Geospatial Database of the Study Boundaries, Sampled Sites, Watersheds, and Riparian Zones for the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment
Dates
Publication Date
2020-03-20
Citation
Qi, S.L., and Nakagaki, N., 2020, Geospatial database of the study boundaries, sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90YQ9TW.
Summary
In 2013, the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) study was started as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. One of the objectives of the RSQA is to characterize the relationships between water-quality stressors and stream ecology and subsequently determine the relative effects of these stressors on aquatic biota within the streams (Garrett and others, 2017; Journey and others, 2015; Coles and others, 2019; Sheibley and others, 2017; May and others, 2020). The study was implemented in five regions across the U.S.; the Midwest (MSQA) in 2013, the southeast (SESQA) in 2014, the Pacific Northwest (PNSQA) in 2015, the northeast (NESQA) in 2016, and California (CSQA) in 2017. To [...]
Summary
In 2013, the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) study was started as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. One of the objectives of the RSQA is to characterize the relationships between water-quality stressors and stream ecology and subsequently determine the relative effects of these stressors on aquatic biota within the streams (Garrett and others, 2017; Journey and others, 2015; Coles and others, 2019; Sheibley and others, 2017; May and others, 2020). The study was implemented in five regions across the U.S.; the Midwest (MSQA) in 2013, the southeast (SESQA) in 2014, the Pacific Northwest (PNSQA) in 2015, the northeast (NESQA) in 2016, and California (CSQA) in 2017. To meet this objective, a framework of fundamental geospatial data was required to develop physical and anthropogenic characteristics for each study region. This data release provides shape files of the four fundamental geospatial data layers developed for the RSQA and includes the regional study-area boundaries, the sampled sites, and their associated watersheds and riparian zones.
Garrett, J.D., Frey, J.W., Van Metre, P.C., Journey, C.A., Nakagaki, Naomi, Button, D.T., and Nowell, L.H., 2017, Design and methods of the Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA), 2013: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017–1073, 59 p., 4 app., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171073.
Journey, C.A., Van Metre, P.C., Bell, A.H., Garrett, J.D., Button, D.T., Nakagaki, N., Qi, S.L., and Bradley, P.M., 2015, Design and methods of the Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA), 2014: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1095, 46 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151095.
Coles, J.F., Riva-Murray, K., Van Metre, P.C., Button, D.T., Bell, A.H., Qi, S.L., Journey, C.A., and Sheibley, R.W., 2019, Design and methods of the U.S. Geological Survey Northeast Stream Quality Assessment (NESQA), 2016: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1183, 46 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181183.
Sheibley, R.W., Morace, J.L., Journey, C.A., Van Metre, P.C., Bell, A.H., Nakagaki, Naomi, Button, D.T., and Qi, S.L., 2017, Design and methods of the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (PNSQA), 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017-1103, 46 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171103.
May, J.T., Nowell, L.H., Coles, J.F., Button, D.T., Bell, A.H., and Qi, S.L., 2020, Design and methods of the California Stream Quality Assessment (CSQA), 2017: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020-1023, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201023.
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Purpose
These datasets were created to summarize and compile environmental characteristics of the water-quality and ecological sites sampled for RSQA (Qi and Nakagaki, 2020). The site characteristics assist with the analysis and interpretation of water-quality and biota data collected for the RSQA study, and were also used as input into various ecological models.
Qi, S.L., and Nakagaki, N., 2020, Selected environmental characteristics of sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment, 2013 to 2017: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P962N215.
