Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Guidelines

EPA regularly issues guidance to states, tribes, territories, and interstate organizations to improve the consistency and comprehensiveness of water quality monitoring, assessment, and reporting methods and to help build stronger monitoring programs.

Amendment to the Guidelines for the Award of Monitoring Initiative Funds under Section 106 Grants
These guidelines reflect the focus on improving state and tribal capacity to monitor and report on water quality through 1) implementation of state and tribal comprehensive monitoring strategies, and 2) collaboration on statistically-valid surveys of the Nation's waters.
Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Program (HTML | PDF - 524KB)
This guidance recommends ten basic elements of a holistic, comprehensive monitoring program that serves all water quality management needs and addresses all water body types. It describes a process in which States develop a monitoring program strategy to implement these basic components over a period of up to 10 years.
Application of Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Program For Wetlands:
This document provides clarification on how to plan and implement a wetland monitoring and assessment program within the context of Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Program. (PDF, 90 KB, 12 pages)
Wadeable Streams Assessment
The Wadeable Streams Assessment is a study of the ecological condition of small streams throughout the U.S., being conducted by State water quality agencies with support from the U.S. EPA. The study uses comparable methods at randomly selected sites stratified by ecoregion.
Guidance for 2006 Assessment, Listing, and Reporting Requirements Pursuant to Sections 303(d), 305(b), and 314 of the Clean Water Act [2006 Integrated Report Guidance (IRG)] . This guidance is for states, territories, authorized tribes, and interstate commissions that help prepare and submit section 305(b) reports (hereinafter referred to as "jurisdictions"). It outlines development of biennial Integrated Reports (IR) that would support EPA's strategy for achieving a broad-scale, national inventory of water quality conditions. The document supersedes the 2004 Guidance on integrated reporting listed below.
Guidance for 2004 Assessment, Listing and Reporting Requirements Pursuant to Sections 303(d) and 305(b) of the Clean Water Act, TMDL -01-03 (HTML | PDF, 312KB). This document supersedes the 2002 guidance on integrated reporting (see below).
2002 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report Guidance. (HTML | PDF, 144KB)
This document calls for and describes an Integrated Report which will satisfy Clean Water Act requirements for both section 305(b) water quality reports and section 303(d) lists of impaired waters.
Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology
This website describes the background, purpose and process for developing a Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) that will streamline reporting requirements under Sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the Clean Water Act.
Clarification of the Use of Biological Data and Information in the 2002 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report Guidance -- March 26, 2002 ( PDF, 5KB)
305(b) Report Guidelines
This two-volume document describes the contents of a state 305(b) report (Volume 1) and methods for assessing water quality (Volume 2).
Knowing Our Waters: Tribal Reporting under Section 305(b) (PDF format, 235KB)
Describes the 305(b) reporting process and advantages to Tribes that choose to participate in the process, as well as modified guidelines for Tribal water quality reporting.

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Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Guidelines

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