Water Quality Standards and Assessment

Surface water management seeks to protect the quality of all waters of the state, including rivers, streams, bayous, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, estuaries, and many other types of surface water. LDEQ has established Water Quality Standards designated uses for all state waters including primary and secondary contact recreation, drinking water, fish and wildlife propagation, oyster propagation, agriculture, outstanding natural resource waters, and limited aquatic life and wildlife. Narrative and numerical criteria for chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of the waters have been established in LAC Title 33, Part IX, Chapter 11 (LAC 33:IX. Chapter 11) to support the designated uses. Water quality assessment involves evaluation of water quality conditions and comparison to state water quality numeric criteria to determine attainment of designated uses.

Surface water quality data collected by LDEQ for various projects at locations throughout the state is available at the Surface Water Quality Data Portal. All official quality control activity records associated with surface water quality collection are available in EDMS. For in-situ data collected in the field, this includes the Surveillance Water Quality Field Measurements form for each Site; and for lab-analyzed data this includes the narrative lab reports and Data Review Checklist for each SDG number (found in Lab Sample Data Table).

Initiatives

• Louisiana Surface Water Monitoring and Assessment Program - Click here to view the Louisiana Monitoring Strategy document

  • LDEQ's Water Quality Subsegments - Click here to view a map of current Louisiana Subsegments
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Network (QAPP_1004_R12)
  • Louisiana Water Quality Integrated Report (305(b)/303(d)) - Surface water assessments to determine needs for protection and improvement of water quality.
  • Triennial Review - Surface Water Quality Standards for Louisiana
  • Louisiana Water Quality Regulations and Standards - Louisiana's Water Quality Regulations can be found at the link for Part IX: Water Quality, with Louisiana's Surface Water Quality Standards found in Chapter 11 of the document.

• Water Quality Trading - Click here to learn more about the Louisiana Water Quality Trading Program

• Nutrient Reduction and Management Strategy - Learn more about what Louisiana is doing to manage nutrients in state surface waters.

• LDEQ Mercury Initiative - LDEQ's program to reduce and where possible eliminate mercury releases to the environment.

  • Louisiana's Fishing and Swimming Advisories - Fish consumption and swimming advisories are issued jointly by the Louisiana Department of Health, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and LDEQ.

• Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) - Click the link for more information