Profile Picture ECY DataSync

created Apr 28 2014

updated Sep 7 2022

Description

Routine freshwater monitoring data collected by the The WA State Department of Ecology's River and Stream Monitoring Program are summarized by a technique called the "Water Quality Index" (WQI). The WQI ranges from 1 (poor quality) to 100 (good quality). WQI scores above 80 are consistent with meeting water quality goals for conventional pollutants. However, the different color coding for scores less than 80 is a visual aid; breakpoints other than 80 are not ecologically significant.The WQI summary does not include non-standard elements like metals. For temperature, pH, oxygen, and fecal coliform bacteria, the WQI is based on criteria in Washington’s Water Quality Standards, WAC 173-201A.
For nutrient and sediment measures where standards are not specific, results are based on expected conditions in a given region. Multiple constituents are combined and results aggregated over time to produce a single score for each station and each year.

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Category
Natural Resources & Environment
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Tags
water quality index, washington state river and stream fresh water quality, state-of-the-salmon, ecology
SODA2 Only
Yes
Licensing and Attribution
Data Provided By
Washington State Department of Ecology
Source Link
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/fw_riv/rv_main.html
License
Public Domain
Identification
Originator
Environmental Assessment Program - River and Stream Monitoring Program
Metadata Language
English
Notes
1.
Data sources: The WQI is based primarily on Ecology data; the 303d assessment is based on data from multiple sources.
2.
Constituents (parameters): The overall WQI combines 8 measures of conventional water quality. The 303d Assessment includes 4 conventional measures but there are also criteria for numerous toxic pollutants.
3.
Time periods: The WQI is an annual aggregation of data by water year from 1994 through 2013. The current 303d Assessment aggregates data collected prior to December, 2006 into a single assessment.
4.
Evaluation techniques: The WQI uses various procedures to aggregate results for samples and parameters into an overall annual score. The 303d Assessment uses a different set of procedures to determine whether available data should result in listings for individual parameters.
5.
Data Disclaimer - http://www.ecology.wa.gov/copyright.html
Temporal
Period of Time
1994-2013
Posting Frequency
One time
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