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Case Studies: Benefits of Using Bioassessment Data During Biocriteria Development

The collection and use of bioassessment data within a water quality management program is an evolutionary process, with the value of bioassessments directly related to the amount and quality of data collected.  The more high-quality data that are collected over time, the greater the impact on resource management. But even before a fully developed program with several years of data is in place, biological information can contribute substantially to decision-making.  The following case studies demonstrate the use of bioassessment data and show how this data can provide significant and unique input to the regulatory process.