PUBLICATIONS -- Report, "Quality of Rivers of the United States, 1974 Water Year -- Based on the National Stream Quality Accounting
Network (NASQAN)," 


                                              November 22, 1977


QUALITY OF WATER BRANCH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 78.01

Subject: PUBLICATIONS -- Report, "Quality of Rivers of the 
         United States, 1974 Water Year -- Based on the National 
         Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN)," By 
         Hawkinson, Ficke, and Saindon 

Attached is a copy of the first of what we expect to be a series 
of annual reports on the quality of U.S. rivers as described by 
data from NASQAN. Because of NASQAN's short history this 1974 
report represents data from only the first 100 network stations. 
Similar reports for the 1975 and 1976 water years, which are 
already well along, not only will present a more complete picture 
of U.S. stream quality based on data from 345 NASQAN stations, but 
also will illustrate additional ways of summarizing and presenting 
the data.

I hope that this report will be given wide distribution among WRD 
employees and cooperators. The Quality of Water Branch will be 
pleased to furnish additional copies upon request as long as our 
supply lasts.

All WRD district and central laboratory employees, who through 
their sampling, measuring, analyzing, and data processing are the 
real operators of the network, share credit for this publication 
along with the authors. Please accept my thanks for your efforts. 
I hope you will feel free to offer comments or suggestions for 
improvement of future reports or of,network operations to 
Mr. Ficke or to me at any time.



                        R. J. Pickering
                        Chief, Quality of Water Branch

Attachment

WRD Distribution: A, S, FO, PO