Streamflow and water quality monitoring
Retired: River and Stream Water Quality Index
We retired the River and Stream Freshwater Quality Index (WQI) on Aug. 3, 2026. For many years, the WQI provided a simple way for the public and our partners to view and compare water quality conditions across Washington’s rivers and streams. We are developing new assessment tools based on continuous water quality monitoring that will offer more detailed, timely, and reliable information to support water quality evaluation, reporting, and decision‑making.
We monitor water quality at nearly 100 river and stream stations throughout the state to understand the health of waterways. Our science offers residents and policymakers credible data to make informed choices for rivers and streams in Washington. All of our data are available to download.
Streamflow and water quality data systems
Our river and stream monitoring group examines current water quality and streamflow conditions. Our data are available to view and download.
Freshwater quality and streamflow data come in two types:
Freshwater DataStream receives our continuous data on streamflow, as well as for dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and conductivity in many rivers and streams statewide. Automatic gages at active telemetry freshwater monitoring stations log data every 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the station, then transmit directly to our database.
FIN, the Freshwater Information Network, displays our non-continuous, or “discrete,” data. These data are collected during periodic in-person sampling events. FIN also holds historical data from stations that are no longer sampled.
Our thermal infrared image viewer contains photos from infrared river surveys, conducted in 2002 – 2003 of nine basins and nearly 40 rivers. Choose a river in the drop-down menu on the left to scroll through the thermal images in the map on the right.
Plans and reports
Our monitoring projects contribute to multi-agency efforts, such as:
Related links
Contact information
Thomas Jetson
Freshwater Monitoring Unit Supervisor
thomas.jetson@ecy.wa.gov
564-669-1733