Surface-water-quality assessment of the Yakima River basin, Washington: Analysis of available water-quality data through 1985 water year

Abstract

One of the great challenges faced by the Nation's water-resources scientists is providing reliable information to guide the management and protection of our water resources. That challenge is being addressed by Federal, State, Tribal, and local water-resources agencies and by academic institutions. Many of these organizations are collecting water-quality data for a host of purposes including: compliance with permits and water-supply standards; development of remediation plans for specific contamination problems; operational decisions on industrial, wastewater, and water-supply facilities; and research to advance our understanding of water-quality processes. In fact, during the past two decades, tens of billions of dollars have been spent on water-quality data-collection programs. Unfortunately, the utility of these data for present and future regional and national assessments is limited by such factors as the areal extent of the sampling network, the frequency of sample collection, the varied collection and analytical procedures, and the types of water-quality characteristics determined. Therefore, despite these expenditures, only a small part of the data collected can be used to assess the status, trends, and causes of water-quality conditions at regional and national scales.