National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA)

In 2007, EPA initiated the NRSA and in 2008 and 2009 GLEC sampled approximately 565 rivers and streams in the Great Lakes and eastern and southern U.S. GLEC was responsible for field logistics coordination and survey crew training for the NRSA 2013-2014 surveys and is responsible for all field survey, training, and logistics for the NRSA 2018-19. GLEC and subcontractors Amnis Opes Institute, EnviroScience, and Midwest Biodiversity Institute are tasked with sampling approximately 880 of a total 1,800 wadeable and non-wadeable river sites throughout the conterminous U.S. Prior to NRSA survey crew visits, sampling reach maps are created for all non-wadeable river sites using high resolution imagery and GIS applications and a web-based tracking map to enables crews and NRSA program managers to monitor survey progress in near real-time from any device. GLEC’s principal taxonomist is currently leading a an expert team identifying diatoms in up to 2,500 NRSA water samples from the NRSA 2008-09.