VI-172 



Water Quality Criteria 



Detailed, open-ended, continuous monitoring of whatever environmen- 

 tal parameters are recognized as requirements for, or potential 

 toxicants to, aquatic life and for which appropriate technological 

 capability exists, is necessary so that natural variation may be 

 intelligently Incorporated into the establishment of water quality 

 criteria and the most productive use can be made of our coastal 

 resources. Existing computer capability allows for selective data 

 storage and reduction so that long-term trends, such as the saline 

 encroachment of the Patuxent River, could be documented and a biolo- 

 gical relationship established. 



The major geographic and ecological areas of the United States 

 should be monitored in a manner that is coordinated with research 

 Interests. Monitoring capability for future enforcement should be 

 standardized and developed as a function of the research upon which 

 enforcement needs will be based. 



We have just begun to scratch the surface in the area of enforcing 

 water quality standards by monitoring the aquatic system Itself. 

 Substantial research needs to be carried out in both the instrumen- 

 tation and in the methodology of using instrumentation so that we 

 can achieve a capability of enforcing water quality standards. 



