Quality of Life—Clean Water

• Indicator: Water quality index based on percent of stream miles rated as “poor quality”
• Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Biological Stream Survey
• Years included: 2000-2014

While there are numerous possible indicators of water quality in Maryland—prominently including the State of the Bay report—many cannot be desegregated on the county level. We also considered an indicator for “impaired waterways,” which looks at chemical water quality measures, for this indicator. We settled on a more general measure that more directly impacts the ability of Maryland residents to enjoy waterways. This indicator and data source take into account the percent of “poor quality” waterways based on the fish and macroinvertebrate species assemblages in a stream. This data source was disaggregated on the jurisdiction level allowing comparisons between jurisdictions.

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