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The Assessment Unit (AU) Level Fish Consumption Assessment Results incorporates the water quality results for all water quality monitoring stations, fish tissue sampling sites, and fish consumption advisories associated within an AU that is included in the 2016 NJ Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (Integrated Report). This data represents the assessment results in NJ's 958 AUs to determine if the Fish Consumption designated use was attained and the results for the 28 fish tissue and water quality parameters associated with the designated use. If an AU includes more than one source of sampling data, the results for each parameter are combined with the ‘worst case’ assessment representing the AU. That is if any of the data sources are impaired for a parameter, then the parameter is impaired at the AU level. If some data sources are fully attaining for a parameter but others have insufficient data, the parameter is fully attaining. The data reflects which of three assessment results each assessment was assigned: Attaining- Fully Supporting, Insufficient Data- Insufficient data was available to assess, Non-Attaining- Non-Supporting. Since it was not possible to show fish consumption advisories and the spatial extent of many fish tissue sampling sites, only the AU level assessment results are mapped. The 303(d) List includes the impairment source for non-supporting Fish Consumption parameters. Because of the large number of parameters associated with fish consumption, if a parameter had insufficient data for an assessment throughout the state then the parameter was removed from the file. The result was a reduction from 62 parameters to 28 parameters that had sufficient data for an assessment. |