Watershed Management Bureau

  Water Quality Standards

    Water Quality Standard Advisory Committee

Water quality standards are used to protect the state's surface waters. Standards consist of three parts: designated uses, such as fishing or swimming; numerical or narrative criteria to protect the designated uses; and an antidegradation policy, which maintains existing high quality water that exceeds the criteria.

Baker Pond, Lancaster, N.H.

Criteria are established by statute http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/L/485-A/485-A-8.htm and by administrative rules (http://www.des.state.nh.us/rules/desadmin_list.htm). Surface waters are routinely sampled to assess compliance with the standards (http://www.des.state.nh.us/wmb/swqa/).