 Oahu
NAWQA Home
What
is NAWQA?
Study
Unit Description
Surface
Water
Bed
Sediment and Tissue
 Aquatic
Ecology
Ground
Water
Liaison
Committee
Publications
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| The NAWQA study design for
surface water focuses on water-quality conditions in streams using three
interrelated components: water column studies, bed-sediment and tissue
studies, and ecological studies. |
Ecological studies are an
integral part of the approach used by NAWQA to assess surface-water quality.
The ecological studies are designed to assess the relations among physical,
chemical, and biological characteristics of streams. Aquatic biological
communities were surveyed at all three sites in the fixed-site
network for water-column studies. These surveys were done along a delineated
stream reach and include a habitat assessment of the site and a survey
of the fish, algal, and benthic invertebrate communities. Six additional
sites were surveyed to provide greater spatial coverage and to assess
whether the biological communities at fixed sites are representative of
streams throughout the study unit. Streamflow and
water-quality data also were collected at the time of the ecological surveys.
A description of each site and
available data can be found by selecting the site number on the map or stream
name listed in the table below.
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Island of Oahu showing location of ecological sampling
sites, drainage areas, and land use (Hawaii State Office of Planning Land
Use Districts, 2000).
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