifically sound decisions for water-quality management, regulation, and policy decisions. The objectives of NAWQA are to assess the status and trends of national water-quality conditions and to understand the factors and processes that govern those conditions, thus, addressing the questions: 1. What is the quality of the Nation's streams and ground water? 2. How is water quality changing over time? 3. How do natural factors and human activities affect the quality of streams and ground water?