Preparing for the Third Decade of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (2012) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix A: Letter Report Assessing the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program's Science Framework
Appendix A: Letter Report Assessing the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program's Science Framework
Pages 137-152
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Appendix A Letter Report Assessing the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program's Science Framework 137
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Program Water Science and Technology Board Division on Earth and Life Studies THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, D.C. www.nap.edu Copyright © National Academy of Sciences.
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Geological Survey under Grant Number 07HQAG0124. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s)
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Letter Report Assessing the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program's Science Framework 140 APPENDIX A The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters.
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Gary L Rowe Regional National Water Quality Assessment Program Officer, Central Region Chair, National Water Quality Assessment Cycle 3 Planning Team U.S.
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NAWQA's commitment to national level work should be prefaced by a vision for water quality at the national scale. A national water quality program should include national scale surveillance, scenario development, and forecasting.
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In other words stressors constitute technical topics, or "priorities" that should be structured within the context of the drivers, or "causes", for changing water quality and key policy relevant questions that NAWQA hopes to answer. Specifically, we recommend that NAWQA reorganize its activities to focus on the two major large scale drivers affecting national water quality: (1)
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These research questions will convey to decision makers and water managers the important topics that the NAWQA program will address as well as the critical value of the NAWQA program itself. An example of a policy relevant question might be: How would changing land use and a changing climate affect water quality, quantity, and allocation in the American west?
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This will elucidate exactly which program priorities from the Science Framework will best serve a nation facing significant water quality challenges related to changing land use and a changing climate. Taking this a step further, NAWQA should define the scale of endeavors, articulate specific examples of activities, and define key terms (e.g.
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How the sediment delivered in response to changing land use influences aquatic ecosystems and how sediment may be controlled within dam management and operations while minimizing ecological and economic impact constitute examples of policy relevant issues. Detailed sediment flux and discharge monitoring is very costly and may be beyond NAWQA's means, but NAWQA has the capacity to address sediment in the context of key questions aimed at addressing major ecosystem and economic impacts using SPARROW modeling (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes)
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While there are clear water quality issues related to reuse, most projects are local in nature and would not be well suited for integration with the larger national priorities that NAWQA should address. (Concrete examples of how the NAWQA program addresses this issue on a national scale would be necessary prior to further pursuit.)
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The committee urges creation of a more focused, restructured, and clarified planning document for Cycle 3 of the NAWQA program. It should clearly and compellingly demonstrate how the program has had and will have an impact on national water policy, and, in part, secure that NAWQA moves through Cycle 3 intact as our nation's premier water quality monitoring program.
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Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
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Siegel, Chair, Syracuse University Michael E Campana, Oregon State University Jennifer A
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2. Provide advice on how NAWQA should approach these issues in Cycle 3 with respect to the following questions: What components of the Program -- Surface Water Status and Trends; Ground-Water Status and Trends; Topical Understanding Studies; National Synthesis -- should be retained or enhanced to better address national water quality issues?
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Letter Report Assessing the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program's Science Framework 152 APPENDIX A 12 ATTACHMENT D ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF REVIEWERS This letter report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge.
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