Nonpoint Source Pollution Monitoring: Additional Resources

The National Water Quality Monitoring Council publishes numerous resources online related to monitoring, including fact sheets, brochures, user guides, and more.

• Water Quality Monitoring: A Guide for Informed Decision Making: The National Water Quality Monitoring Council’s Water Information Strategies workgroup has developed this series of fact sheets intended to help explain differences in water quality monitoring designs. Each fact sheet is organized to answer the “how,” “what,” and “when” questions of monitoring design. Examples from existing programs are provided to help guide the reader; quick links provide more in-depth information for each topic. Individual fact sheets include: (1) Overview: A Guide for Informed Decision Making, (2) Targeted Water Quality Monitoring, (3) Fixed Site Monitoring, (4) Statistical Surveys, (5) Remote Sensing, and (6) Rotating Basin Monitoring Designs.”
• National Monitoring Council Newsletter: This newsletter provides a forum of communication among water practitioners across the United States and highlights many events, activities and new products related to water quality monitoring. 

NRCS' National Water Quality Handbook: (2003) Covers statistical design, variable selection, sampling location, sample analysis and much more. 

EPA's  Nonpoint Source Monitoring Resources: 

• Guidance: Monitoring and Evaluating Nonpoint Source Watershed Projects (2016): An update to the 1997 guidance, this guidance is written primarily for those who develop and implement monitoring plans for watershed projects management projects, or to evaluate the technical merits of monitoring proposals. EPA-841-R-16-010 

  • Nonpoint Source Monitoring Interactive Guide (2022): The interactivity offers a simplified approach to navigate to specific topics and includes links to to detailed chapters of the guidebook.  

  • Monitoring Guidance for Determining Effectiveness of Nonpoint Source Controls, Final: (1997) This guidance addresses design of monitoring programs to assess water quality to determine impacts of nonpoint sources and effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) used as controls. EPA-841-B-96-004

• Techniques for Tracking, Evaluating, and Reporting the Implementation of Nonpoint Source Control Measures - Agriculture (PDF) (92 pp, 240 K)(1997) Focusing specifically on monitoring agricultural BMPs, this manual covers site selection, sample size estimation, sampling and results evaluation and presentation. EPA 841-B-97-010
• Techniques for Tracking, Evaluating, and Reporting The Implementation of Nonpoint Source Control Measures for Forestry: (1997) This guidance is intended to assist state, regional, and local environmental professionals in tracking the implementation of BMPs used to control nonpoint source pollution generated by forestry practices. Information is provided on methods for sample site selection, sample size estimation, sampling and result evaluation and presentation. The focus of the guidance is on the statistical approaches needed to properly collect and analyze data that are accurate and defensible. EPA 841-B-97-009

• Urban Stormwater BMP Performance Monitoring (pdf) (6.76 MB, October 2009)
  This manual provides targeted practical assistance in conducting water quality monitoring and reporting data that are useful for assessing effectiveness of stormwater best management practices (BMPs).
• Techniques for Tracking, Evaluating and Reporting the Implementation of Nonpoint Source Control Measures Urban (pdf) (951.52 KB, 2001)
  Helps local officials focus limited resources by establishing statistical sampling to assess, inspect, or evaluate a representative set of BMPs, erosion and sediment controls, and onsite wastewater treatment systems.