Status of aquatic bioassessment in US EPA region IX

U.S, EPA Region IX is supporting bioassessment programs in Arizona, Califor nia, Hawaii and Nevada using biocriteria program and Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) resources. These programs are d esigned to improve the state, tribal and regional ability to determine the status of water quality. Biocriteria program funds were used to coordinate with Arizona, California and Hawaii which resulted in these states establis hing reference conditions and in developing biological indices. U.S, EPA Re gion IX has initiated R-EMAP projects in California and Nevada. These U.S. EPA Region IX sponsored programs have provided an opportunity to interact w ith the States and provide them with technical and management support. In A rizona, several projects are being conducted to develop the State's bioasse ssment program. These include the development of a rotational random monito ring program; a regional reference approach for macroinvertebrate bioassess ments; ecoregion approach to testing and adoption of an alternate regional classification system; and development of warm-water and cold-water indices of biological integrity. The indices are projected to be used in the Arizo na Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) 2000 water quality assessment report. In California, an Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) has been dev eloped for the Russian River Watershed using resources from U.S. EPA's Non- point Source (NPS) Program grants. A regional IBI is under development for certain water bodies. in the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board . Resources from the U.S. EPA Biocriteria program are being used to support the California Aquatic Bioassessment Workgroup (CABW) in conjunction with the California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG), and to support the Hawaii Department of Health (DoH) Bioassessment Program to refine biological metri cs. In Nevada, R-EMAP resources are being used to create a baseline of aqua tic information for the Humboldt River watershed. U.S. EPA Region IX is pre sently working with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to establish a Nevada Aquatic Bioassessment Workgroup. Future R-EMAP studie s will occur in the Calleguas Creek watershed in Southern California, and i n the Muddy and Virgin River watersheds in southern Nevada, and the Walker River watershed in eastern California and west-central Nevada.