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Resolving conflict situations in water resources management is possible only if solutions are properly denoted in all important aspects, from understanding of physical and chemical aspects to the implementation of sound institutional arrangements in order to formulate national and international policies. State Hydraulic Works (SHW), which is responsible for inland water resources development of Turkey, has great responsibility in a contemporary watershed based management among all stakeholders. At present, SHW is the only organization, which has regular systematic surface and ground water quality monitoring network all over Turkey. SHW operates 1150 stations, at which about 35 physical, chemical and bacteriological water quality parameters are measured. According to the outcome of water quality monitoring studies of SHW, water quality has deteriorated in most of the inland water resources mainly due to the lack of appropriate pollution control mechanisms, coupled with failure to enforce efficient legislation. In most of the basins, significant pollution increase is reported due to domestic and industrial discharges and agricultural activities. Furthermore, in some instances, deterioration has reached alarming level for surface waters situated in large metropolises. Resolving conflict situations within water resources management context is possible only if solutions are properly denoted in all important aspects. With this intention, it is the purpose of this paper to present water quality monitoring practices of SHW with present and potential future constraints and opportunities.

Present water quality monitoring studies of SHW arose from its requirements. However, its system is the only systematic inland water quality monitoring system executed with a skilled staff working at 21 Regional laboratories all over Turkey. So far, continiously increasing demand arising from national and international requirements has an increasing stress on establishment of a national monitoring network. To meet the demands of the Water Framework Directive, a National water quality monitoring network should be established as soon as possible. Specifically, the national monitoring network should include the following elements: – clearly defined goals that fulfill user needs and provide measures of management success, – a core set of variables to be measured at all sites, with regional flexibility to measure additional variables where needed, – an overall system design that determines where, how, and when to monitor and includes a mix of time and space scales, probabilistic and fixed stations, and stressor- and effectsoriented measurements, – technical coordination that establishes standard procedures and techniques, and – periodic review of the monitoring network, with modifications as necessary to ensure that useful goals are being met in a cost-effective way. Main obstacles in establishing a national monitoring network include adoption of new technologies, engaging all user groups, liability and regulatory issues, accounting for all pollution sources, and data collection, integration, and sharing issues. In any ways, with a 25-year past experience, and with an already existing infrastructure, including laboratories, skilled staff and equipment, SHW will be the pioneer organization in this stage. With this intention, it is the main purpose of this paper to remind other organizations and decision makers about to come together and cope with the main constraints, which are the major milestones in the EU accession of the country in the environment title.