The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is announcing a data solicitation deadline for water quality data to be used in the 2026 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report (IR). DEQ accepts water quality data to be reviewed and evaluated for assessment purposes on a continual basis. However, in order to be used for the 2026 IR, all data must be submitted by March 3, 2025, and accompanied by a DEQ Data Use Authorization Form, which can be found on DEQ’s Citizen Monitoring webpage: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/water-quality/monitoring/citizen-monitoring . Data submitted after the deadline will be reviewed in preparation of the 2028 IR. Water quality data collected between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2024 will be reviewed and assessed per water quality assessment guidance for the 2026 IR.

The Virginia Data Explorer or VDE is an online data management tool that is the preferred method for submitting water quality data collected by non-agency monitoring groups for inclusion in the 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report to the Environmental Protection Agency. The VDE can be accessed through the following link: https://cmc2.vims.edu/Home/Va/#/va . Data Use Authorization Forms and benthic macroinvertebrate data should be submitted directly to citizenwater@deq.virginia.gov .

Contact: Reid Downer, Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, Virginia 23218. Telephone (804) 217-4777, or via e­mail at citizenwater@deq.virginia.gov .