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National Water Quality Assessment Data Warehouse
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MA-100
The
Connecticut, Housatonic, and Thames River Basins
National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Study
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Knowledge
of the quality of the Nation's streams and aquifers is important
because of the implications to human and aquatic health and
because of the significant costs associated with decisions
involving land and water management, conservation, and regulation.
In 1991, the U.S. Congress appropriated funds for the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) to begin the National Water-Quality
Assessment (NAWQA) Program to help meet the continuing need for
sound, scientific information on the areal extent of the
water-quality problems, how these problems are changing with time,
and an understanding of the effects of human actions and natural
factors on water quality conditions.
The
NAWQA Program is assessing the water-quality conditions of more
than 50 of the Nation's largest river basins and aquifers, known
as Study Units. Collectively, these Study Units cover about
one-half of the United States and include sources of drinking
water used by about 70 percent of the U.S. population.
Comprehensive assessments of about one-third of the Study Units
are ongoing at a given time. Each Study Unit is scheduled to be
revisited every decade to evaluate changes in water-quality
conditions. NAWQA assessments rely heavily on existing information
collected by the USGS and many other agencies as well as the use
of nationally consistent study designs and methods of sampling and
analysis. Such consistency simultaneously provides information
about the status and trends in water-quality conditions in a
particular stream or aquifer and, more importantly, provides the
basis to make comparisons among watersheds and improve our
understanding of the factors that affect water-quality conditions
regionally and nationally.
The
information and documents presented here describe major findings
that emerged between 1992 and 1995 from the water-quality
assessment of the Connecticut, Housatonic, and Thames River Basins
Study Unit. The information is primarily intended for those who are
involved in water-resource management. These reports address many of the concerns raised by regulators, water-utility
managers, industry representatives, scientists,
engineers, public officials, and members of stakeholder groups who
provided advice and input to the USGS during this NAWQA Study-Unit
investigation. Yet, the information may also
interest those who simply wish to know more about the quality of
water in the rivers and aquifers in the area where they live.
For additional information contact:
Marc Zimmerman - Project Chief
mzimmerm@usgs.gov
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