The purposes of the ambient water quality monitoring (AWQM) program are: to establish baseline water quality data and characterize the waters of the Swinomish Indian Reservation; identify water bodies which fail to meet proposed water quality standards; and assess the effectiveness of existing regulations in protecting water resources.
Ambient water quality monitoring includes four basic components: ambient monitoring of conventional parameters (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, turbidity, and fecal coliform bacteria); bioassessments on perennial creeks; shoreline assessments in estuarine waters; and toxic pollutant sampling in at-risk waters of the Reservation.
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is federally recognized and operates under Constitution and Bylaws adopted in 1936 pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.
The Swinomish Tribe is committed to improving the lives and well being of the tribal members through social and cultural programs, education, economic development, and resource protection.
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is located on Fidalgo Island (gateway to the San Juan Islands) in Skagit County of Washington State about 70 miles north of Seattle. The Planning Office is located across the Swinomish Channel from the town of LaConner.