Water Quality

Water quality is critical to human health and habitat sustainability.

ESA’s water quality and restoration scientists monitor and examine the effects of contaminant loadings on aquatic habitats, investigate links between nutrients and development of harmful algal blooms, and bring the technical expertise and practical knowledge necessary to develop water quality monitoring plans and solutions that are scientifically sound, sustainable, and technically feasible. 

Our team brings experience developing resource-based water quality targets throughout the U.S. and has authored and produced water quality restoration plans that have been adopted by local and state governments, as well as water quality standards that have been reviewed and adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We have co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers and regularly participate on expert panels. 

We have developed sediment and dredge material management plans that comply with a wide range of federal and state laws while meeting our clients’ goals. Our experts have produced hydrologic and pollutant load modeling for stormwater management, as well as mass balance calculations of water quality indicators such as chlorophyll concentrations in sensitive habitats. 

Related specialties and services:

• Aquatic invasive species management
• Aquatic/terrestrial biology analyses
• Contaminant fate and effects evaluations
• Empirically derived and mechanistic water quality modeling
• Freshwater, estuarine, and marine surveys
• Harmful algal bloom investigations
• Microbial source tracking (MST)
• Nitrogen cycling and stable isotope studies
• NPDES permit assistance
• Nutrient management strategies
• Point and non-point source pollutant loading models
• Reports/manuscripts/publications
• Resource-based water quality targets
• Special studies design and implementation
• Stakeholder relations
• Water quality monitoring and program design
• Water quality sampling and analyses