Welcome to the New Jersey National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Homepage

There are currently two NAWQA studies being coordinated from the New Jersey office:

Long Island-New Jersey coastal drainages (LINJ) study

Delaware River Basin (DELR) study

About NAWQA

Forward by Robert M. Hirsch, Chief Hydrologist, USGS

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program is designed to describe the status and trends in the quality of the Nation's ground- and surface-water resources and to provide a sound understanding of the natural and human factors that affect the quality of these resources. As part of the program, investigations will be conducted in about 60 areas-- called study units-- throughout the Nation to provide a framework for national water-quality assessment. Regional and national synthesis of information from study units will consist of comparative studies of specific water-quality issues using nationally consistent information provided by the study units.

Although emphasis is on national- and regional-scale water-quality problems, there is flexibility in the individual study design to address the more important study-scale issues as well. It is the intent of NAWQA to produce relevant information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at all levels. A study unit liaison committee was established to build on the expertise and experience of other agencies and thereby help with the scope and focus of the study.

Study units are the building blocks of NAWQA. A framework has been established to ensure nationwide consistency in the approach to each study-- in field and laboratory methods, in water-quality measurements, and in the supporting data requirements. Budget limitations required NAWQA to be rotational in nature with up to 20 study units in a high-intensity sampling phase per 3-year cycle. The first set of study units were begun in 1991, the second set of started in 1994, and the third set of study units began in 1997 (national study unit map).

Currently, there are two NAWQA studies being coordinated from our West Trenton, New Jersey office. The Long Island-New Jersey (LINJ) coastal drainages study began in 1994 and the Delaware River Basin (DELR) study started in 1997.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey New Jersey District, 810 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 206, West Trenton, NJ 08628 Maintainer: NJ District Webmaster Last update: 14:34:31 Fri 13 Jun 2003 Privacy Statement || Disclaimer || Accessibility URL: http://nj.usgs.gov/nawqa/