This page and its links serve as DEC’s Long-Term Water Quality Monitoring Strategy. The components describing DEC’s monitoring programs and are designed around the 10-elements of a state water monitoring program recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
Monitoring Program Strategy
New York State (NYS) has a comprehensive Monitoring Program Strategy (the Strategy) that serves all water quality management needs and addresses all State waterbody types: flowing waters (streams and rivers), ponded waters (lakes, reservoirs, and ponds), the Great Lakes and their embayments, estuaries and coastal areas, wetlands, and groundwater.
To fulfill DEC’s mission and requirements from the USEPA, the Strategy incorporates a standard set of minimum quality assurance thresholds for all Division of Water programs. This ensures all environmental data generated and processed are of known and acceptable quality needed for their intended use. Consistent management practices are maintained throughout DEC’s monitoring programs, to ensure that:
- State and federal regulatory obligations are met;
- Data collection and data management are consistent and accurate;
- Planning is appropriate and efficient; and
- DEC’s Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) and Vision Approach are successfully implemented.
Water quality monitoring by DEC is supported by multiple sources. State funds are provided by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Monitoring is also funded federally by USEP through the Performance Partnership Grant (PPG), which outlines the nature and extent of the work DEC conducts. Additionally, USEPA’s Monitoring Initiative provides support for DEC and other eligible entities to enhance water monitoring and assessment programs consistent with their monitoring strategies along with opportunity to participate in surveys of the Nation’s waters.
Monitoring Program Objectives
DEC has designed its monitoring programs to be efficient and effective in generating data that serve its management decision needs.
The primary objective of the Strategy is to efficiently generate data that inform waterbody assessments, management decisions, and CWA reporting requirements. This includes evaluating best use attainment (i.e., source water supply, shellfishing, primary and secondary contact recreation, fishing), and identifying waters in need of clean water planning (i.e., Total Maximum Daily Load, Advance Restoration Plan, Nine Element Plan, Harmful Algal Bloom Action Plan, Drinking Water Source Protection Program Plan).
Other monitoring and assessment objectives include:
- Identifying overall quality of waters;
- Identifying long-term water quality trends;
- Characterizing naturally occurring or background conditions;
- Establishing baseline conditions for use in measuring the effectiveness of site-specific restoration and protection activities;
- Providing data for clean water plan implementation progress and evaluations;
- Collecting data for use in other programs such as the Nonpoint Source Management Program, State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) compliance, and water quality standards development and modifications; and,
- Community engagement.
DEC’s objectives are primarily determined by state and federal laws and regulations.