EPA in in the National Water Quality In Init itiative (NWQI) (N - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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The Role of f State Water Quality Agencies and EPA in in the National Water Quality In Init itiative (N (NWQI)

Erik rika Lar Larsen Nonpoin int Source Man anagement Bran anch, Office of

• f Water, EPA

Role of EPA, , NRCS, State Water Quality Agencies

NRCS EPA State Water Quality Agency

• Targeted water quality

conservation practice implementation and technical assistance through EQIP

• NWQI watershed selection
• Assessment and planning

through NWQI readiness phase and Source water/Drinking water pilot

• Report on NRCS metrics

annually

• Promote coordination between

NRCS and state water quality agencies

• Guidance on NWQI instream

monitoring efforts

• Support state use of 319 funds
• Technical support on

monitoring and watershed planning

• Report on state metrics

annually

• Focused water quality

monitoring in ~60 watersheds

• Coordinate with NRCS on

watershed selection process

• Direct use of 319 funds to

support variety of activities

• Annually report to EPA on

NWQI progress

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NWQI is Structured for Water Quality Results

• Keys to NWQI success
• Targeted implementation of key practices in the right places (critical areas)
• Watershed plan in place including producer outreach
• Focused partnership efforts in small watersheds
• Sharing appropriate data to assess progress through instream monitoring
• Principles that increase likelihood of measured WQ improvement*
• Adequately describe problems and pollution sources
• Critical areas and appropriate conservation practices defined
• Watershed plan developed and implemented with local stakeholders
• Quantitative water quality and monitoring goals
• High level of implementation and producer participation, with good outreach capacity
• Have stable funding and effective information, education, technology transfer mechanisms

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* Per USDA CEAP, Land-grant University, and EPA studies

• Monitoring Goal: assess NWQI implementation impacts on

water quality for nutrients, sediment, and/or pathogens

• NPS effectiveness monitoring is challenging, can take 7-

10+ years

• NWQI state reporting (2016), preliminary results

indicate:

• States use a variety of monitoring approaches
• Water quality changes for one or more NWQI pollutants

have been detected in ~a quarter of NWQI monitoring watersheds, and in nearly all of those watersheds, states indicated that agricultural conservation practices are contributing to those changes.

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NWQI Water Quality Monitoring

Lessons le learned from ~6 years of NWQI Im Imple lementation

• Understand the importance of your role in the NWQI
• NRCS, State agencies, and conservation districts have a shared

goals and distinct roles

• Enhanced NWQI planning: coordinate early on watershed

plans, critical source areas, outreach strategies

• Keep lines of communication open throughout the year and

engage local partners

• Need for watershed plans at the right scale
• Longer term funding an opportunity to plan ahead for NWQI

watersheds, explore broadening the approach

• Communicate about challenges, needs, and successes

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Questions/Discussion

Erika Larsen, Larsen.Erika@epa.gov 202-566-0048