How will implementing biological criteria benefit State water quality programs?
State water quality programs will benefit from biological criteria because they: • directly assess impairments in ambient biota from adverse impacts on the environment; • are defensible and quantifiable; • document improvements in water quality resulting from agency action; • reduce the likelihood of false positives (i.e., a conclusion that attainment is achieved when it is not); • provide information on the integrity of biological systems that is compelling to the public.
