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Water Quality Standards
| Water Quality Quick Finder | |||
National Links
- EPA Water Quality Standards Homepage
- Water Quality Standards Handbook (2nd ed.)
- EPA's National Recommended Water Quality Criteria
- Technical Support Document for Water Quality-based Toxics Control (order form)
- Ecotox (single chemical toxicity information for aquatic and terrestrial life)
- Iris (EPA database for risk management)
- National Service Center for Environmental Publications (7,000 titles)
- Surf Your Watershed
- Draft Selenium Aquatic Life Criterion (12/9/04)
Kokanee Salmon
Water quality standards serve as the foundation for the water-quality based approach to pollution control. Water quality standards are state or tribal requirements that define the water quality goals of a lake, stream, or other waterbody by designating the beneficial uses and setting criteria to protect those uses. Beneficial uses may include fishing, swimming, boating, aquatic habitat, agriculture navigation, or others.
Water quality criteria establish standards necessary to protect and ensure that beneficial uses are attained. Criteria may be numeric or narrative standards that are designed to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of a waterbody.
Programs & Resources
- Resources for Tribal Government
- Additional Resources
- Arid West water quality research project Developing water quality criteria for the arid west.
- California Water Quality projects
- Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory California Department of Fish and Game
- Arid West water quality research project Developing water quality criteria for the arid west.
- Contacts
- Region 9 Standards
- State, Tribal, Territory Programs Approved water quality programs in Region 9
- Activities related to Water Quality Standards