Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment

Just looking at a lake or stream is not enough when trying to measure water quality. Sampling for specific water quality variables will give you proper insight into the health of a surface water. In turn, land management practices can be evaluated for changes that will positively influence the health of the water body. If a stream sample has results indicating a high fecal coliform count, practices such as livestock feedlot location, municipal wastewater treatment and urban runoff should be examined.


Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) outline the proper methods for sample collection and preservation in order to obtain scientifically valid results from water quality sample collection.



Ambient Stream Monitoring Network

Typically, surface water samples are taken for the following variables: total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphorus and fecal coliform bacteria. One variable that is becoming more widely used is biological indicators. Biological indicators are the animals and plant life that inhabit a particular surface water. Additional variables may be examined if they are thought to be present or cause a problem.

River factsheets were created to summarize the characteristics, water quality trends, river health, and on-the-ground efforts being done to improve water quality in the major river systems in North Dakota. These factsheets can be viewed by using the drop-down menu below.

Lake Water Quality Assessment (LWQA)

Once samples are taken and have been analyzed by a laboratory, the results must be interpreted. Results are compared to the State Water Quality Standards, and individual stream characteristics are taken into consideration. Reports generated from sampling results will list suspected causes of and solutions for excess pollutants that may be found.

Lake factsheets can be viewed by using the drop-down menus or the interactive map below.


Water Quality Division Employee Email List (click to expand)

Filter 
Last Name First Name E-Mail Address Program Phone
Anderson Carl cjanders@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-5213
Anderson Eric eric.anderson@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-6092
Becker Sarah WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-9151
Brazil Emily ebrazil@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5296
Dahl Lane ldDahl@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5222
Delzer Alexis adelzer@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5282
Dettling Kylee kdettling@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5187
Espe Brady bespe@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5228
Gilley Cameron cgilley@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5210
Gross Joe jlgross@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5292
Grossman Dallas dgrossma@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5242
Hanson Lawrence lawrence.hanson@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5291
Haroldson Marty mharolds@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5234
Hite Nicole nhite@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-1676
Houle Brian bHoule@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5193
Joynt Emily eJoynt@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5239
Kaiser Don dkaiser@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5151
Kritzberger Ryan rKritzberger@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-9035
Kruske Montana mkruske@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5172
Malchose Jordan jnmalchose@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5289
McCauley Jenna Jenna.McCauley@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management
Miller Meridith meridith.miller@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5166
Nelson Amber amjnelson@nd.gov Water Quality Division 701-328-5210
Novak Emilee ejnovak@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5240
Rockeman Karl krockema@nd.gov Water Quality Division 701-328-5225
Schick McKenzie mschick@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5288
Schiwal Alyssa aschiwal@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-5159
Schuett Patrick pschuett@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5235
Stockdill Scott sjstockdill@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5241
Strommen Rachel rstrommen@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5244
Suess Bill bsuess@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5216
Suggs Shannon ssuggs@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-6409
Waldron Feld Sarah sfeld@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5237
Wallery Paige pWallery@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5243
Wax Peter pwax@nd.gov WQ Special Projects 701-328-5268
Wert Joshua jewert@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5014
Westercamp Benjamin bwestercamp@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-6032
Woutat Tanner twoutat@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-5233