General Overview

The Surface Water Section (SWS) is responsible for implementing ADEQ surface water quality monitoring programs. ADEQ staff collect water quality data to assess the biological, chemical, and physical integrity of Arizona's rivers and streams. The general purposes of the ambient monitoring program are to:

• Collect data to determine current water quality conditions;
• Provide data to support water quality assessments;
• Determine compliance with applicable surface water quality standards; and
• Provide data to support the development of new or revised water quality standards.

The information collected is used to produce biennial water quality assessment reports which describe water quality conditions across Arizona and identify surface water impairments. A surface water is deemed to have impaired water quality if the chemical, biological, or physical integrity of the water does not meet one of the surface water's intended uses (i.e. fishing, swimming, domestic water, etc.). Once a surface water is deemed to be impaired, an intensive survey of pollutants and sources in the watershed is conducted by the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program. For more information regarding impaired waters see the TMDL Program.

• Water Monitoring Regions
• Methods
• Reports
• Bioassessment
• Physical Integrity
• ADEQ/USGS Cooperative Monitoring

Water Monitoring Regions

General Overview

Starting in 2007, Arizona has been divided into three monitoring regions (Upper, Central, and Lower) for the purpose of water quality monitoring (see the map below). Each monitoring region consists of a combination of Arizona's 10 watershed basins. ADEQ plans to monitor one region per year creating a three year cycle for complete monitoring of the state. A total of about 40 sites per year will be selected for monitoring using both a probabilistic and a targeted approach. Each selected site is to be sampled quarterly throughout the monitoring year.

Year 1 (2011): Salt River basin and Verde River basin Year 2 (2012): Upper Gila River basin, San Pedro/Wilcox/Playa/Rio Yaqui River basin, Santa Cruz/Rio Magdelena/Rio Sonoyta River basin Year 2 (2013): Little Colorado/San Juan River basin, Colorado/Grand Canyon basin, Colorado/Lower Gila River basin, and the Bill Williams River basin

General Information Currently, ADEQ is employing a probabilistic and targeted approach to sample site selection for wadeable perennial streams. Sites within each basin are selected and sampled for chemical integrity. ADEQ field personnel visit every sampling site during each quarter of the year to collect field data and water samples to be analyzed for chemical constituents. Field Measurements Include: pH Total Dissolved Solids Dissolved Oxygen Concentration Dissolved Oxygen Percent Saturation Air and Water Temperature Specific Conductivity Turbidity Discharge Bacteria Concentrations Water Samples are analyzed for: General Chemistry Major Cations and Anions Nutrient Concentrations Total Metal Concentrations Dissolved Metal Concentrations Methods Surface Water Procedure Manual

Reports

• Grand Canyon Report
• Little Colorado River Watershed Report
• Upper Gila River Basin Report

Bioassessment

The Bioassessment Program conducts biological monitoring and assessment activities to determine the biological integrity of a surface water. Biological integrity can be defined as the capability of a surface water in supporting and maintaining a balanced, integrated, adaptive community of organisms having a species composition, diversity and functional organization comparable to that of the natural habitat of the region.

This is done by collecting aquatic macroinvertebrates within a wadeable, perennial stream during the spring months of April through June. Aquatic macroinvertebrates are animals without back bones that live in aquatic environments and are large enough to be seen without a microscope or other magnification.

Macroinvertebrate sampling helps determine the health of a stream by looking at species richness (number of species), composition, tolerance levels (i.e., sensitive or tolerant to pollution), and the feeding strategies of the species present.

• Stream Channel Morphology and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Associations in the San Pedro River and Verde River Basins of Arizona, 1999-2002 and Appendices
• Biocriteria Quality Assurance Program Plan
• Biocriteria QAPP Appendix A February 2006 and Biocriteria QAPP Appendix B February 2006
• SEM 2006 Field Data Sheets (Word)

Physical Integrity

Physical integrity in streams is the dynamic balance of stream stability over time. Through measurements and assessment of the streams dimension, pattern, and profile physical integrity is determined. Naturally stable streams, those with physical integrity, can be described as having a dynamic balance between erosion and deposition.

Many of Arizona's streams and rivers have significant problems due to sediment imbalance. Excess sediments can fill lakes and reservoirs, negatively affect aquatic organisms, and act as a carrying agent for pollutants including phosphorus, nitrogen, metals, and agricultural chemicals.

To initiate development of meaningful physical integrity criteria ADEQ is performing geomorphic surveys on streams. This research has focused on:

• Developing regional curves to estimate bankfull. Bankfull is the point at which water flows out of the channel over the bank and into the floodplain.
• Testing Rosgen's (1996) Bank Erodibility Hazard index (BEHI).
• Creating sediment rating curves to evaluate excess sediment loads verses impacted streams.
• Investigating the feasibility of narrative physical integrity criteria for Arizona's rivers and streams.
• Making screening level field assessments of vulnerable stream reaches in each watershed/basin.

Additional information can be obtained at the Rosgen Web site .

ADEQ/USGS Cooperative Monitoring

Starting in 1987, ADEQ and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) entered a cooperative agreement that contracts the USGS to monitor Arizona's larger rivers. These rivers include the Colorado River, Salt River, Gila River, Verde River, and the Bill Williams River. The USGS obtains quarterly chemical integrity monitoring on 10 sites located on these rivers. The results are published in the USGS annual water resource data report for Arizona and are also available online through the USGS website (see link below for the chemistry results).

	USGS No.		Station Name
	9380000		Colorado River at Lees Ferry
	9427520		Colorado River at Parker Dam
	9429490		Colorado River above Imperial Dam
	9522000		Colorado River at NIB, above Morelos Dam
	9448500		Gila River at head of Safford Valley
	9498500		Salt River near Roosevelt
	9502000		Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam
	9504000		Verde River near Clarkdale
	9508500		Verde River below Tangle Creek
	9510000		Verde River below Bartlett

See Also:

USGS Fact Sheet regarding ADEQ Cooperative Monitoring
Link to USGS real time flow data
ADEQ/USGS Cooperative Monitoring

Monitoring Index · Ambient Groundwater Monitoring · Ambient Lake Monitoring · Ambient River and Stream Monitoring