Quartz Valley Indian Reservation Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report 2013

This document describes the water quality monitoring performed during 2013 by the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation (QVIR) Environmental Department. Our work is funded by Federal grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and is intended to help fulfill intentions of the Clean Water Act. Our efforts are designed to monitor the health of our local water bodies and to help protect waters for a variety of beneficial uses.

The QVIR Environmental Department began the process of developing a Water Pollution Control Program in accordance with the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 2005. The Tribe set primary goals of ensuring salmonid spawning and rearing habitat, fishing, swimming, other wildlife habitat and cultural needs. The objective is to ensure these goals are met for the future protection and sustained use of valuable Reservation water resources, protection of public health and welfare, and the enhancement of water quality resources. The Tribe intends to protect and improve water resources through water quality monitoring, habitat evaluation, education and community outreach, planning and implementation.

A Quality Assurance Project Plan (QVIR 2006a) for water quality monitoring was developed by the Tribal Environmental Program and approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in 2006. Current water quality conditions are annually evaluated using the water quality objectives developed from various state, federal and tribal entities. The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB) Basin Plan water quality objectives are determined for the protection of beneficial uses (e.g., salmonids, agriculture, and recreation) established for the Scott River and its tributaries. U.S. EPA's (2000a)