Monitoring in the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River basin is monitored at over 150 sites.  LCRA routinely monitors 76 sites in the middle and lower basin. The Upper Colorado River Authority, City of Austin and Hays County collectively monitor 63 sites in their areas of the basin. Additionally, TCEQ regional offices and US Geological Survey monitor 45 sites.

Coordination among monitoring entities is essential to ensure that data is collected consistently. LCRA and UCRA host interagency meetings each year to maximize resources and reduce duplication. The resulting Coordinated Monitoring Schedule allows environmental agencies to coordinate monitoring plans and share information with the public.

Water Quality Data
Water quality data is collected under a TCEQ-approved Quality Assurance Project Plan. The QAPP ensures that data is collected and analyzed consistently and that it meets minimum data quality objectives.  The data are used to:

• evaluate overall water quality and ecological conditions
• determine the impacts of point and nonpoint-source pollutants
• evaluate compliance with Texas Surface Water Quality Standards
• establish baseline conditions
• illustrate long-term trends in water quality

 Water quality data are available at http://waterquality.lcra.org