DRAFT
Criteria for Qualifying Stations
The following criteria were approved for determining which of the existing stations had
sufficient data to be included in the water-quality monitoring network. An additional set of
enhancements was proposed to guide future development of the network.
1. Load Estimation
Must be associated with stream gage.
Must measure at least one of the following constituents:
Total Nitrogen
Dissolved Nitrogen
Ammonium
Nitrate
Total Phosphorus
Dissolved Phosphorus
Dissolved Orthophosphate
Suspended sediment
Total Suspended solids
Total organic carbon
Dissolved organic carbon
Dissolved silica
Temporal Frequency - based on criterion used by Langland et al. (1995)
A minimum of 12 consecutive nutrient- or sediment- concentration samples of a single
constituent representing fall (October-December.), winter (January-March), spring (April- June),
and summer (July-September) conditions collected through any 3-year time span.
AND
A minimum of 50 samples of a single constituent over the three-year period.
Enhancements for Future Monitoring for Load Estimation
1.	Spatial distribution - ensure that all physiographic provinces, geologic rock types, land
uses, basins sizes and states are represented.
2.	Number of sites - ensure that each parameter is monitored at an adequate number of
sites to provide an appropriate level of precision for evaluating loading from the entire
watershed.

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3.	Method Consistency - work toward consistent field and analytical methodologies among
all partners making up the monitoring network.
4.	Storm Sampling - establish guidance for a minimum number of storm samples collected
at each location.
5.	Basic Constituents - ensure that the full list of basic constituents listed above (i.e. -
under minimum criteria) are measured by all partners.
6.	Additional Constituents
Particle size analysis
2. Water Quality Trends
Must be associated with stream gage.
COMMENT: The workgroup remains divided on this issue. If the NO option is chosen, it
will increase the potential set of candidate stations because candidate stations will not be
screened according to distance from a flow gage as used for load stations. Many of the
trend stations will also be load stations or modeling stations and will therefore be
associated with stream gages.
Must measure at least one of the following constituents:
Total Nitrogen
Dissolved Nitrogen
Ammonium
Nitrate
Total Phosphorus
Dissolved Phosphorus
Dissolved Orthophosphate
Suspended sediment
Total Suspended solids
Total organic carbon
Dissolved organic carbon
Dissolved silica
Temporal Frequency
A minimum of 20 consecutive nutrient- or sediment- concentration samples of a single
constituent representing fall (October-December.), winter (January-March), spring (April- June),
and summer (July-September) conditions collected through any 5-year time span.

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Enhancements for Future Monitoring of Water Quality Trends
1.	Spatial distribution - ensure that all physiographic provinces, geologic rock types, land
uses, basins sizes and states are represented.
2.	Number of sites - ensure that each parameter is monitored at an adequate number of
sites to provide an appropriate level of precision for evaluating water-quality trends
across the entire watershed.
3.	Years of Record - establish a goal for all trend sites to have 10 or more years of record
with gaps of no more than 1 year.
4.	Include High-Flow Samples.
5.	Method Consistency - work toward consistent field and analytical methodologies
among all partners making up the monitoring network.
6.	Basic Constituents - ensure that the full list of basic constituents listed above (i.e. -
under minimum criteria) are measured by all partners.
7.	Additional Constituents
Particle size analysis
Total Dissolved Solids
Conductivity
3. Watershed Modeling
Must be associated with stream gage.
Sites not in the Coastal Plain should represent drainages that are at least 100 square miles
in area. Sites in the Coastal Plain should be at least 50 square miles in area.
Must measure at least one of the following constituents:
Total Nitrogen
Dissolved Nitrogen
Ammonium
Nitrate
Total Phosphorus
Dissolved Phosphorus
Dissolved Orthophosphate
Suspended sediment
Total Suspended solids
Total organic carbon
Dissolved organic carbon

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Dissolved silica
Dissolved Oxygen
Temperature
PH
Chlorophyll a
Enhancements for Future Monitoring for Watershed Modeling
1.	Spatial distribution - ensure that all physiographic provinces, geologic rock types, land
uses, basins sizes and states are represented.
a.	Establish a new site near the actual Fall Line of the James (i.e. - near Richmond).
b.	Establish sites to represent specific dominant land covers.
2.	Number of sites - ensure that each parameter is monitored at an adequate number of
sites to provide an appropriate number of calibration sites across the entire watershed.
3.	Method Consistency - work toward consistent field and analytical methodologies among
all partners making up the monitoring network.
4.	Storm Sampling - establish guidance for a minimum number of storm samples collected
at each location.
5.	Additional Constituents
Particle size analysis
Benthic biomass in the upstream area
Refractory and Labile Organic N
Organic Solids

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