Project Types

Projects typically range from 1 to 3 years in duration and fall into one of four categories:

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance projects provide the opportunity for USGS scientists to consult with park personnel on a variety of water-quality management issues. These projects tend to be year-long efforts.

Fixed-Station Monitoring

Fixed-station monitoring projects provide water-quality data from one fixed station to address specific water-quality issues, establish trends, or simply provide baseline conditions. Once established, fixed-station monitoring projects are funded for several years.

Synoptic Monitoring

Synoptic monitoring projects provide water-quality data to address specific water-quality issues, establish trends, or simply provide baseline conditions. These projects typically include several water-qualtiy stations throughout a study area in order to produce synoptic water-quality data. Once established, fixed-station monitoring projects are funded for several years.

Intensive

Intensive/synoptic projects are designed to answer focused questions about water-quality issues of importance to a park. These projects tend to be the longest in duration and consist of a data collection as well as an interpretive phase.