EPA Publishes Paper on Algal Indicators in Streams for Managing Nutrient Pollution

EPA has published a white paper entitled, “Algal Indicators in Streams: A Review of their Application in Water Quality Management of Nutrient Pollution.” The paper is broken into two sections and is intended as a technical resource for water quality managers and practitioners seeking to utilize algae to detect the presence of nutrient pollution and to estimate the risks of nutrient pollution in adversely affecting the condition of stream ecosystems. The first section of the paper describes the use of algal indicators to develop water quality diagnostics for nutrient pollution in the US, and the second reviews scientific developments in the application of algal indicators across the world.  The review includes a summary of US applications by state and federal agencies and should be helpful to states and tribes in the development of numeric nutrient criteria. For more information and to read the paper, visit EPA’s website.