National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS): the foundation for long-term aquatic monitoring data across the United States
There is a common saying in business that “what matters gets measured”. Environmental protection and sustainability certainly should qualify as important concerns for both businesses and governments. The 1970s marked the genesis of the modern environmental movement, with growing concern about water pollution in the United States (U.S.). In 1972, the U.S. enacted the Clean Water Act (CWA) “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters”. In accordance with CWA objectives, the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) and National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) were implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with states and Tribes. EMAP and NARS were designed to assess the condition of all the Nation’s aquatic ecosystems, including lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, coastal waters, the Great Lakes, and wetlands. In this article, we discuss why NARS exists, its key objectives, how NARS is changing the way spatially extensive natural resource monitoring is conducted, and how NARS data are used to support U.S. research and policy decisions.