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Water Quality

Many of the Water Boards' water quality protection programs rely on monitoring data, which we and other agencies collect for our own use and also make available to the public. This page details many of our water quality monitoring efforts and includes links to water quality information in our area.

NEW - Regional SWAMP Monitoring Design

SWAMP / RMP / Special Studies / Past Programs / Groundwater / Contact

Water quality monitoring is important for many reasons. Monitoring results allow the Water Board to set program priorities and budgets as well as report our successes and challenges to our sister agencies at the regional, state, and federal levels. The Bay Area is fortunate to have monitoring partners who are committed to excellence in this ongoing work.

Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP)


The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program, or SWAMP, is designed to assess the conditions of surface waters throughout California. There are statewide and regional components to SWAMP.

Statewide SWAMP

Bay Area SWAMP
  • Our regional SWAMP monitors water quality in Bay area watersheds, and contaminants in fish from reservoirs, the ocean, and bays other than San Francisco Bay.
  • The major goal of the Bay Area SWAMP is to develop a watershed monitoring coalition with stormwater programs and others to ensure collaborative, consistent, and high-quality watershed monitoring. As part of this effort, we have developed a new design for our monitoring program, which concentrates on "least disturbed" reference sites and "best attainable" urban sites. We will use the new design to provide context for monitoring in urban areas, develop biocriteria and guidelines for acceptable amounts of nutrients in local creeks, and track changes in water quality that may be due to climate change. Download a copy of the new monitoring design Here.
  • In the San Francisco Bay Area, our regional SWAMP has conducted three types of monitoring:
    1. SWAMP has measured contaminants in fish from ten reservoirs, Tomales Bay, and other coastal areas. These studies have led to fish consumption advisories that have been translated into multiple languages and posted to inform the public. Report: Chemical Concentrations in Fish Tissues from Selected Reservoirs and Coastal Areas in the San Francisco Bay Region (pdf, 5.1MB)
    2. SWAMP has developed a rapid trash assessment protocol that has been used to measure trash in 14 watersheds. Studies took place after wet and dry seasons to determine sources of trash as well as accumulation levels. Rapid Trash Assessment Report (pdf, 1.2MB)
    3. SWAMP has used bioassessments, water and sediment chemistry and toxicity tests, as well as continuous monitoring probes for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, and depth to measure water quality in 34 watersheds and sub-watersheds throughout the region. Reports are now available for the first three years of study. Please note that these are large files that may take a few moments to download.
      Water Quality Monitoring and Bioassessments in Nine Bay Area Watersheds, 2001-2003 (pdf, 22.6MB)
      Water Quality Monitoring and Bioassessments in Four Bay Area Watersheds, 2003-2004 (pdf, 4.6MB)

  • Bay Area SWAMP data is available on the BDAT website. Download information on data types here, and instructions for using the BDAT website here.

San Francisco Bay regional SWAMP workplans
SWAMP Workplan 2004-2005
SWAMP Workplan 2003-2004
SWAMP Workplan 2002-2003
SWAMP Workplan 2001-2002 Revised August 2002
Regional Monitoring and Assessment Strategy 1999

Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) for Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary

The RMP is an innovative partnership between regulators, dischargers, industry representatives, community activists and scientists to measure water quality in the San Francisco Estuary. The program is designed around management questions important to the Regional Water Board for regulating water quality in the estuary. The San Francisco Estuary Institute manages the program and conducts many of the studies. The RMP includes a status and trends component that measures water and sediment chemistry and toxicity, contaminant levels in fish and bird eggs, and loading of chemicals of concern to the estuary. There are also pilot and special studies that address sources and loadings, fate and transport and effects of pollutants. For more information, click here.

Special Studies

Macroinvertebrates in Wildcat and San Leandro Creeks
Final report (2005, pdf)
Figures (zip)
Appendices (zip)
Tables (zip)
Raw Data (zip)

Past Surface Water Monitoring Programs


State Mussel Watch Program (SMWP)
For 26 years (1977-2003) the SMWP collected transplanted and resident mussels and clams from the waters of California's bays, harbors and estuaries. Samples collected in the SMWP were analyzed for trace elements, pesticides, and PCBs. The SMWP provided the State Water Resources Control Board with a uniform statewide approach to the detection and evaluation of the occurrence of toxic substances in marine waters. The SMWP primarily targeted areas with known or suspected impaired water quality. Sampling stations were primarily selected by the six coastal Regional Water Boards. Information collected in the SMWP is still used by the State and Regional Water Boards, and other agencies to identify waters impacted by toxic pollutants.

Toxic Substance Monitoring Program (TSMP)
For 27 years (1976-2003) the TSMP collected fish and other aquatic life from fresh, estuarine, and marine waters. Samples collected in the TSMP were analyzed for trace elements, pesticides, and PCBs. The TSMP provided the State Water Board with a uniform statewide approach to the detection and evaluation of the occurrence of toxic substances. The TSMP primarily targeted water bodies with known or suspected impaired water quality. Most sampling stations were selected by the nine Regional Water Boards. TSMP data is still used by the state and regional boards and by other state agencies to identify waters impacted by toxic pollutants.

Toxicity Testing Program (TTP)
Resources from this program (1987-2002) were used to fund or supplement special studies designed to investigate waterways where toxicity water quality objectives were not being met, and tell us whether those surface waters could support biological communities in aquatic ecosystems. The program used reliable USEPA standardized toxicity testing procedures,  modified USEPA Toxicity Identification Evaluations, bioassessments, and supporting chemical analysis.

Coastal Fish Contamination Program (CFCP)
This program was initiated in 1998 to investigate the safety for humans to consume fish and shellfish caught in California’s coastal waters. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) assisted the Regional Water Boards in designing this program and evaluated the data to determine the need for fish consumption advisories.

Bay Protection and Toxic Cleanup Program

(BPTCP) The BPTCP began in 1990 and ended in 1999 The program was a comprehensive effort by the State Water Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards to programmatically link environmental monitoring and remediation planning. The BPTCP had four major goals:
  • Provide protection of present and future beneficial uses of bays and estuarine waters in California
  • Identify and characterize toxic hot spots
  • Plan for toxic hot spot cleanup or other remedial or mitigation actions
  • Develop prevention and control strategies for toxic pollutants

Statewide Groundwater Ambient Monitoring & Assessment Program (GAMA)

GAMA is a statewide program that monitors regionally and also undertakes special studies. The main objectives of the program  are to improve statewide ambient groundwater quality monitoring and assessment, and increase the availability of information about groundwater quality to the public. Participation in the GAMA Program is voluntary; stewardship of the state's groundwater resources is the shared responsibility of all levels of the government and community. GAMA has produced numerous reports and other products on groundwater quality investigations throughout California. They can be found here. For more information about GAMA, contact Michael Rochette, 510.622-2411.


For more information contact:
Karen Taberski, Regional Monitoring and Assessment Coordinator
San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
1515 Clay St., Suite 1400
Phone: (510) 622-2424
Fax: (510) 622-2460
E-mail: ktaberski@waterboards.ca.gov