Statewide - Data Solicitation for the 2026 Integrated Report on New York State Water Quality

Public Notice

Data Solicitation for the 2026 Integrated Report on New York State Water Quality

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) is seeking water quality data and information for any New York State waterbody.

Water quality data and information received may be used to update waterbody assessments in the state's Clean Water Act Section 305(b) Report, https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/cleanwateractreport.pdf or the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters, https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fextapps…. Waterbody assessments are conducted following the methodology described in the Consolidated Assessment Listing Methodology (CALM), https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/calm.pdf.

On September 12, 2025, NYS DEC will be hosting a public webinar covering the Data Solicitation Submittal Process. Visit NYS DEC's website to register https://dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/watersheds/management/assessment.

Data Requirements:

To be used for assessments, data must be:

• Accompanied by a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and a Data Usability Analysis Report (DUAR)
• Demonstrate that Data Quality Indicators (DQI's) have been met precision, accuracy, bias, representativeness (Section 3 of the CALM), completeness, comparability, and sensitivity
• In accordance with New York State Public Health Law § 502 and Environmental Conservation Law § 3-0119, analyzed by a New York State Department of Health Environmental Laboratory Approval Program https://www.wadsworth.org/regulatory/elap accredited Lab, and Title 40 of Code of Federal Regulations Part 136 analysis methods are used where applicable
• Are parameters with an adopted water quality standards (Core Indicators) or a Supplemental Indicator identified in Tables 1-5 of the CALM.

How to Submit Data:

• Complete the 2025 Data Solicitation Form: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/2c0693324d1c43b2a716b3f47fe67e4c
• Use the Data Submission Template for Format Data: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fextapps…

For more information review the 2025 Data Solicitiation Factsheet at https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-08/datasolicitation25.pdf.

For questions email: [email protected]

If necessary, data and all required documents can be emailed to: [email protected]or mail a hard copy to NYSDEC, Division of Water 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-3502.

When to Submit Data:

To be considered for the 2024/2026 Integrated Report, data and information must be received by October 28, 2025.

Background:

Every two years, states are required by Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act to compile a list of waters assessed as "impaired", meaning they do not meet water quality standards and cannot support their best uses. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) must be developed for these waterbodies to reduce pollutants and help them meet applicable water quality standards. The water quality data that NYS DEC may consider for assessments can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to: NYS DEC monitoring programs, other state agencies, federal agencies and non-governmental entities such as watershed organizations, lake associations and academic researchers.

More information on data requirements and DEC's process for conducting assessments is described in the CALM, https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/31290.html.

For questions please contact: [email protected].