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Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-110

§2801 Purposes

Title 33 › CHAPTER 41 — NATIONAL COASTAL MONITORING › § 2801

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Create a national program to watch and track the health of coastal ecosystems and their water quality. Set up long-term monitoring for high-priority coastal waters so federal, state, and local officials can plan and carry out fixes. Check and improve the scientific and technical methods used, pick common measures of coastal health, send regular full reports to Congress, share monitoring data, and give state coastal planners and water pollution programs the information they need to design protections and pollution controls.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §2801

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The purposes of this chapter are to—
(1)establish a comprehensive national program for consistent monitoring of the Nation’s coastal ecosystems;
(2)establish long-term water quality assessment and monitoring programs for high priority coastal waters that will enhance the ability of Federal, State, and local authorities to develop and implement effective remedial programs for those waters;
(3)establish a system for reviewing and evaluating the scientific, analytical, and technological means that are available for monitoring the environmental quality of coastal ecosystems;
(4)establish methods for identifying uniform indicators of coastal ecosystem quality;
(5)provide for periodic, comprehensive reports to Congress concerning the quality of the Nation’s coastal ecosystems;
(6)establish a coastal environment information program to distribute coastal monitoring information;
(7)provide state programs authorized under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) with information necessary to design land use plans and coastal zone regulations that will contribute to the protection of coastal ecosystems; and
(8)provide certain water pollution control programs authorized under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) with information necessary to design and implement effective coastal water pollution controls.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, referred to in par. (7), is title III of Pub. L. 89–454 as added by Pub. L. 92–583, Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1280, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (§ 1451 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1451 of Title 16 and Tables. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, referred to in par. (8), is act June 30, 1948, ch. 758, as amended generally by Pub. L. 92–500, § 2, Oct. 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 816, which is classified generally to chapter 26 (§ 1251 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1251 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Title V of Pub. L. 92–532, which comprises this chapter, is popularly known as the “National Coastal Monitoring Act”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 2801

Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110