Publication Summary

The federal Clean Water Act requires that seach state prepare an water quality assessment report every two year under Section 305(b). The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compiles the information in the State reports, summarizes them, and transmts the summaries to Congress along with and analysis of the status of water quality nationwide.

The federal Clean Water Act requires that seach state prepare an water quality assessment report every two year under Section 305(b). The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compiles the information in the State reports, summarizes them, and transmts the summaries to Congress along with and analysis of the status of water quality nationwide.

The new guidance to the state′s from EPA on developing the Section 305(b) assessment reports changes the type and frequncy of reporting. EPA is now implementing a 5-year reporting cycle. States must now prepare a written report every 5 years, instead of every 2 years, with the next full State report due in April 2001. In order to meet the mandate of a biennial report to Congress, EPA is asking states to submit certain assessment data annually which will be compiled for the national report.

This report serves to submit the data to EPA for the annual updates and document the methods used. Subsequent annual submittals will like be in electronic form as described in the guidance, with a reference to this document for assessment methods used.