Each year, DEQ seeks input from Virginia citizens to identify Virginia waters that could benefit from monitoring by the agency. Nominations may be submitted from Jan. 1 to April 30. Once nominations are received, DEQ will review each based on staff and resource availability, if recent monitoring has occurred in the waterbody, and if the request falls under the agency’s water quality monitoring program. If the agency is able to honor the nomination, follow-up sampling will occur in the following calendar year.

Please use the Citizen Nomination Form to make monitoring requests for DEQ's 2022 Annual Water Quality Monitoring Plan.

DEQ accepts water quality data to be reviewed and evaluated for assessment purposes on a continual basis.

• Regardless of the manner in which data are submitted, the submission must also include a data use authorization form, sent to DEQ as indicated.
• Data collected within Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries may be submitted by uploading to the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative.
• Data may also be submitted directly to DEQ. This fact sheet provides further instructions.
• In order to be used in the 2022 IR, all data must be submitted by March 5, 2021. Data submitted after this date will be reviewed in preparation of the 2024 IR.

Citizen and other non-DEQ water monitoring data may be used by DEQ in these ways:

• List and delist impaired waters on the 303(d) List
• Source identification for TMDL development for waters already listed as impaired
• Track progress towards the restoration of waters which have an approved TMDL and may also have a TMDL Implementation Plan
• Target waters for future DEQ monitoring
• Educate land owners on the water quality impacts of land use activities

A Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) documents all of the quality assurance procedures used to ensure the data generated is scientifically valid and is a requirement of many grants. DEQ must approve a QAPP before data can be used for assessment or watershed modeling purposes.

DEQ has developed a template  that organizations can use to develop a valid QAPP.

DEQ water monitoring staff have developed a variety of information resources for citizen scientists. Those that are right for you depend on your interests and objectives. Feel free to contact us for advice on building your program.

For more information and to find out what organizations and activities are in your area, please visit the Virginia Water Monitoring Council website.