EPA, Region 9

CWA §106 Water Quality Assessment Report Template Pilot

September 2010

Purpose:

1.	To provide information on water quality improvement in tribal waters monitored under the CWA
§106 Water Pollution Control program, including where applicable, waters that have been the
subject of watershed restoration (e.g., CWA 319 Nonpoint Source Implementation program).

2.	To provide a consistent framework for tribes to submit information for their written water quality
assessment report so EPA can identify tribal program needs and describe water quality conditions in
Region 9 Indian Country.*

Rationale:

Documentation of water quality progress in Indian Country can help tribes and EPA better manage
water quality programs. EPA has not yet used the tribal water quality data submitted into the
STORET warehouse to document such progress and trends. Tribes can use this template to provide
an assessment that will illustrate water quality progress, while fulfilling the CWA §106 reporting
requirement.

Benefits:

•	Help tribes to identify and justify w ater quality priorities in Indian Country;

•	Help tribes document the need for future CWA funding for water quality programs (e.g.
CWA §106, CWA §319)

•	Provides National and Regional Tribal Operations Committee (NTOC/RTOC) information
to substantiate annual budget request for the CWA programs;

•	Help tribes to target and prioritize impaired w atersheds for restoration.

In addition, the template:

•	Provides EPA with a status of tribal w ater quality in Region 9;

•	Provides a standardized format for submitting information for the tribe's written water
quality assessment report as outlined in Appendix A of the CWA §106 Guidance1;

•	Provides relevant statistics to illustrate water quality conditions in Indian Country (Region
9), for example:

¦	Percent of water bodies meeting beneficial uses over time.

¦	Number of stream miles and lake acres monitored.

¦	Parameters/Characteristics being tested.

¦	Integration of Water Quality Assessments with grant program funding data.

•	Provides water quality information for use in annual accomplishment reports and success
stories;

•	Helps EPA to identify tribal training needs;

* A written Water Quality Assessment Report is one of three required elements (monitoring
strategy, water quality assessment report and water quality data in STORET-compatible format) as
outlined in the CWA §106 Guidance. The Tribal Water Quality Assessment Report Template will
provide R9 tribes with a means to meet this requirement based on their program's maturity level and
availability of data.

1: "Final Guidance on Awards of Grants toIndianTribes under Section 106 of the Clean Water Act, for Fiscal Years 2007 andBeyond,\ EPA 832-R-06-003

-------