Water Quality Planning

 Kier Associates has assisted Native American Tribes in setting water quality standards for Reservation waters and with creating water quality planning documents, such as U.S EPA-required Sampling Analysis Plans (SAP) and Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) that provide a reliable framework for water quality data collection.  We are also experienced in preparing water quality monitoring plans and ordinances with which to enforce Reservation water quality standards.

Kier Associates scientists assisted the Hoopa Valley Tribe in establishing an innovative nutrient criteria for the Klamath River, acceptable to U.S EPA. The Tribe is concerned about the health of Pacific salmon species in the Klamath, and the impact of nutrient pollution associated with upstream agriculture and hydroelectric operations.

The Reservation is located on the Klamath and Trinity rivers in northwestern California and the Tribe has federally-recognized authority for setting water quality standards for Reservation waters granted to it by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  It had previously set standards for the Trinity River portions on their Reservation. Kier Associates assisted in establishing nutrient criteria as an amendment to the Tribe’s earlier plan.

Kier Associates has helped a number of northern California Tribes to craft Sampling Analysis Plans (SAP) and Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP). We have also created water quality monitoring plans and ordinances for the enforcement of Reservations' water quality standards. We specialize in helping build technical capacity of Tribal environmental departments in addition to delivering to them our own high-quality water quality science work products.

A few sample products:

Blue Lake Rancheria SAP and QAPP

Hoopa Valley Tribe Water Quality Control Plan

Quartz Valley Indian Community Monitoring Plan

Resighini Rancheria Water Quality Ordinance

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