U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2014–3023

March 2014 Printed on recycled paper

National Water-Quality Assessment Program

The Southeast Stream Quality Assessment

In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National WaterQuality Assessment Program (NAWQA) is assessing stream quality 

across the Piedmont and southern Appalachian Mountains in the 

southeastern United States. The goal of the Southeast Stream Quality 

Assessment (SESQA) is to characterize multiple water-quality factors 

that are stressors to aquatic life—contaminants, nutrients, sediment, 

and streamflow alteration—and the relation of these stressors to

ecological conditions in streams throughout the region (fig. 1). Findings will provide communities and policymakers with information 

on which human and environmental factors are the most critical in 

controlling stream quality and, thus, provide insights about possible 

approaches to protect or improve stream quality. 

The SESQA study will be the second regional study by the 

NAWQA program, and it will be of similar design and scope as the 

Midwest Stream Quality Assessment conducted in 2013 (Van Metre 

and others, 2012). 

Objectives

1. Assess the status of ecological conditions; the springsummer seasonal concentrations of contaminants, 

nutrients, sediment, and streamflow; and associated 

toxicity of sediment in wadeable streams in the region. 

2. Assess relations among concentrations of 

contaminants, nutrients, sediment, and flow conditions; 

toxicity of sediment; and ecological conditions in the 

sampled streams. 

3. Identify and evaluate the effects of natural and 

anthropogenic factors in the watersheds of the 

sampled streams on the occurrence of stressors and 

ecological conditions in the streams.

4. Develop statistical models to predict concentrations of 

contaminants, nutrients, and sediment, and, if possible, 

ecological conditions in perennial streams in the 

region.

Approach

One hundred twenty-one sites will be sampled across the region 

for as many as 10 weeks during April, May, and early June 2014 for 

contaminants, nutrients, and sediment (fig. 1). This water-quality 

“index” period will culminate with an ecological survey of habitat, 

algae, benthic invertebrates, and fish at all sites. Sediment will be collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry 

and toxicity testing. The sites will be distributed so as to capture 

changes in water quality in response to changes in the principle 

stressors. Two of the most important anthropogenic factors affecting 

water quality in the region are urbanization and streamflow alteration. 

The targeted design of the assessment used streamflow and land-use 

data to identify and select sites that reflect a range in the amount of 

urbanization and streamflow alteration. The design concept is that 

sampling across these variations in environmental settings will yield 

data spanning ranges of many specific stressors (for example, contaminants), which will in turn allow us to better understand the effects 

of those stressors on stream ecology. 

Of the 121 sites (fig. 1), 59 are on streams in watersheds with 

varying degrees of urban land use, 5 are on streams with numerous 

confined animal feeding operations (CAFO), and 13 are reference 

sites with little or no development in the watersheds they represent. 

Weekly water sampling at most of these sites will span 10 weeks, and 

sampling at reference and sparsely developed rural sites will span 

4 weeks. The remaining 44 “hydro” sites are on streams in watersheds with relatively little agricultural and urban development but 

with hydrologic alteration, such as a dam and reservoir. Sampling at 

these sites will indicate the effects of hydrologic alteration on aquatic 

organisms, such as fish and invertebrates, without the confounding 

influences of other stressors. The hydro sites will be sampled for 

water and sediment chemistry once, coincident with the ecological 

survey. 

In combination, the sites sampled will provide the data necessary to assess the water quality and ecological conditions of streams 

and to support computer modeling of factors affecting those conditions. The results of the modeling may indicate the condition of 

unsampled streams in the region. 

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50

100 KILOMETERS

0

0 50

100 MILES 

SOUTH

CAROLINA

NORTH

PENNSYLVANIA

VIRGINIA

WEST

VIRGINIA

KENTUCKY

ALABAMA

TENNESSEE

GEORGIA

85° 80°

40°

35° CAROLINA

EXPLANATION

Open water

Urban

Forest

Pasture/hay

Cultivated crops

Confined animal

feeding operation

Reference

Hydro

Urban

Land use Site type

ATLANTA

Greenville

Charlotte

Greenboro

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Durham

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Land cover from National Land Cover Database, 2006, 

http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd2006.php

Web Mercator Projection

World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS 84)

RALEIGH

Figure 1. The Southeast Stream Quality Assessment study area. Study 

area boundary is based on selected level 3 ecological regions (ecoregions) 

of the United States (http:/www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions.htm

accessed March 6, 2014).
Sugar Creek, Charlotte N.C., is typical of many urban 

streams with extensive modification of the channel and 

flood plain. Photo by Celeste Journey.

The tangerine darter (Percina aurantiaca) inhabits clear, 

cool streams in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. 

Photo courtesy of Conservation Fisheries, Inc.

Study Components

Specific study components are described in more detail below, 

including additional special sampling activities conducted at selected 

subsets of sites.

Ecological Condition—Algae, benthic invertebrates, and fish communities will be sampled and physical habitat assessed once at all 

121 sites during the summer of 2014. Samples will be collected along 

multiple transects within the stream reach following USGS NAWQA 

protocols (Moulton and others, 2002).

Water Sampling—By use of depth- and 

width-integrating methods, water samples 

will be collected weekly at each site for 

up to 10 weeks preceding the ecological sampling (U.S. Geological Survey, 

2006). Water samples will be analyzed 

for nutrients, suspended sediment, major 

ions, and about 240 dissolved pesticides and pesticide degradates. Selected 

samples will be analyzed for mercury, 

pharmaceuticals, wastewater indicator 

compounds, volatile organic compounds, 

and hormones.

Integrated Samplers—Passive polar 

organic chemical integrative samplers 

(POCIS) samplers (Alvarez, 2010) deployed in 

streams for extended periods will be used to collect dissolved chemicals from stream water at all 

77 urban, CAFO, and reference sites. The POCIS 

samplers are designed to accumulate chemicals 

such as water-soluble pesticides and degradates. In 

addition to pesticides, POCIS samples from urban 

and CAFO sites will be analyzed for pharmaceuticals and wastewater indicator compounds. 

Sediment Sampling—Streambed sediment will be 

sampled coincident with the ecological sampling 

at all 121 sites. Stream bottom sediment will be 

collected from depositional areas, composited, 

and sieved. Sediment samples will be analyzed 

for about 25 trace elements, about 40 polycyclic 

aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and about 60 halogenated organic compounds (compounds containing chlorine or bromine atoms, such as DDT). 

Toxicity Testing—Bed sediment samples from the 59 urban sites will 

be tested by using standard whole-sediment toxicity tests conducted 

with amphipod crustaceans (Hyalella azteca 28-day exposures), 

midge larvae (Chironomus dilutus 10-day exposures) and freshwater mussels (Lampsilis siliquoidea 28-day exposures) to measure 

potential effects of contaminants on survival and growth. Amphipods, 

midge, and mussels are sensitive to many contaminants, notably metals and organic contaminants including insecticides in current use, 

and a number of species of freshwater mussels and fish, such as the 

Carolina heelsplitter (Lasmigona decorata), spotfin chub (Erimonax 

monachus) and Etowah darter (Etheostoma etowahae) are threatened or endangered in Southeastern streams (http://www. fws.gov/

endangered/).

Continuous Monitoring— Streamflow and temperature are being monitored continuously at all 121 sites, and continuous water-quality monitoring will be employed at about 20 sites across the region. Continuous 

monitoring for characteristics such as the amount of dissolved oxygen 

in water (all 20 sites) and nitrate concentration (6 sites), in conjunction 

with periodic sampling of nutrients and the attached-algal biomass, can 

provide useful information on the effects of nutrients in streams. 

Daily Pesticide Sampling—Small-volume automated pesticide 

samplers will be deployed at 7 urban streams to assess temporal 

variations in about 240 pesticides and pesticide degradation products. The samplers will collect daily and weekly composite samples, 

which will be analyzed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), Office of Pesticide Programs. Results are expected to provide 

useful information for determining short-term acute exposure of 

aquatic organisms to pesticides and for optimizing temporal sampling 

strategies.

References

Alvarez, D.A., 2010, Guidelines for the use 

of the semipermeable membrane device 

(SPMD) and the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) in environmental 

monitoring studies: U.S. Geological Survey, 

Techniques and Methods book 1, chap. D4, 

28 p. 

Moulton, S.R., II, Kennen, J.G., Goldstein, 

R.M., and Hambrook, J.A., 2002, Revised 

protocols for sampling algal, invertebrate, 

and fish communities as part of the National 

Water-Quality Assessment Program: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 02–150, 

75 p., available online at http://pubs.

usgs.gov/of/2002/ofr-02-150/.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2006, Collection of water samples (ver. 

2.0): U.S. Geological Survey 

Techniques of Water-Resources 

Investigations, book 9, chap. A4, 

September 2006, accessed March 

24, 2014, at http://pubs.water

usgs.gov/twri9A4/.

Van Metre, P.C., Frey, J.W., and 

Tarquinio, Ellen, 2012, The Midwest Stream Quality Assessment: 

U.S. Geological Survey Fact 

Sheet 2012–3124, 2 p., available 

online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/

2012/3124/.

For Additional Information

Visit the NAWQA Web site to access reports, water-quality data, 

and maps: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa

For information on the NAWQA Regional Stream Quality 

Assessments, visit: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/msqa/

Or contact: 

Peter Van Metre

(512) 927-3506 pcvanmet@usgs.gov

Celeste Journey

(803) 750-6141 cjourney@usgs.gov

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6832 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20143023