6. Coordination with other State, Regional, and Federal agencies (AED, GED, MED, WED). 
Development of regional case studies will take advantage of ongoing monitoring and assessment 
activities by State, regional, and Federal agencies. The USGS NAWQA program is examining a 
nationwide approach to regionalization of watersheds, based on common vulnerabilities to 
nonpoint stressors (McMahon and Cuffney 2000 and Carolyn Couch, personal communication). 
Within this regional classification 
framework, watersheds in NAWQA 
study units are being selected along 
gradients of urbanization to examine 
response of stream ecosystems to 
development pressures. Each of the 
NHEERL divisions is located in 
proximity to NAWQA study units that 
are scheduled to adopt this approach 
during the near future, with the start of 
the second 10-year phase of monitoring 
(units in dark blue on Figure 15). 
In addition, opportunities exist to 
coordinate studies with the National 
Estuarine Program (NEP), Great Lakes 
Areas of Concern, and Great Lakes 
LaMPs. 
Figure 15. Locations of national water-quality 
assessment study units. 
Products 
1. Single stressor-methods and models. 
APM 2A FY03 Guidance document on whole sediment TIEs ( MED, AED). 
APM 2C FY05 Guidance on and user-friendly interface for derivation of diagnostic indicators for 
individual stressors (MED, AED). 
2. Multiple stressor-methods and models. 
APM 3 A FY02 Case studies of multivariate approaches to community data analysis to apportion 
cause among stressors (AED, MED). 
APM 3B FY06 Methods and models for multiple stressors with case studies (MED, AED). 
LOCATIONS OF NATIONAL WATER-QUALITY 
ASSESSMENT STUDY UNITS 
h i Began in fiscal year 1991 
I I Began in fiscal year 1994 
n Began in fiscal year 1997 
I I Began in fiscal y^r 1999 
High Plains Reg. Ground Water Study Not scheduled 
159 
