State Water Boards (SWAMP)

Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP)

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The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) was proposed in a Report to the Legislature to integrate existing water quality monitoring activities of the State Water Resources Control Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and to coordinate with other monitoring programs. Related Water Code is contained in Sections 13160-13193.

Ambient monitoring refers to any activity in which information about the status of the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the environment is collected to answer specific questions about the status, and trends in those characteristics. For the purposes of SWAMP, ambient monitoring refers to these activities as they relate to the characteristics of water quality. Only a small portion of SWAMP can be implemented at its current funding level. As a result, resources are focused where monitoring information is most needed to support regional program priorities, such as maintaining high quality waters, such as Lake Tahoe, or supporting restoring priority watersheds.

SWAMP is a statewide monitoring effort designed to assess the conditions of surface waters throughout the state of California. The program is administered by the State Water Board. Responsibility for implementation of monitoring activities resides with the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards that have jurisdiction over their specific geographical areas of the state. Monitoring is conducted in SWAMP through the Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Geological Survey master contracts and local Regional Boards monitoring contracts.

SWAMP also hopes to capture monitoring information collected under other State and Regional Board Programs such as the State's TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load), Nonpoint Source, and Watershed Project Support programs. SWAMP does not conduct effluent or discharge monitoring, which is covered under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and Waste Discharge Requirements.

New! SWAMP QAPP Advisor
An expert system developed by SWAMP to assist water quality monitors in writing a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for a water quality monitoring project. The SWAMP QAPP Advisor produces a completed QAPP document faster and accurately.
If you have any questions or need help in using this tool, please contact Will Hagan at the SWAMP Help Desk at 206 525 0491, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Approved SWAMP Comprehensive Monitoring & Assessment Strategy, October 2005
SWAMP Data Available through the California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN)
Review the SWAMP Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
SWAMP QAPP Template
How to be Comparable with SWAMP QAPP
How to be Comparable with the SWAMP Database
Funding Opportunities
SWAMP Included Programs
The following surface water monitoring programs were included as part of SWAMP: State Mussel Watch, Toxic Substance Monitoring Program, Toxicity Testing Program, and Coastal Fish Contamination Program. The Clean Water Team - Citizen Monitoring is also part of SWAMP. Visit this Website for example QAPP's for citizen monitoring and technical information, particularly for field efforts (see CWT Resource Materials & Related Websites).