In 1998, the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated the NPS/USGS Water Quality Partnership Program with support from the Clean Water Action Plan (Environmental Protection Agency 1998). Prior to 1998, NPS and the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program worked together to implement a pilot water-quality monitoring program in national parks (Long et. al 1997, Long 1999). To date, 145 partnership projects have been implemented in 104 national park units. The program supports a range of science activities focused on providing Park resource managers data and information necessary to make scientifically defensible management and policy decisions. These activities range in scope from basic technical assistance to fixed station monitoring to intensive/synoptic projects.

Selection of project proposals
Each year project proposals for the NPS/USGS Partnership Program are collaboratively developed with local Park staff and USGS District Offices. The proposals are evaluated and selections are made annually by an inter-agency panel lead by the NPS and USGS coordinators and other NPS and USGS representatives. Each proposal is given a numerical score based on a version of the NPS Natural Resource Project Ranking Criteria that has been tailored for the NPS/USGS Partnership Program. The ranking criteria for the Partnership Program includes several key factors addressing scientific merit and relevance to park management needs.

One of the most important benefits of the partnership so far has been the interaction of park staff with USGS scientists. In many cases, the parties had not worked together prior to coordinating on partnership projects. Through the activities of the partnership program, new relationships are being established which are likely to lead to future opportunities for collaboration.

The USGS views the water quality partnership as an integral part of their mission to provide high quality scientific information to decision makers, and as a useful mechanism for directing their scientific capabilities toward real world problems. The partnership highlights the benefits of collaboration across disciplines and among sister agencies in the Department of Interior. The NPS views the partnership program as an effective way to provide their managers with the science necessary to make defensible decisions about their water resources.