NATIONAL HIGHWAY RUNOFF WATER-QUALITY DATA AND METHODOLOGY SYNTHESIS
FHWA ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING REPORTS
The reports generated by this study are available in ADOBE Acrobat PDF
format. If you do not have the free Acrobat viewer program you will need
it to view the report document. The free Acrobat viewer program is
available for DOS, Windows, Macintosh and some UNIX systems. 
Granato, G.E., Zenone, C., and Cazenas, P.A. (eds.), 2003, National
Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis, Volume I
--Technical issues for monitoring highway runoff and urban stormwater:
Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway
Administration, FHWA-EP-03-054, 479 p.
Abstract
This report is a compilation of "expert
chapters" designed to address different technical issues for monitoring
highway runoff and urban stormwater. These chapters include information
about basic information and data quality; quality assurance and quality
control practices; measurement of precipitation and runoff flow; the
geochemistry of runoff; measurement of sediments, trace elements, and
organic chemicals in runoff; assessment of the potential ecological
effects of runoff; monitoring
atmospheric deposition; and interpreting
runoff data using appropriate statistical techniques.
EP03-054-- The text of the report in Adobe Acrobat format (10,000K). Please Note: This is a large file that may take a while to download and may exceed your print buffer. Therefore, you may need to print the file by using a print range of about 20 pages at a time.
Granato, G.E., Dionne, S.G., Tana, C.T., and King, T.L., 2003,
National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis,
Volume II -- Project documentation: Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-EP-03-055, 22 p. with
CD-ROM
Abstract
The National Highway Runoff Data and
Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS) is designed to provide the information
necessary to address highway-runoff water-quality concerns within
acceptable data-quality objectives. A bibliography of more than 2,600
relevant references with more than 1,300 selected abstracts (or previa--an
abstract written by someone other than the author, in this case NDAMS
project personnel) is provided to establish a searchable electronic record
of available reports to meet information needs. Results of the evaluation
of available information from the 252 reports reviewed during the
synthesis are provided as a stratified metadatabase within the
bibliographic database. Metadata reviews of selected reports were
completed and cataloged to indicate the quality of available data in terms
of highway-runoff quality information needs for regional or national
synthesis. These reviews represent a sample of about 10 percent of the
more than 2,600 reports in the catalog, and about 50 percent of the number
of reports that have a primary emphasis on highway runoff. A total of 234
highway-research sites are identified worldwide, and of these, 197 sites
are representative of conditions in the conterminous United States. This
report describes and documents methods used to catalog and evaluate
published information relevant to the study of highway-runoff and to
provide a catalog of metadata about the reports that were reviewed. Brief
descriptions of the overall project, the database design, a catalog of
available reports, the methods used for evaluation of available
information, and a description of the project quality-assurance and
quality-control program are included in this report. (Computer files that
document the results of this synthesis are included on an accompanying
computer disk).
EP03-055-- The text of the report in Adobe Acrobat format (1,500K).
Granato, G.E., 2003, National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data
and Methodology Synthesis, Volume III -- Availability and documentation of
published information for use in regional or national highway-runoff
quality data synthesis: Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-EP-03-056, 71
p.
Abstract
This report describes the National Highway
Runoff Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS) report-review process,
summarizes results of this metadata review process, and provides an
interpretation of these results. The evaluation of available literature
includes reviews of 252 reports, including 34 literature review or summary
reports and 218 detailed reports. These reviews represent a sample of
about 10 percent of all reports in the NDAMS bibliographic database and
more than 50 percent of the reports in the database designated as
highway-runoff reports. Generally, reports were selected in reverse
chronological order for review from among the population of highway-runoff
reports. The metadata reviews indicate that much of the available data are
not sufficiently documented for inclusion in a technically defensible
regional or national data set. Results of the metadata review process
indicate that few reports document the information and data necessary to
establish the quality or representativeness of research results for
purposes of regional or national synthesis. Even fewer reports meet
documentation criteria when multiple criteria are applied. Furthermore,
research indicates that technical issues involved with the collection,
processing, and analysis of suspended sediments, trace elements, and
organic compounds raise doubts about the veracity of many data sets.
Efforts to coordinate environmental-research projects should include an
electronic system to facilitate information exchange that incorporates
consistent sampling protocols, national data-documentation standards, and
a technical audit process designed to ensure that data meet documentation
and data quality requirements. Such a system is necessary to produce data
that meet local, regional and national information needs.
EP03-056-- The text of the report in Adobe Acrobat format (6,500K). Please Note: This is a large file that may take a while to download and may exceed your print buffer. Therefore, you may need to print the file by using a print range of about 20 pages at a time.
To obtain copies of the following FHWA publications and other products please contact:
Or
Office of Natural Environment, HEPN-30
The U.S. Department of Transportation web page is at URL http://www.dot.gov/
The Federal Highway
Administration web page is at URL http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
The Office
of Natural Environment web page is at URL/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/nat_res.htm
