Direct measurement and characterization of the health and well being of the aquatic community in surface water are critical to determining how effectively Colorado is achieving the ultimate goals of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act ("CWQCA") and the federal Clean Water Act ("CWA"), which are to restore, maintain, protect, and improve the quality of our water resources. These legislative policy statements highlight the importance of having tools and techniques available to evaluate the current aquatic-life conditions in our surface waters, and to set goals for the future.
