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maps and descriptions of ground- and surface-water study areas |
The Ozark Plateaus NAWQA is one of the 60 study units that are part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of this program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources, and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary factors affecting the quality of these resources. The program will evaluate water quality at a wide range of spatial scales, from local to national, and will employ a multidisciplinary approach using physical, chemical and biological measurements to provide multiple lines of evidence with which to evaluate water quality.
The initial, high intensity phase of the Ozark Plateaus NAWQA began in 1991 and continued through 1995. During the high intensity phase, study unit personnel collected ground-water, surface-water, and biological samples from throughout the study unit. In 1996, the study unit entered a five year low intensity phase. During the low intensity phase, the study unit analyzed the data previously collected and presented the results in varous reports, factsheets, journal articles, and at conferences and meetings.
The Ozark Plateaus study unit is approximately 48,000 square miles in size and includes parts of northern Arkansas, southeastern Kansas, southern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma. The boundaries of the study unit approximate the natural flow boundaries of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system.
