Conventional water quality standards have been successful in reducing the concentration of toxic substances in US waters. However, conventional standards are based on simple thresholds and are therefore poorly structured to address human-caused imbalances in dynamic, natural water quality parameters, such as nutrients, sediment, and temperature. A more applicable type of water quality standard—a “regime standard”—would describe desirable distributions of conditions over space and time within a stream network. By mandating the protection and restoration of the aquatic ecosystem dynamics that are required to support beneficial uses in streams, well-designed regime standards would facilitate more effective strategies for management of natural water quality parameters.
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1 February 2004
The Case for Regime-based Water Quality Standards
GEOFFREY C. POOLE,
JASON B. DUNHAM,
DRUSCILLA M. KEENAN,
SALLY T. SAUTER,
DALE A. McCULLOUGH,
CHRISTOPHER MEBANE,
JEFFREY C. LOCKWOOD,
DON A. ESSIG,
MARK P. HICKS,
DEBRA J. STURDEVANT,
ELIZABETH J. MATERNA,
SHELLEY A. SPALDING,
JOHN RISLEY,
MARIANNE DEPPMAN
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BioScience
Vol. 54 • No. 2
February 2004
Vol. 54 • No. 2
February 2004
ecosystem dynamics
regimes
water quality standards
watershed management