ABSTRACT: The U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, has a policy that requires each District office to prepare a Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan. The plan for each District describes the policies and procedures that ensure high quality in the collection, processing, analysis, computer storage, and publication of surface-water data. The North Florida Program Office Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the North Florida Program office for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data.
This Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan (QA Plan) describes and documents the standards, policies, responsibilities, and procedures used by the North Florida Program office for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data. This QA Plan identifies responsibilities of designated personnel to ensure that national policies and procedures are followed. The QA Plan also serves as a guide for all North Florida Program personnel involved in surface-water activities and serves as a resource for identifying memorandums, publications, and other literature that describe associated techniques and requirements. This QA Plan is reviewed and revised at least once every 3 years to keep responsibilities and methodologies described herein current and to document ongoing procedural improvements.
Specific types of surface-water data include stage, streamflow, sediment, and basin characteristics. Issues are presented in this QA Plan that relate to effective management of the computer data base and employee safety and training. Although procedures and products of interpretive projects are subject to the criteria presented in this report, specific interpretive projects are required to have a separate and complete QA Plan.