The NAWQA program was created by Congress in 1991 to give credible, scientific information to policy makers about the condition of streams and ground water nationwide, to assess trends over time, and to determine the causes of water contamination and the impacts of reduced water quality on human and ecological health. It is the only program that provides this critical decision-making information. Federal, state, and local governments and our own organizations and members use NAWQA’s data and assessments to inform scientifically sound water protection and management decisions.