Monitoring for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Requirements: Algaecides

In the United States, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits were expanded to include algaecide applications and consequently, additional and focused information was needed to provide water resource managers with requisite data to satisfy permit requirements. In the present publication, literature was strategically reviewed regarding National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting requirements and reliable methods were extracted to fulfill these requirements. Pre- and post-application monitoring can provide data necessary for problem identification, to justify or "trigger" algaecide applications, to confirm algaecide exposures, and to measure responses of target and nontarget species to algaecide treatments. Reliable methods to address monitoring are site and situation specific, although the approach for acquiring data is widely applicable.