Basic Course: Supplemental Topics (e)

Program Elements: Collecting the Data

The next step includes selecting core and supplemental indicators to assess water quality standards attainment:

• Collecting data for a core set of indicators for each applicable designated use.
• Collecting data for supplemental indicators selected according to site-specific or project-specific decision criteria.

Biological monitoring is the best integrator of multiple stressors/pollutants to indicate a problem. Follow-up monitoring and analysis are needed to identify the pollutant(s) causing the impairment. Supplemental indicators are used to determine potential problem areas (e.g., emerging contaminants, pesticides from agricultural production, excess sediments and nutrients from increased development or road construction).

The following table presents examples of core and supplemental indicators for the major designated uses:

	Aquatic Life	Recreation	Drinking Water	Fish / Shellfish
	Biological communities Basic chemistry (e.g., DO, pH) Nutrients Flow Habitat assessment Landscape condition	Pathogen indicators (E. coli, enterococci) Nuisance plant growth Nutrients Chlorophyll Flow Landscape condition	Trace metals Pathogens Nitrates Salinity Sediments/TDS Flow Landscape condition	Pathogens Mercury Chlordane DDT PCBs Landscape condition
	Ambient toxicity Sediment toxicity Other chemicals of concern in water or sediment Health of organisms	Other chemicals of concern in water or sediment Hazardous chemicals Aesthetics	Other chemicals of concern in water or sediment VOCs (in reservoirs) Hydrophyllic pesticides Algae	Other chemicals of concern in water or sediment

Resource. Over the years, local volunteers have become increasingly involved in monitoring efforts. Data collected by volunteers may provide valuable information that can be used, for instance, to supplement State/Tribal monitoring data. (Data provided by volunteers is sometimes considered “secondary data,” in contrast to “primary data” collected by the State or Tribe itself.) For relevant considerations, see the EPA guidance document The Volunteer Monitor’s Guide to QAPPs. See also EPA’s web page on Volunteer Monitoring.

Learn More. Who else besides State and Tribes monitor water quality? Proceed to the Learn More Topic. » (Note: This link launches a pop-up window.)