Water Quality Partnership

This program empowers U.S. Geological Survey scientists and National Park Service resource managers to work in a partnership setting to provide the hydrologic information and understanding needed to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

In 1998, the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated the NPS/USGS Water Quality Partnership Program with support from the Clean Water Action Plan (Environmental Protection Agency 1998). Prior to 1998, NPS and the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program worked together to implement a pilot water-quality monitoring program in national parks (Long et. al 1997, Long 1999). To date, 173 partnership projects have been implemented in 115 national park units. The program supports a range of science activities focused on providing Park resource managers data and information necessary to make scientifically defensible management and policy decisions. These activities range in scope from basic technical assistance to fixed station monitoring to intensive/synoptic projects.