Colorado Water Assessment Tool and Reporter
The Colorado Water Assessment Tool and Reporter (CO WATR) is designed and developed through collaboration with CDPHE WQCD staff in the Environmental Data Unit to assist with automated assessment of water quality data to support the development of the 303(d) List of Impaired Waters and the Monitoring and Evaluations (M&E) List. These lists identify waterbodies that do not meet or are suspected of not meeting applicable water quality standards.
CO WATR integrates Colorado stream standards (Regulations 31 through 38) with water quality data retrieved from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Inventory System (NWIS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Water Quality Exchange (WQX), (formerly STORET) and water quality monitoring location data.
The tool utilizes these data sources to calculate and compare water quality conditions to applicable water quality standards to support attainment and nonattainment determinations. Additionally, the tool assists in the creation of rationale documents that are used as prehearing statements for the Colorado Water Quality Control Commissions to review and approve changes to Colorado’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters and the M&E List.
Application
- Assess water quality data that is publicity available from NWIS and WQX against applicable Colorado water quality standards.
- Assess data uploaded to COWATR from the Water Quality Control Division against Colorado water quality standards.
- Provide geospatial display of stream segmentation and sampling locations.
- Display current attainment status and standards by water body.
- Track water quality assessment and rational completion.
- Generate rationales for listing actions.
- Create downloadable data package for each assessment.