[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]











                                       United States
                                       L-mrinanniantal Protection     Offico of Wate'-               EPA 841 -K-92-001
                                       Agency                         'A'ashington, 00 20460         Juno 1992


                                       The Quality of Our
                                       Nation's Water: 1990


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      CONTENTS


                  The Quality of Our Nation's Water     ............. 2
                  Key Concepts: A Water Quality Primer      ......... 4
                  What is Water Pollution?    ......................  6
                  Rivers and Streams    ...........................   10
                  Lakes and Reservoirs    .........................   12
                  The Great Lakes    ..............................   14
                  Estuaries   ....................................    16
                  Ocean Coastal Waters    .........................   18
                  Wetlands    ....................................    20
                  Ground Water     ...............................    22
                  Protecting Water Quality   ......................   24
                  You Can Make a Difference     ....................  26























                                                                       LIBRARY
                                                                      NOAA/CCEH
                                                                  1990 HOBSON AVE.
                                                                 CHAS. SC 29408-2623





           THE QUALITY OF OURNATiON'S WATER

           Introduction                                How Clean Are Our                            result of sewage treatment plant
               This booklet is designed to help        Waters?                                      construction and upgrading and
           the general reader understand the                                                        increasingly stringent controls on
           problem of water pollution in the U.S.           As this report will show, we still      industrial discharges. We are devel-
                                                       have a long way to go in our work to         oping control strategies for the
           today. Its focus is on the sources,         maintain and restore the quality of          persistent pollution problem that we
           types, impacts, and extent of water         our Nation's water. We have water            now know is the most widespread:
           pollution, and the actions govern-          quality data for only about a third of       polluted wet weather runoff. We are
           ment and citizens are taking to             our river miles, half of our lake acres,     continually learning to what extent
           control them.                               and three fourths of our estuarine           toxic contamination affects our
               The information in this booklet is      waters. Of those waters that have            waters, fish, and sediments.
           condensed from the U.S. Environ-            been assessed, about two thirds are             . Nevertheless, there is more that
           mental Protection Agency's (EPA's)          fully meeting the clean water goals          water quality managers must learn
           National Water Quality Inventory: 1990      established by Congress and the              about sources of pollution, specific
           Report to Congress. The Report to           States. The rest of assessed waters          contaminants, and their extent and
           Congress, in turn, is the latest in a       show varying degrees of impairment.          impacts on the aquatic environment.
           series of reports based on water .          Significant water quality problems           Without this knowledge,we cannot
           quality assessments States submit           remain, including pollutants carried         design pollution controls to do the
           biennially to EPA. The State assess-        by wet weather runoff from agricul-          most good or direct them to where
           ments and the Report to Congress are        tural farm lands and city streets, toxic     they are most needed. This need for
           used to determine the quality of our        pollutants, ground-water contamina-          knowledge is not limited, however, to
           Nation's water, to evaluate the effect      tion, and loss of wetlands.                  water quality managers. Every
           of current water pollution control               We have, nevertheless, made             citizen has an impact on water
           activities, and to help determine           progress. The most obvious kinds of          quality. Every citizen must become
           where additional action is needed. If       pollution that plagued our waters in         informed.
           you would like to learn more about          the 1960s and 1970s-discharges of
           water quality issues, you may want          poorly treated or untreated sewage
           to begin by reading the Report to           and industrial waste-have dimin-
           Congress or other reference material        ished in severity and extent as a
           listed at the back of this booklet.








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           When it rains, runoff carrying
           pollutants from streets, paved areas,                                 5,
           and lawns often flows untreated into
           streams, lakes, and estuaries.
           2










       Why Is It Important To
       Learn About Water
       Pollution?

           The U.S. Environmental Protec-
       tion Agency firmly supports the idea
       that each citizen should become a
       steward of our precious natural
       resources. In this day of complex
       environmental threats and diminish-
       ing funds for pollution control, we
       must jointly solve the pollution
       problems that foul our swimming
       lakes or close the fishing spots we
       frequent. It is time to learn about the
       problems and become part of their
       solution. Once we know about
       pollution problems and what is
       needed to combat them, we will be
       better able to devise sound solutions,
       monitor those who are to implement
       the solutions, and modify any of our
       own personal activities that contrib-
       ute to the problems.
           This booklet explores some key
       water quality definitions and con-
       cepts; discusses different types of
       waters and their leading pollution
       problems, as reported to EPA by the
       States; briefly addresses some of the
       major Federal and State activities
       being carried out to control water
       pollution; and offers some water
       quality protection ideas for every
       citizen to consider. Throughout this
       booklet, we also highlight what the
       States are discovering about some of
       the most visible impacts of water
       pollution. +








                                                                                                             Jo





          KEY CONCEPTS: A WATER QUALITY
          PRIMER


          How Much Water Is
                                                                                  op"
          There in the U.S.?

              To anyone who has ever scanned
          a detailed map of the U.S., our
          Nation's water supplies may seem
          infinite. In fact, current estimates tell
          us that the U.S. has


          ï¿½ About 2 million stream and river
             miles, including waters that flow
             only in wet weather;

          ï¿½ About 40 million acres of lakes,
             ponds, and reservoirs;

          ï¿½ About 36,000 square miles of
             estuaries;                                                                      - - - - - - -

                                                                                                                     -4, o@,@
          ï¿½ About a hundred million acres
             of wetlands such as marshes,
             swamps, bogs, and fens.

              We are learning more about the
          extent of our water resources as
          computerized mapping techniques
          become available, and these estimates
          of total U.S. waters may well rise in
          coming years. However, the point to
          rem
              ember is that each mile of stream
          or estuary, each acre of lake or
          wetland, should be capable of
          supporting healthy aquatic life and a
          wide range of recreational activities.





                                                                                      r


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                                                                                .. ...... ..















           ... it is the national goal that, wherever attainable, an interim goal of water quality which
           provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and provides for
           recreation in and on the water, be achieved by July 1, 1983.



        How Do We Measure                                 Designated Uses                                       Once States have designated uses
        the Quality of These                                  According to the Clean Water                 for their waters, they establish criteria
                                                          Act, all waters of the U.S. must be              to protect them. These criteria are
        Waters?                                           designated for specific uses that must           requirements such as specific chemi-
             In fact, it is the stated goal of the        then be protected. Most waters are               cal concentrations or biological
        Clean Water Act of 1972 - the driving             designated for support of aquatic                conditions that must be met if the
        force behind the Nation's water                   life - the "fishable" goal of the                uses are to be maintained. If these
                                                          Act - and for contact recreation - the           criteria are not met, uses may be
        pollution control program - that the              "swimmable" goal. A smaller set of               impaired.
        waters of the U.S. be of "fishable"               waters are designated as public water                 Together, criteria and designated
        and "swimmable" quality. The U.S.                 supplies. These are waters that, with            uses (including a provision that
        EPA promotes the use of a water                   some treatment, may be piped into                waters not be allowed to degrade
        quality measure based on this                     homes for drinking and bathing. In               from a level of water quality that
        concept.                                          some States, another small subset of             protects those uses) constitute each
                                                          waters may be designated for less                State's water quality standards. We
                                                          stringent uses such as navigation or             determine the quality of our Nation's
                                                          industrial uses.                                 waters by measuring the degree to
                                                                                                           which standards are met and, there-
                                                                                                           fore, designated uses are supported.+





        Designated Use Support in Assessed Waters

                                                            Lake Acres                               T
           River Miles                                                                                       Estuary Sq. Miles
           Assessed: 647,066
                                                            Assessed: 18.5 million                           Assessed: 26,692
           Total in US: 1.8 million                         Total in US: 39.4 million                        Total in US: 36,000




           Fully Supporting
                                                            Fully Supporting                                 Fully Supporting
           70% (450,376)                                    60% (11,076,726)                                           056)
                                                                                                             67%(18
                                                            Partially Supporting
           Partially Supporting                             19% (i,471,633)                                  Partially Supporting
           21% (134,472)                                                                                     25%(6,573)
           Not Supporting                                   Not Supporting                                   Not Supporting
           10% (62,218)                                   121% (,940,277)                                    8% (2,064)

                                                                                                                                                         5






            WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION?


                 We tend to think of factories and                The 10 general categories of water                  These pollution sources contrib-
            sewage treatment facilities as the                pollution sources cited in this report             ute a wide variety of contaminants,
            primary sources of water pollution;               are described in the box below.                    ranging from excess nutrients and
            however, there are other, less obvi-              Of the major categories of pollution               sediments washed from fields to toxic
            ous, sources of pollution that are                sources, agricultural activities,                  metals and pesticides. The leading
            more widespread. These less obvi-                 municipal discharges, and storm                    contaminants and their impacts are
            ous sources include polluted wet                  sewers are the sources that States                 summarized in the following subsec-
            weather runoff from agricultural                  most commonly cite as problems in                  tions. A quick-glance summary of
            fields, city streets, and construction            surface waters. On page 8 is a                     those contaminants most commonly
            sites, and hydrologic modifications               quick-glance summary of those                      reported in the Nation's rivers, lakes,
            such as dam building or stream                    pollution sources most commonly                    and estuaries is shown on page 9.
            channelization. Hydrologic modifi-                reported in our Nation's rivers, lakes,
            cations may increase erosion, remove              and estuaries.                                     Nutrients
            natural strearnside vegetation, affect                                                                    Nutrients include nitrates found
            stream flow, and degrade aquatic                                                                     in fertilizers and phosphates found in
            habitat.                                                                                             detergents. In excess levels, nutrients
                                                                                                                 overstimulate the growth of aquatic
                                                                                                                 plants and algae. Excessive growth
                                                                                                                 of these organisms, in turn, can clog
                                                                                                                 navigable waters, use up dissolved
                                                                                                                 oxygen as they decompose, and block
                                                                                                                 light to deeper waters. This seriously
               Pollution Source Categories Used in This Report                                                   affects the respiration of fish and
                                                                                                                 aquatic invertebrates, leads to a
                                                                                                                 decrease in animal and plant diver-
               Category                    Examples                                                              sity, and affects our ability to use the
               Industrial                  Pulp and paper mills, chemical manufacturers, steel                   water for fishing, swimming, and
                                           plants, textile manufacturers, food processing plants                 boating. Lakes and estuaries are
                                                                                                                 particularly vulnerable to the effects
               Municipal                   Publicly owned sewage treatment plants that may                       of excess nutrients.
                                           receive indirect discharges from small factories or
                                           businesses

               Combined Sewers             Storm and sanitary sewers combined, which may
                                           discharge untreated wastes during storms

               Storm Sewers/Runoff         Runoff from streets, paved areas, lawns, etc., that enters
                                           a sewer, pipe, or ditch before discharge

               Agricultural                Crop production, pastures, rangeland, feedlots

               Silvicultural               Forest management, harvesting, road construction

               Construction                Highway building, land development

               Resource Extraction         Mining, petroleum drilling, runoff from mine tailing sites

               Land Disposal               Leachate or discharge from septic tanks, landfills,
                                           hazardous waste disposal sites

               Hydrologic Modification     Channelization, dredging, dam construction,
                                           stream bank modification



            6












        Silt/Suspended Solids
            When it rains, silt and other
        suspended solids wash off plowed
        fields, construction and logging sites,
        urban areas, strip-mined land, and
        eroded stream banks. As these
        sediments enter rivers, lakes, coastal
        waters, and wetlands, fish respiration
        is impaired, plant productivity and
        water depth are reduced, aquatic                                                   4,
        habitats are smothered, and our
        aesthetic enjoyment of the water is
        reduced.


       Pathogens
           Certain waterborne bacteria,
       viruses, and protozoans can cause
       human illnesses that range from
                                                                                                                  A%V
       typhoid and dysentery to minor
                                                                                        t
       respiratory and skin diseases. These
                                                                     _IJPp4!
       organisms can enter waterways
       through a number of routes, includ-
       ing inadequately treated sewage,
                                                                   4
       storm water drains, septic systems
       runoff from livestock pens, and boats
       that dump sewage. Because it is
       impossible to test water for every
       type of disease-causing organism,
       States generally measure fecal
       coliform bacteria as indicators that
       the water may be contaminated with
       untreated sewage and that other,
       more dangerous, organisms may be
                                                                                                -5@
       present.










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           Organic Enrichment                               Pesticides/Herbicides                            Habitat Modification
                Organic material may enter                       Rainfall, snowmelt, and irrigation               Loss of habitat occurs when
           waterways in many different forms -              can wash pesticides and herbicides               streams, lakes, and wetlands are
           as sewage, leaves and grass clippings,           used on croplands, lawns, and in                 modified by activities such as graz-
           or as runoff from livestock feedlots             tern-dte control into ground and                 ing, farming, channelization, dam
           and pastures. When natural bacteria              surface waters. These contaminants               construction, and dredging. Typical
           and protozoa in the water break                  are generally very persistent in the             examples of the effects of hydrologic
           down this organic material, they                 environment and may accumulate in                modification include loss of stream-
           begin to use up the oxygen dissolved             fish, shellfish, and wildlife to levels          side vegetation, siltation, smothering
           in the water. Many types of fish and             that pose a risk to human health and             of bottom-dwelling organisms, and
           bottom-dwelling animals cannot                   the environment.                                 increased water temperatures.
           survive when levels of dissolved
           oxygen drop.

           Organic Chemicals/Metals
                Metals (such as mercury, lead,
           and cadmium) and toxic organic                    Top Five Pollution Sources
           chemicals (such as PCBs and dioxin)
           may originate in industrial dis-                  Source
           charges, runoff from city streets,                Rank         Rivers                      Lakes                      Estuaries
           mining activities, Ieachate from                      1        Agricultural                Agricultural               Municipal
           landfills, and a variety of other
           sources. These toxic chemicals can                    2        Municipal                   Hydrologic Modification    Storm Sewers/Runoff
           cause death or reproductive failure in                3        Hydrologic Modification     Storm Sewers/Runoff        Land Disposal
           fish, shellfish, and wildlife. In
           addition, they can accumulate in                      4        Resource Extraction         Land Disposal              Agricultural
           animal tissue and be absorbed in                      5        Storm Sewers/Runoff         Municipal                  Construction
           sediments, posing long-term health
           risks to humans.                                  Source: National Water Quality Inventory: 1990 Report to Congress



                                                                                 M!j
















           Two of the leading sources of pollution
           in our Nation's water are agricultura:
           activities and discharges from
           municipal sewage treatment plants.
           8











         Other Pollutants                               pH can alter the toxicity of other              Contaminated
               States also report on the inci-          chemicals in water, and can render              Sediments
         dence of other pollutants. For                 lakes and streams unfit for aquatic
         example, fresh waters may become               fife. Other pollutants of concern                   Contamination of stream, lake,
         unfit for aquatic life and some human          include crude oil and processed                 and estuarine sediments by toxic
         uses when they become contaminated             petroleum products spilled during               substances is a growing environ-
         by salts. Sources of salinity include          extraction, processing, or transport or         mental concern. Toxic substances
         irrigation runoff, brine used in oil           leaked from underground storage                 may remain in sediments for years
         extraction, road deicing operations,           tanks; noxious aquatic plants, par-             after the pollutant source has been
         and the intrusion of sea water into            ticularly introduced species that               eliminated. Once in sediments,
         ground and surface waters in coastal           compete against native plants; and              they may continue to contaminate
         areas. Problems of pH are of concern           increased water temperatures result-            surrounding water and aquatic
         in areas with many abandoned mines             ing from industrial cooling processes           organisms. Bottorn-dwelling
         (acid mine drainage) and areas                 or habitat modification. +                      animals are particularly at risk.
         susceptible to acid rain. Changes in                                                           Contaminated sediments are also a
                                                                                                        problem affecting the dredging of
           Top Five Contaminants                                                                        harbors and navigation channels;
                                                                                                        contaminated dredge material is
           Source                                                                                       difficult to dispose of safely, and
           Rank        Rivers                   Lakes                       Estuaries                   the process of dredging recircu-
                                                                                                        lates contaminants back into the
               1       Siltation                Metals                      Nutrients                   water.
               2       Nutrients                Nutrients                   Organic Enrichment              Many States do not currently
               3       Organic Enrichment       Organic Enrichment          Pathogens                   have analytical resources to
                                                                                                        conduct sediment monitoring.
               4       Pathogens                Suspended Solids            Priority Organics           Others may not have reported on
               5       Metals                   Noxious Aquatic Plants      guspended Solids            available findings because there
                                                                                                        are no criteria against which to
           Source: National Water Ouality Inventory: 1990 Report to Congress                            screen sediment data. Neverthe-
                                                                                                        less, 33 States provided some
                                                                                                        information on sediment contami-
                                                                                                        nation in their waters. A total of
                                                                                                        384 sites with sediment contamina-
                                                                                                        tion were reported by the States.
                                                                                                        Leading pollutants in sediments
                                                                                                        include heavy metals, PCBs,
                                                                                                        pesticides, and dioxin.
                                                                                                            The EPA is working with
                                                                                                        States to provide better tools to
                                                                                                        assess problems with contaminated
                                                                                                        sediments. Efforts underway
                                                                                                        include development of an EPA
                                                                                                        sediment management strategy,
                                                                                                        sediment criteria, and monitoring
                                                                                                        test for sediments. +










                                                                                                                                                 9





            RIVERS AND STREAMS


                For centuries, our Nation's rivers            In fact, pollutants discharged               In 1990, States reported on the
            and streams have been at the receiv-         upstream often become the problem             quality of 647,066 river miles, 36
            ing end of discharges from a wide            of someone who lives downstream (or           percent of the Nation's total miles
            array of polluters. It is only recently,     of the aquatic life that exists instream),    (the terms rivers and streams are
            in a historical sense, that we have          and all of the activities that take place     used interchangeably and include
            become concerned about what                  in a watershed can have a water               major rivers such as the Mississippi,
            happens to the pollutants discharged         quality impact elsewhere in the               small streams that flow only in wet
            to rivers by sewage facilities and           watershed. The term watershed                 weather, and everything in between).
            factories or to the eroded soil washed       simply refers to a geographic area in         This is 128,000 more stream miles
            by rainfall from agricultural fields.        which water, sediments, and dis-              than States assessed in 1988. The
            Certainly the prevailing belief for          solved materials (contaminants) drain         following figures provide a summary
            many years was that pollutants               to a common outlet such as a point on         of the water quality of rivers, as
            dumped into a river would simply             a larger river, lake, underground             reported to EPA by the States.
            get washed away and would no                 water, or ocean. It is therefore impor-
            longer be a problem.                         tant to remember that the rivers we
                                                         are discussing here are inextricably
                                                         connected - by hydrology, ecology,
                                                         geology, and social and economic
                                                         considerations - to the lakes, wet-
                                                         lands, and coastal and ground waters
                                                         we discuss later in this booklet.


              Fish Kills
                 One of the most obvious signs           presented by the States underestimate         included pesticides, biochemical
             of water pollution problems is the          the total number of fish kills that           oxygen-dernanding substances, oil
             fish kill: dead fish floating on the        occurred nationwide between 1988              and gas, chlorine, temperature
             surface of the water or washed up           and 1990.                                     changes, ammonia, organics, and
             on the@ shoreline. Our fish kill                Despite theseproblems, fish kills         acidity. Leading sources of fish kills
             statistics are incomplete, for a            are an important consideration in             include industrialdischarges, agricul-
             number of reasons.                          water quality assessments, and State          tt.@fal activities, municipal sewage
                 Fish kill reporting is an entirely      reporting on the number and causes            treatment plant discharges, spills,
             voluntary process;@States are not           of kills is improving. In 1990,42             and mining activities. +
             requir': d to report on how many fish       States
             kills occur, or what might have             reported
             caused, them. In many cases it is the       on a total
             public- fishermen'and hunters,              of 1,365                                                   .... . .
             recreational boaters, or hikers - who       fish kill
             first notice fish kills and report them     incidents.
             to game wardens or other State              Almost 26
             officials. Many fish kills may go           million fish                                                                  'DC
             undetected or unreported, and               were
             others'may be difficult to investi-         reported
             gate, especially if they occur in           killed.
             remote areas. This is because dead          Pollutants
             fish ifkay be carried quickly down-         most often
             stream, or maybe difficult to count         cited as the                                               0 or Not Reported
                                                                                                                    1-10
             because of turbid conditions. It is         cause of                                               ED 11-30               PRO
             therefore likely that the statistics        kills                                                      31-70               VIM
                                                                                                                    @70

                                                                        Number of Fish Kills Nationwide


            10










          Do Our Rivers and                            Use Support in Rivers and Streams
          Streams Support Uses?                                                                          Not Supporting (62,218)
              Of the Nation's 647,066 assessed                                                              Partially Supporting (134,472)
          river miles, 63 percent were found to                                                               Threatened (43,214)
          fully support their designated uses,
          and an additional 7 percent support
          uses but are threatened and may                                   Unassessed                            Fully Supporting
          become impaired if pollution control                               (1,153,000)                           (407,162)
          actions are not taken. Nearly 21
          percent were reported as partially
          supporting uses, and the remaining
          10 percent of river miles were found
          to be not supporting designated uses.                              Total River Miles: 1,800,066

          What Is Polluting Our                        Top Ten Pollutants in Rivers and Streams
          Rivers and Streams?

              As reported by the States in 1990,                           Siltation
          those pollutants that most commonly                             Nutrients
          contribute to impairment in rivers are             Organic Enrichment
          siltation and nutrients, affecting 36                         Pathogens
          percent and 28 percent of impaired                                 Metals    77M"
          stream miles, respectively. Other                                 Salinity
          leading causes of impairment include               Habitat Modification
          organic enrichment and resultant low
                                                                         Pesticides
          levels of dissolved oxygen, affecting
                                                               Suspended Solids
          26 percent of impaired stream miles,                     Flow Alteration
          and indicators of pathogens, affect-
          ing 19 percent.                                                            0            10            20            30            40
                                                                                                 Impaired Miles Affected

          Where Does This                              Sources of Pollution in Rivers and Streams
          Pollution Come From?
              Leading sources of these pollut-                            Agricultural
          ants in rivers include agricultural                               Municipal
          runoff - by far the most widely                           Hydrologic Mod
          reported source, affecting 61 percent                Resource Extraction
          of impaired stream miles - municipal               Storm Sewers/Runoff
          discharges, affecting 16 percent, and                             Industrial
          modifications to the hydrology and                              Silviculture
          habitat of streams, affecting 15
          percent. -1@                                                  Construction                                                          _j
                                                                                      0       10       20       30       40      50       60

                                                                                                      Impaired Miles Affected






            LAKES AND RESERVOIRS


                 Many lakes evolve naturally over               Eutrophication due to human                   The 1987 amendments to the
            time, filling with sediments and                activities is one of the leading prob-        Clean Water Act emphasized the
            organic matter that alter many basic            lems facing our Nation's lakes and            need for information on a number of
            characteristics such as depth, biologi-         reservoirs. The eutrophication                significant problems other than the
            cal productivity, oxygen levels, and            progression is commonly defined by            more traditional indicators of trophic
            water clarity. This natural "aging"             a series of trophic states as described       status. Many States are therefore
            process is known as eutrophication.             in the box below.                             expanding their lake monitoring
                 Human activities can speed                     In 1990, 38 States reported that          efforts to detect potential effects of
            eutrophication by increasing the                half of the lakes they assessed for           acid deposition (acid rain), acid mine
            amounts of nutrients and organic                trophic status were either eutrophic          drainage, and toxic substances. In
            substances that enter lakes from their          or hypereutrophic, 39 percent were            some areas of the country, impacts
            surrounding watersheds through wet              mesotrophic, 10 percent were oligo-           from these problems are severe:
            weather runoff, leaking septic                  trophic, and less than I percent were         increases in lake acidity can radically
            systems, sewage discharges, eroded              dystrophic. This information may be           alter the community of fish and plant
            streambanks, and similar sources.               somewhat biased, as States often              species in lakes and can increase the
            These substances can overstimulate              assess lakes in response to a problem         solubility of toxic substances and
            the growth of algae and aquatic                 or public complaint or because of             magnify their adverse effects.
            plants, creating conditions that                their easy accessibility. It is likely
            interfere with the recreational use of          that more remote lakes - which are            EPXs Clean Lakes
            lakes and the health and diversity of           probably less impaired - are
            indigenous fish and plant popula-               underrepresented in these assess-             Program
            tions.                                          ments.                                            The Clean Water Act established
                                                                                                          the Clean Lakes Program in 1972 in
                                                                                                          response to widespread public
                                                                                                          support for preserving and protecting
                                                                                                          our Nation's lakes. In the Clean
                                                                                                          Lakes program, EPA provides
                                                                                                          Federal funds to help States carry out
                                                                                                          diagnostic studies of lake problems,
                                                                                                          determine necessary protection and
                                                                                                          restoration measures, implement
                                                                                                          those measures, and monitor the
                          Ic
                      h'     'States
                                                                                                          long-term impacts and effectiveness
                                                                                                          of those measures.
              Otigotrophit           Clear waters with little organic m      ter or sediment.,                Successful lake programs require
                                     and @n-df@irnurn biolo, ical activitv.
                 :4                                                                                       strong local support and cooperation
                                                            9
                                                                                                          from natural resource agencies at the
              Mesotrovhlc            Waters with more nutrients and, therefore, more                      local, State, and Federal levels. Many
                                     biological productivity.
                                                                                                          States have made great progress in
                                                                                                          establishing these types of coopera-
              Euttd     c.           Waters extremely rich in nutrients, with high biologi-@:             tive frameworks for managing lakes
                                     ca                                       be
                                       I      ductivity.,so                       choked out.             under the Clean Lakes Program.
                                         pTo                me speciesmay,,
              Hyp&ufhrophic          Murky, highly          ductive@   tiers, ciosest to the
                                                                   Ma
                                                        pro
                                     wetland status.    Many clearwatef.speciescannot
                                     survive.

              D                      Low. mi nutrients highly,cibloted: -with dissolved,h
                                                                                              urnic.
                                                                               A. of1he natural
                                              Ma
                                    @,@orgardc@   tter, (Not necessan v a va
                                     trophl             ssion.)
                                            c progre



            12












         Do Our Lakes and                                 Use Support in Lakes and Reservoirs
         Reservoirs Support
         Uses?                                                                                            Not Supporting (3,940,277)

              Of our Nation's 39.4 million acres
         of lakes and reservoirs, 47 percent were                                                                 Partially Supporting @3,471,633)
         assessed by the States in 1990. Of                                Unassessed                         I
         those, 44 percent were found to fully                             (20,911,364)
         support designated uses such as
         swimming, fishing, and water supply.                                                                            Threatened (2,902,809)
         An additional 16 percent were identi-
         fied as threatened and could soon
         become impaired if pollution control                                                                        Fully Supporting
         actions are not taken. States reported                                                                      (8,173,917)
         19 percent of assessed lake acres as
         partially supporting uses and 21                                      Total Lake Acres: 39,400,000
         percent as not supporting uses.
         What Is Polluting Our Top Ten Pollutants in Lakes and Reservoirs
         Lakes and Reservoirs?
              Metals and nutrients were reported                                     Metals
         by the States as the most common                                          Nutrients
         causes of nonsupport in assessed lakes,                     Organic Enrichment
         affecting 48 percent and 32 percent of                        Suspended Solids
         impaired lake acres, respectively.                       Noxious Aquatic Plants
         (Three-quarters of the total acres                                         Siltation
         affected by metals were in one State,                             Flow Alteration
         which attributed this problem to                                Priority Organics
         mercury accumulation in fish from                                           Salinity
         atmospheric deposition.) Another                                                 pH
         leading cause of lake impairment was
         organic enrichment, affecting 19                                                     0         10        20         30         40         50
         percent of impaired lake acres.                                                                 Impaired Acres Affected

         Where Does This                                  Sources of Pollution in Lakes and Reservoirs
         Pollution Come From?
              A ricultural runoff is reported as                         Agricultural
                9
         the most extensive source of pollution                    Hydrologic Mod
         in lakes, affecting 57 percent of im-              Storm Sewers/Runoff
         paired lake acres. Other leading                            Land Disposal
         sources in lakes include hydrologic                               Municipal
         modifications, affecting 40 percent;
         storm sewers/runoff, affecting 28                                 Unknown
         percent; land disposal (septic tanks),                            Industrial
         affecting 24 percent; and municipal                 Resource Extraction
         discharges, affecting 17 percent. +
                                                                                       0       10         20        30        40        50          60
                                                                                                     Impaired Acres Affected
                                                                                                                                                      13






            THE GREAT LAKES

               The Great Lakes, containing                 All Great Lakes States report           A Water Quality
            one-fifth of the world's fresh water,      restrictions on the consumption of          Partnership
            are stressed by a wide range of            certain fish species in nearshore
            pollution sources. These sources           waters. Pollutants of particular                 The Great Lakes are coopera-
            include municipal and industrial           concern affecting fish are PCBs, DDT,       tively managed by the U.S. and
            discharges, combined sewer over-           and mercury. Atmospheric deposi-            Canada under the Great Lakes Water
            flows, runoff from urban areas,            tion and sediment contamination             Quality Agreement of 1978 (as
            atmospheric deposition (e.g., acid         from previous activities such as            amended in 1987). The International
            rain), contaminated sediments, and         industrial discharges are thought to        Joint Commission, established by the
            hazardous waste sites associated           be significant sources of fish contami-     1909 Boundary Waters Treaty, is
            with the large urban centers located       nation. Sediment contamination is a         responsible for identifying actions to
            on the shores of the Great Lakes.          major problem in nearshore waters           protect the Great Lakes. Representa-
               Many of these sources are               and harbors.                                tives from State and Federal agencies
            particularly difficult to control              Since 1973, 42 Areas of Concern         and universities work together on the
            because of their diffuse origins.          have been identified in the Great           Commission's two boards to identify
            Furthermore, because the Great             Lakes basin where environmental             problem areas, plan programs to
            Lakes are a relatively closed water        quality is substantially degraded.          reduce pollution, and publish find-
            system, many of the pollutants that        Most Areas of Concern are harbors,          ings and issue papers.
            reach them remain in the system            bays, and river mouths. Remedial
            indefinitely.                              Action Plans have been developed for
                                                       each Area of Concern. These plans
                                                       include identifying impaired uses
                                                       and examining how best to restore
                                                       the areas.



                                                                                 owl


























            The Great Lakes are stressed by a variety of activities associated with the large cities on their shores.
            14











          Do the Great Lakes                               Use Support in the Great Lakes
          Support Uses?
              Ninety-four percent of total Great                       Not Supporting (3,288)                    Partially Supporting
                                                                                                             @_(1,415)
          Lakes shoreline miles were assessed
          by the States in 1990. Of these, only 3
          percent fully support uses. The
          reason for the low rate of use support                                                                                  Threatened
          is fish consumption advisories                                                                                           (69)
          issued by the Great Lakes States and
          the Province of Ontario for the                                                                                             Fully
          nearshore waters of the Great Lakes.
                                                                                                                                      Supporting
          Twenty-nine percent of assessed                                                                                             (85)
          shoreline miles partially support
          uses, and the remaining 68 percent                                                                                       Unassessed
          do not support uses. These figures                                                                                       (312)
          do not address water quality condi-
          tions in the deeper, cleaner, central                                      Total Great Lakes Shoreline Miles: 5,169
          waters of the Lakes.


          What Is Polluting the                           Top Pollutants in the Great Lakes
          Great Lakes?
              Toxic organic chemicals -                            Priority Organics
          primarily PCBs - are the leading                                Pesticides
          contributor to impairment in 99
          percent of impaired Great Lakes                                     Metals  A7
          shoreline miles. Other leading causes                 Organic Enrichment
          of impairment include pesticides,                                 Nutrients
          affecting 14 percent, and metals,                                        0      10 20 30 40               50 60 70 80 90                  100
          affecting 5 percent.                                                                 Impaired Shoreline Miles Affected

          Where Does This                                 Sources of Pollution in the Great Lakes
          Pollution Come From?

              Although information on sources                                                  4._
                                                                            Land Disposal
          of pollution in the Great Lakes is
          sketchy, the reported information                     Contaminated Sediment
          suggests that landfills and contami-                   Atmospheric Deposition
          nated sediments are the leading                              Combined Sewers
          sources impairing Great Lakes
          waters. Other sources cited by the                                       Municipal
          States include atmospheric deposi-                        Storm Sewers/Runoff
          tion, combined sewers, and munici-                                     Agricultural
          pal discharges.
                                                                                              0          10         20          30          40        50

                                                                                                     Impaired Shoreline Miles Affected


                                                                                                                                                       15






          ESTUARIES


               Estuaries are areas partially              Estuaries are stressed by the                Through the NEP, States nomi-
          surrounded by land where rivers             particularly wide range of activities        nate estuaries of national significance
          meet the sea. They are characterized        located within their watersheds.             that are threatened or impaired by
          by varying degrees of salinity,             They receive pollutants carried by           pollution, development, or overuse.
          complex water movements affected            rivers from agricultural lands and           EPA evaluates the nominations and
          by ocean tides and river currents, and      cities; they often support marinas,          selects those that show evidence of a
          high turbidity levels. They are also        harbors, and commercial fishing              committed citizenry, political sup-
          highly productive ecosystems with a         fleets; and their surrounding lands          port, a range of government involve-
          range of habitats for many different        are highly prized for development.           ment (State, Federal, regional, and
          species of plants and animals.              These stresses pose a continuing             local), and available scientific and
               Among the plant species found in       threat to the survival of these bounti-      technical expertise to tackle the
          estuaries are submerged sea grasses,        ful waters.                                  problem. The EPA convenes man-
          salt marsh plants, algae and phyto-                                                      agement conferences with representa-
          plankton. Animal species include            Protecting Estuaries: A                      tives from all interested groups (e.g.,
          bottom-dwelling organisms such as                                                        industry, agriculture, conservation
          oysters, clams, and lobsters; fish such     Watershed Approach                           organizations, and State agencies) to
          as sea trout, striped bass, and floun-           Section 320 of the Clean Water          more fully characterize the problems
          der; and birds such as sea gulls,           Act (as amended by the Water                 and seek solutions.
          cormorants, and pelicans. Many              Quality Act of 1987) established the             The NEP is also a national
          species permanently inhabit the             National Estuary Program (NEP) to            demonstration program. There are
          estuarine ecosystem; others, such as        protect and restore water quality and        more than 150 estuaries in the U.S.
          salmon and shrimp, use the                  living resources in estuaries. The           and only a small fraction can be
          nutrient-rich estuarine waters as           NEP adopts a geographic or water-            targeted for action through the NEP.
          nurseries before traveling to the sea.      shed approach by planning and                It is therefore important that the
                                                      implementing pollution abatement             lessons learned through the NEP be
                                                      activities for the estuary and its           communicated to estuarine water
                                                      surrounding land area as a whole.            quality managers throughout the
                                                                                                   country. As of May 1992, 17 estuaries
                                                                                                   are included in the NEP.


                                                                     Or Sound                                                         cascx@ Bay
                                                                                                                                      Massaichu
                                                                                                                                           Bay
                                                                                                                                      Bunards Bay
                                                                                                                                      Narragansett
                                                                                                                                  Loalslemd
                                                                                                                                      und
                                                             San Francisco                                                       NY/W Harbor
                                                                Bay                                                               Delaware
                                                                                                                                  Estuary
                                                                                                                                 Delaare
                                                                                                                                  Wand
                                                                                                                                  Bays
                                                                                                                                 Alloemarlo.
                                                                Sarta Monica                                                     parnico
                                                                  Bay                                                             S=11


                                                                                                                          Indian RW r
                                                                                                                           Lagoon
                                                                                                                 Tampa
                                                                                                                  Bay
                                                                                                         Barataria-Terrabonne
                                                                                                          a
                                                                                                    GaNa.ton Estuary
                                                                                                      Say       Sarasota Bay





          E
                                                       Estuaries Participating in the National Estuary Program
           16











          Do Our Estuaries                               Use Support in Estuaries
          Support Uses?                                                                      Partially Supporting
                                                                                                    (6,573)                    Threatened
              Roughly three quarters of the                                                                                    (3,052)
          Nation's total estuarine waters were                          Not Supporting
          assessed by the States in 1990. Of                                (2,064)
          these, 56 percent were found to fully
          support designated uses. An addi-
          tional 11 percent are considered
          threatened and could become im-
          paired if pollution control actions are                                       Unassessed
                                                                                                                               Fully Supporting
          not taken. Twenty-five percent of                                                (8,931)
                                                                                                               R, @,g
                                                                                                                                   (15,004)
          assessed estuarine square miles
          partially support uses, and the
          remaining 8 percent do not support
          uses.
                                                                                         Total Estuary Square Miles: 35,624
          What Is Polluting                              Top Ten Pollutants in Estuaries
          Our Estuaries?

              States report that the most                                        Nutrients
          common causes of nonsupport of                            Organic Enrichment
          designated uses in our Nation's                                      Pathogens
          estuaries are nutrients, affecting 55                         Priority Organics
          percent of impaired square miles;                           Suspended Solids
          organic enrichment and resulting low
          levels of dissolved oxygen, affecting                                     Metals
          31 percent; and pathogens, affecting                                    Siltation  7.7
          30 percent. Pathogen contamination                                    Pesticides
          is responsible for the closure of                                      Unknown
          shellfishing beds in many areas of the                                 Ammonia
          country. It should be noted that over
          half the States with estuaries did not                                           0       10       20       30       40       50       60
          provide information on specific                                                         Impaired Square Miles Affected
          pollutants in their waters.

          Where Does This                                Sources of Pollution in Estuaries
          Pollution Come From?
                                                                              Municipal
              States report that municipal                                                                                               ... ..... ..
          dischargers and storm sewers/runoff                  Storm Sewers/Runoff
          are the leading sources of pollution in                       Land Disposal
          their estuarine waters, affecting 35                              Agricultural
          percent and 30 percent of impaired                               Construction
          estuarine square miles, respectively.                                Industrial
          Other leading sources cited by the                       Combined .11   ewers
          States include land disposal (septic                        Hydrologic Mod
          systems) and agricultural runoff. +
                                                                                           0     5     10      15     20      25     30      35
                                                                                               Impaired Square Miles Affected (%)
                                                                                                                                                  17






           OCEAN COASTAL WATERS

              We know less about the condition       Protecting Coastal                              One of the tools to protect
          of our ocean coastal waters than we        Waters                                      coastal waters is EPA's National
          do about our estuarine or inland                                                       Coastal and Marine Policy. The goals
          waters. In part, this may be because            EPA's Near Coastal Waters              of the Policy are to recover the full
          we tend to think that only oil spills or   Program is a long-term blueprint for        recreational use of ocean beaches; to
          similar disastrous events could            improving environmental manage-             restore the Nation's shellfisheries,
          possibly affect a resource as vast as      ment of near coastal waters. Like the       saltwater fisheries, and other living
          an ocean.                                  National Estuary Program, the Near          resources by controlling pollution
              In fact, we are seeing evidence        Coastal Waters (NCW) Program                and causes of habitat destruction and
          that our ocean waters-particularly         focuses on a geographically targeted        loss; to minimize the use of coastal
          the waters near our coasts-suffer          watershed approach. Its goal is to          and marine waters for waste disposal;
          from the same pollution problems           protect all near coastal bays, lagoons,     to expand scientific research and
          that affect our inland waters. Beach       coves, freshwater Great Lakes coasts,       monitoring in coastal and marine
          debris cleanups are cataloging tons of     and other coastal waterbodies.              ecosystems; and to take a leadership
          trash carried into the oceans by           Demonstration projects have been            role to protect the world's oceans by
          rivers, washed in from city storm          developed and regional strategies           promoting international efforts to
          sewers, thrown in by beach visitors,       implemented to target geographic            stop pollution and protect habitat.
          or dumped overboard by boaters.            areas for special protection. Imple-            EPA has joined in partnership
          Beaches are closed to swimming             mentation projects include restoring        with other Federal agencies in the
          every summer due to pathogens from         coastal wetlands, tightening enforce-       Coastal America program to coordi-
          inadequately treated wastes. Marine        ment of water quality regulations,          nate Federal activities and authority
          mammals are suffering from                 and incorporating best management           in protecting coastal living resources
          pollution-related stresses. Fragile        practices to control wet weather            and to forge similar alliances at the
          coral reefs in Florida and Hawaii          runoff in coastal areas.                    State and local levels. Coastal
          show signs of pollution impacts.                                                       America will be supporting protec-
          Coastal development is increasing at                                                   tive environmental projects in coastal
          a rapid rate. Clearly we can no                                                        areas around the country.
          longer pretend that the oceans can
          take care of themselves.




















                                                       "ï¿½r


                                                                                                 6




                                                                                                                                         71




          18









          Do Our Ocean Coastal Use Support in Oceans                                                          Shellfish
          Waters Support Uses?                                                                                Harvesting
               Only about 22 percent of the                Not Supponing       Partially Supponing            Restrictions
          Nation's estimated 19,200 miles of                     (116)                 (290)
          ocean coastline have been assessed                                                 Threatened            Many coastal States report
          by the States. Of these, 89 percent                                                                         tions on shellfish harvest-
                                                                                                 (49)         restric
          were found to fully support their
                                                                               N.                             Ing in estuarine waters. Shell-
          designated uses, and 1 percent are                                        Fully                     fish - particularly oysters, clams
          threatened and likely to become                                         upporting                   and mussels - are filter-feeders
          impaired if pollution control actions                                   (3,775)                     that extract their food from water.
          are not taken. Seven percent of                      Unassessed                                     Waterborne bacteria and viruses
          assessed coastal miles partially                        (14,970)              .1.                   may also accumulate on their gills
          support designated uses, and 3                                                                      and mantles and in their digestive
          percent do not support uses. These                                                                  systems. Shellfish contaminated
          figures are not necessarily represen-                                                               by these microorganisms are a
          tative of the Nation as a whole                   Total Ocean Coastline Miles: 19,200               serious human health concern,
          because they apply to so few coast-                                                                 particularly when shellfish are
          line miles. Data on pollutants and                                                                  consumed raw.
          sources of pollution are too sparse to                                                                   States currently sample water
          be included in this report. +                                                                       from shellfish harvesting areas to
                                                                                                              measure total coliform and fecal
                                                                                                              coliform bacteria. These bacteria
                                                                                                              serve as indicators of the presence
                                                                                                              of potentially pathogenic micro-
                                                                                                              organisms associated with
                                                                                                              untreated or undertreated
                                                                                                              sewage. States restrict shellfish
                                                                                                              harvesting to areas that maintain
                                                                                                              these bacteria at concentrations in
                                                                                                              sea water below established
                                                                                                              health limits.
                                  "Ar                                                                              In 1990,20 States reported
                                          @%U@     v*                                                         that shellfish harvesting restric-
                                                                                                              tions were in effect for portions of
                                                                                                              their estuarine and coastal waters
                                                                                                              during the 1988-90 reporting
                  41                                                                                          period. A total of 340 restrictions
                                                                                                              were reported, covering a total of
                                                                                                              2,018 square miles of estuarine
                                   A,*                                                                        waters. The most commonly
                                                                                                              reported reasons for restrictions
                                                                                                              on shellfish harvesting include
                                                                                                              municipal wastewater treatment
                                                                                                              facilities, urban runoff or storm
                                                                                                              sewers, septic systems, marinas,
                                                                                                              and industrial discharges. +



                       20


                                                                                                                                                         19






           WETLANDS


              Wetlands are areas that are either       wetlands include estuarine marshes;          erosion in two ways: their roots bind
          flooded or saturated by water for            mangrove swamps found in Puerto              the soil and their leaves slow the
          varying periods of time during the           Rico' Hawaii, and Florida; and Great         movement of water. Wetlands help
          growing season. Wetlands are                 Lakes coastal wetlands. Inland               purify water by processing nutrients
          characterized by plants that are well        wetlands - common on floodplains             and other pollutants and filtering
          adapted to wet conditions and by             along rivers and the margins of lakes        suspended materials. They also help
          certain soil types.                          and ponds - include marshes and wet          regulate water quantity by absorbing
              In the past, wetlands were               meadows, bottoraland hardwood                water in wet seasons and releasing it
          considered wastelands -- the source          forests, Great Plains prairie potholes,      through seeps, springs, and open
          of mosquitoes, flies, and unpleasant         cypress-gum swamps, and south-               outlets during dry seasons.
          odors - to be filled or drained and          western playa lakes.                             In addition, wetlands are widely
          put to "better use." When European               Wetlands provide food and                enjoyed by hikers, birdwatchers,
          settlers first arrived in America, over      shelter to countless animal species          hunters, fishermen, photographers,
          200 million acres of wetlands existed.       including many fishes, birds, reptiles,      and boaters and play an important
          Today, half of our Nation's wetlands         and mammals. Forty-five percent of           role in our Nation's natural and
          have been destroyed by filling,              federally listed threatened or endan-        cultural heritage.
          draining, pollution, channelizing,           gered animals and 26 percent of listed
          grazing, clearing, and other modifica-       plants depend directly or indirectly         Wetland Loss: A
          tions resulting from human activity.         on wetlands for some portion of their
                                                       life cycles. Wetlands also provide           Continuing Problem
          Fragile Treasures                            habitat for a vast majority of the               Despite what we have learned
                                                       commercial fish and shellfish species        about the value of our wetlands,
               Wetlands are now recognized as          consumed in this country. In addi-           these national treasures continue to
          some of the most unique and impor-           tion, they also serve as feeding areas       be threatened by a variety of human
          tant natural areas on earth. They            along migration routes for waterfowl         u
          vary in type according to differences        and other wildlife.                          activities. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife
          in local and regional hydrology,                 Wetland soil and vegetation help         Service study of wetland loss found
          vegetation, water chemistry, soils,          in flood control by acting as natural        that 2.6 million acres of wetlands
          topography, and climate. Coastal             sponges that absorb flooding water.          were lost over the 9-year study
                                                       Wetland plants also help control             period from the mid-1970s to the
                                                                                                    mid-1980s.
                                                                                                        In 1990, 16 States reported on the
                                                                                                    reasons why wetlands are being lost.
                                                                                                    Although many historic wetlands
          Sources of Wetland Losses                                                                 losses were due to conversion of
                                                                                                    wetlands for agricultural uses, States
                                                                                                    now report that commercial and
                                                                                                    residential development currently is
                            Urbanization    =111 MEMMMON-1111                0                      the leading source of wetland loss.
                                            nommmm                                                  Other reasons include agricultural
                             Agricultural   11011          Imm,                                     and irrigation projects, construction
                         Impoundments       1=11                                                    of impoundments, mining activities,
                                                                                                    and highway construction.
                                   Mining                                                               Among States that reported on
                 Highway Construction                                                               water quality concerns in their
                                                                                                    wetlands, sedimentation and increas-
                                 Forestry                                                           ing salinity were cited as leading
          Second Home Development                                                                   causes of degradation.
                      Mosquito Control
                                            @ W@,

                                         0         2    4       6      8     10      12      14
                                                       Number of States Reporting
          20









         Protecting the Treasure                       Beginning in 1990, EPA estab-          water quality standards, monitoring
             We are making progress in             lished a grant program to support          trends in wetland loss, coordinating
         assessing the threats to our wetland      State wetland protection programs.         State and local planning agencies,
         resources and developing wetland          These grants have been used for a          and disseminating educational
         protection programs. However,             range of efforts such as developing        materials on wetlands. +
         much work remains to be done to
         fully identify and assess remaining       Wetland Water Quality Problems
         wetland resources, develop regula-
         tory tools, and implement protection
                                                              Sediment
         programs nationwide.
             One of the first steps in broaden-                  Salinity                                 @,_, . . . .. .. . . . . .
                                                                                                          .... ....
                                                                                                          ........ ....
         ing wetlands protection is to develop                  Metal    A
         water quality standards for wetlands                          s
         and to define them as "waters of the                 Pesticides
                                                                                            . . . . . . . . . .
         State," subject to the same protective
                                                t as   Hydrologic Mod                           V
         provisions of the Clean Water Ac
         apply to other surface waters. EPA                    Nutrients
         issued guidance in 1990 to help States

                                                                                        . . . .... . ..
                                                                                         . . . .. . .... ...... . .
         develop these standards by 1993.           Dissolved Oxygen
             The leading Federal regulatory
                                                              Selenium
         program for the protection of wet-
         lands is Section 404 of the Clean                           pH
         Water Act. Section 404 gives the U.S.                   Weeds
         Army Corps of Engineers and EPA                                 iTT
         the authority to issue permits to                              0        1      2       3       4       5       6       7
         protect the environment from the
         adverse effects of the discharge of                                           Number of States Reporting
         dredged or fill material. The Corps
         reviews about 13,000 applications a
         year for projects that might affect
         wetlands. EPA and other agencies
                                                                                             A
         assist in the review and approval or
         disapproval of these projects.
             States protect their wetlands with
         a variety of programs related to                                                           f
         permitting, restoration, wetlands                  #law
                                                             V                                                                  low
         acquisition, coastal management, and
         natural heritage conservation. At
         present, however, only a few States
         have completed developing water
         quality standards for wetlands, and                                                                    ic
         coastal wetlands appear to receive
         more regulatory protection than                                               ACV
         inland wetlands.


                                                      10






                                                                        ....... ....
         The leading source of wetland loss
         reported by the States is commercial
         and residential development.

                                                                                                                                  21





            GROUND WATER


                Ground water - water found in             withdrawals are primarily for indus-               According to information pro-
            natural underground rock formations           trial and domestic purposes; in the           vided by the States in 1990, 44 States
            called aquifers - is a vital natural          and West, most ground water is                have adopted ground-water protec-
            resource with many uses. In many              withdrawn for irrigation.                     tion strategies. These strategies
            parts of the country, ground water is                                                       typically outline goals for addressing
            the only reliable source of drinking          Protecting Our                                ground-water problems; outline a
            water. Although the Nation's                                                                system to classify ground-water
            ground water is of generally good             Ground-Water                                  resources and monitor the health of
            quality, an increasing number of              Resources                                     those resources; provide mechanisms
            pollution incidents affecting both                                                          for coordinated government action
            public water supplies and private                 Many States are developing and            for preventing contamination; and
            wells has been reported throughout            expanding regulations, legislation,           describe regulatory programs.
            the country.                                  and programs needed to protect their               In addition, 37 States report
                                                          ground-water resources. The need to           some form of current or pending
            Our Uses of Ground                            protect ground water before it                ground-water legislation that focuses
                                                          becomes contaminated is critical:             on the need for increased data
            Water                                         ground-water cleanup is particularly          collection, public education activities,
                About 51 percent of the popula-           complex and expensive, and altema-            and the establishment of technical
            tion of the U.S. relies to some extent        tive supplies of water may be difficult       controls. Forty-one States report that
            on ground water as a source of                to obtain.                                    they have adopted ground-water
            drinking water. In rural areas, most              Ground-water protection can be            protection standards either describ-
            residents rely on potable or treatable        achieved through a variety of means,          ing general goals for nondegradation
            ground-water sources to provide               including pollution prevention                of ground-water supplies or estab-
            economical supplies of water for              programs, source controls, siting             lishing threshold, health-based
            domestic use. In fact, in nine States         controls, the protection of wellhead          concentrations for specific com-
            ground water provides drinking                areas and future public water supply          pounds. States are also engaged in
            water for 75 percent or more of the           areas, and the protection of aquifer          mapping their ground-water
            population.                                   recharge areas. The primary respon-           resources and the extent of contami-
                Ground water is also used for             sibility for coordinating and imple-          nation and are developing innovative
            irrigation, industrial cooling and            menting ground-water protection               programs to protect vulnerable
            processing, and livestock watering.           programs is vested in the States,             wellhead areas.
            In the East and South, ground-water           although Federal, State, and local                 Although the States have pri-
                                                          activities should all be linked in a          mary responsibility for protecting
                                                          coordinated plan of action.                   and managing their ground-water
                                                                                                        resources, EPA works in partnership
                                                                                                        with them through programs man-
            Ground-Water Uses                                                                           dated by the Clean Water Act, the
                                                                                                        Safe Drinking Water Act, and other
                                             Urban Domestic Supply (13.8%)                              national legislation. EPA intends to
                                                                                                        strengthen the progress the States
                                                                                                        have made over the past few years in
                                                         Rural Domestic Supply (4.4%)                   ground-water protection by provid-
                                                                                                        ing them with the financial, technical,
                                                                                                        and management tools they need to
                                                              Industry (13.5%)                          build on their current programs. One
                                                                                                        new initiative is to encourage each
                    Irrigation (66.9%)
                                                                                                        State to develop a comprehensive
                                                                                                        ground-water protection program to
                                                             Livestock (1.5%)                           coordinate all of its programs affect-
                                                                                                        ing ground water.


            22










          Ground-Water Quality Sources of Pollution in Ground Water
              In general, States rank their                    Underground Storage Tanks
          ground-water resources as good to
          excellent in quality, with contamina-                                 Septic Tanks
          tion occurring only in local problem                            Municipal Landfills
          areas. Many States are working to                              Agricultural Activity
          better understand the existing quality Abandoned Hazardous Waste Sites
          of their ground-water resources, to                       Surface Impoundments
          identify potential sources of contami-                              Injection Wells
          nation, and to determine the vulner-
          ability of the resource to pollution.                               Other Landfills
              In 1990, 42 States ranked their           Regulated Hazardous Waste Sites
          major sources of ground-water                                   Industrial Landfills
          contamination. The most frequently
          cited sources were                                                                     0   5     10 15 20 25 30 35 40
                                                                                                         Number of States Reporting
          0  Leaking underground storage               Top Ten Pollutants in Ground Water
             tanks such as gasoline storage
             tanks at service stations and
             heating oil supply tanks for                                   Nitrates

                                                                                                              . . .. . . ..
                                                                                                                            g 'i.1
                                                                                                                        0
             schools and public buildings;                                   Metals

                                                                         Pesticides
          ï¿½ Septic tanks that leak nutrients,
             pathogens, and household wastes;                            Petroleum
                                                                Volatile Organics
          ï¿½  Poorly managed or poorly located                                        107777, 7777'77                      . ..........
             municipal landfills;                                              Brine
                                                              Synthetic Organics
          ï¿½  Agricultural activities such as                                                  On

                                                                                                   .. ......
             pesticide applications, irrigation,                          Fluorides
             feedlot management, and manure
                                                            Radioactive Material
             spreading; and
                                                                                                 M2.
                                                                            Arsenic        '7*    6,M3,
             Abandoned hazardous waste sites
             such as those subject to cleanup                                       0      5      10     15     20     25     30      35     40
             under the EPA "Superfund"                                                           Number of States Reporting
             program.


              States also identified the con-
          taminants that originate from these
          sources of pollution. Nitrates were
          identified as a problem by 37 States,
                                                                                                             AN&SP
          metals by 33 States, pesticides by 32
          States, and petroleum products and
          volatile organic compounds by 31
          States. +


          Leaching of toxic chemicals from
          landfill sites is one of the many
          sources of ground-water
          contamination.

                                                                                                                                              23





            PROTECTING WATER QUALITY

                 The EPA works in partnership           m  Effluent guidelines - The EPA                  New amendments to the Clean
            with State and local governments to            develops nationally consistent               Water Act now require permits for
            improve and protect water quality.             guidelines limiting pollutants in            municipal sewers that carry
            A number of laws provide the                   the discharges of industrial and             stormwater separately from other
            authority to develop and implement             municipal sewage treatment                   wastes and serve populations of
            pollution control programs. The                facilities. These guidelines are             100,000 or more and for
            primary statute providing for water            then used in permits issued to               stormwater discharges associated
            quality protection in the Nation's             dischargers under the National               with industrial activity. The EPA is
            rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries,            Pollutant Discharge Elimination              developing regulations to establish
            and coastal waters is the Federal              System (NPDES) program. Addi-                a comprehensive program to
            Water Pollution Control Act of 1972,           tional controls may be required if           regulate storm sewers, including
            commonly known as the Clean                    receiving waters are still affected          requirements for State stormwater
            Water Act.                                     by water quality problems after              management programs.
            The Clean Water Act                            permit limits are met.                    a  Grants - The EPA provides States
                                                        m  Permits and enforcement - All                with financial assistance to help
                The Clean Water Act of 1972                industrial and municipal facilities          support many of their pollution
            and its amendments are the driving             that discharge wastewater must               control programs. These programs
            force behind many of the water                 have an NPDES permit and are                 include the construction and
            quality improvements we have                   responsible for monitoring and               upgrading of municipal sewage
            witnessed in recent years. Key                 reporting levels of pollutants in            treatment plants; water quality
            provisions of the Clean Water Act              their discharges. EPA issues these           monitoring, permitting, and
            provide the following pollution                permits or can delegate that                 enforcement; and developing and
            control programs.                              permitting authority to qualifying           implementing nonpoint source
                                                           States. The States and EPA inspect           pollution controls, combined sewer
            m  Water quality standards and                 facilities to determine if their             and stormwater controls, ground-
               criteria - States adopt                     discharges comply with permit                water strategies, estuary and near
               EPA-approved standards for                  limits. If dischargers are not in            coastal management programs,
               their waters that define the uses           compliance, enforcement action is            and wetland protection activities.
               for those waters, and specific              taken.
               limits on pollution (known as
               criteria) to protect those uses.







                                                                                 -7@
                                                                     _7777777




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           24










         ï¿½ Nonpoint source control - The               Fish Consumption Restrictions
            EPA provides program guidance,
            technical support, and funding to             Toxic chemicals that enter rivers,       consumption advisories on 998
            help the States control nonpoint          lakes, wetlands, and estuaries may be        waterbodies.
            source pollution. The States are          absorbed or ingested by aquatic                   The pollutants most commonly
            responsible for analyzing the             organisms that are, in turn, con-            identified as causing fish consump-
            extent and severity of their              sumed by larger predators. These             tion restrictions include PCBs,
            nonpoint source pollution prob-           toxic pollutants can bioaccumulate in        pesticides, dioxin, mercury, organ-
            lems and developing and imple-            the tissues of fish and shellfish,           ics, and other heavy metals. States
            menting needed water quality              which pose a potential health hazard         report that the leading sources of
            management actions.                       to people who eat them. When States          these pollutants are industrial
                                                      find toxic substances in fish tissue at      discharges and polluted wet
         ï¿½  Control of combined sewer                 concentrations exceeding established         weather runoff from urban areas,
            overflows - Under the National            health standards, they issue fish            storm sewers, agricultural lands,
            Combined Sewer Overflow                   consumption advisories or bans for           and resource extraction activities.
            Control Strategy of 1989, States          the areas affected.                              Reporting on fish consumption
            develop and implement measures                National statistics on fish con-         restrictions is improving as States
            to reduce pollution discharges            sumption restrictions are incomplete.        increase their monitoring of fish
            from combined storm and sanitary          For example, in 1990, some States            tissue and establish stronger links
            sewers. The EPA works with the            reported hundreds of restrictions and        between the reporting agency and
            States to implement the national          some reported very few. This may be          the agency setting the consumption
            strategy.                                 more the result of differences in how        restriction. EPA has developed a
                                                      fish are monitored and advisories are        computerized database of fish
         Other Water Statutes                         set than actual differences in water         consumption restrictions based
                                                      quality conditions.                          on State-reported data and expects
             Other statutes that also guide the           In 1990, a total of 47 States            that information sharing between
         development of water quality protec-         provided information on the number           database users will further improve
         tion programs include:                       of waterbodies with fish consump-            the process used to establish
                                                      tion restrictions in their waters,           and report fish consumption
             The Safe Drinking Water Act,             Forty-five States reported fish              advisories. +
         under which States establish stan-
         dards for drinking water quality,
         monitor wells and local water supply
         systems, and implement drinking
         water protection programs.
             The Resource Conservation and
         Recovery Act, which establishes State
         and EPA programs for ground-water
         protection and cleanup and empha-                                                         .....              .... .
         sizes prevention of releases through                                                        ......                    C)c
         management standards.
             The Comprehensive Environ-                                                                    ........
         mental Response, Compensation,
         and Liability Act, which provides
         EPA with authority to clean up
         contaminated ground water. +
                                                                                                         00, Not Reported
                                                                                                         1-10
                                                                                                         11-30              PR
                                                                                                         31-70               V1
                                                                                                         @70


                                                        Number of Fish Consumption Restrictions Nationwide

                                                                                                                                           25





           YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE


              Federal and State programs have        Be Informed                                Be Responsible
           helped clean up many waters and               You should learn about water                In your yard, test your soil before
           slow the degradation of others. But
           government alone cannot solve the         quality issues that affect the commu-      you apply fertilizers, and look for
           entire problem, and water quality         nities in which you live and work.         alternatives where fertilizers might
           concerns persist. Wet weather runoff,         Become familiar with your local        run off into surface waters. Consider
           in particular, is everybody's problem,    water resources. Where does your           selecting plants and grasses that have
           and everybody needs to solve it.          drinking water come from? What             low maintenance requirements.
              Examine your everyday activities       activities in your area might affect the   Water your lawn conservatively.
           and think about how you are contrib-      water you drink, or the rivers, lakes,     Preserve existing trees and plant new
           uting to the pollution problem. Here      beaches, or wetlands you use for           trees and shrubs to help prevent
           are some suggestions on how you can       recreation?                                erosion and promote infiltration of
           make a difference.                            Learn about procedures for             water into the soil. Restore bare
                                                     disposing of harmful household             patches in your lawn to prevent
                                                     wastes so they don't end up in             erosion. If you own or manage land
                                                     sewage treatment plants that can't         through which a stream flows, you
                                                     handle them or in landfills not            may wish to consult your local
                                                     designed to receive hazardous              county extension office about meth-
                                                     materials.                                 ods of restoring stream banks in your
                                                                                                area by planting buffer strips of
                                                                                                native vegetation.
                                                                                                    Around your house, keep litter,
                                                                                                pet waste, leaves, and grass clippings
                                                                                                out of gutters and storm drains. Don't
                                                                                                waste water when you wash your
                                                                                                car. Never dispose of any household,
                                                                                                automotive, or gardening wastes in a
                                                                                                storm drain. Keep your septic tank in
                                                                                                good working order.
                                                                                                    Within your home, fix any
                                                                                                dripping faucets or leaky pipes, and
                                                                                                install water-saving devices in
                                                                                                shower heads and toilets. Always
                                                                                                follow directions on labels for use
                                                                                                and disposal of household chemicals.
                                                                                                Take used motor oil, paints, and
                                                                                                other hazardous household materials
                                                                                                to proper disposal sites such as
                                                                                                approved service stations or
                                                                                                designated landfills.





                                       -7
           vv@







        S

                                                                                X.
                                                                                                Citizen volunteers in Texas catalog
                                                                                                and clean up beach debris.
           26









         Be Involved                                Volunteer Monitoring:                           The benefits to you of becoming a
              As a citizen and voter there is       You Can Become Part                        volunteer are also great. You will
         much you can do at the community                                                      learn about your local water
         level to help preserve and protect our     of the Solution                            resources and have the opportunity to
                                                                                               become personally involved in a
         Nation's water resources.                      In many areas of the country,          nationwide campaign to protect a
              Look around. Is soil erosion          citizens are becoming personally
         being controlled at construction sites?    involved in monitoring the quality of      vital, and mutually shared, resource.
                                                                                               If you would like to find out more
         Is the community sewage plant being        our Nation's water. As a volunteer         about organizing or joining volunteer
         operated efficiently and correctly?        monitor, you might be involved in          monitoring programs in your State,
         Is the community trash dump in or          taking ongoing water quality mea-          contact your State department of
         along a stream? Is road deicing salt       surements, tracking the progress of        environmental quality, or write to:
         being stored properly?                     protection and restoration projects, or
              It is important to know where         reporting special events, such as fish          U.S. EPA
         your elected officials stand on water      kills and storm damage.                         Volunteer Monitoring (WH-553)
         quality and environmental issues -             Volunteer monitoring can be of              401 M St. SW
         and let your opinions be heard! Many       great benefit to State and local                Washington, DC 20460
         communities have recycling pro-            governments. Some States stretch
         grams; find out about them, learn          their monitoring budgets by using               For further information on water
         how to recycle, and volunteer to help      data collected by volunteers, particu-     quality in your State, write to your
         out if you can. One of the most            larly in remote areas that otherwise       State department of environmental
         important things you can do is find        might not be monitored at all.             quality. Additional water quality
         out how your community protects            Because you are familiar with the          information may be obtained from
         water quality, and speak out if you        water resources in your own neigh-         the U.S. EPA and Regional offices
         see problems.                              borhood, you are also more likely to       of the U.S. EPA (see inside back
                                                    spot unusual occurrences such as           cover). +
                                                    fish kills.









            For Further Reading

            U.S. EPA. 1988. America's Wetlands: Our Vital Link Between Land and
            Water. Office of Water. OPA 87-016.

            U.S. EPA. 1988. Environmental Backgrounden Wetlands. Office of Water.
            U.S. EPA. 1989. EPA journal. Can Our Coasts Survive More Growth?
            Volume 15, Number 5.

            U.S. EPA. 1991. EPA Journal: Nonpoint Source Pollution: Runoff of Rain and
            Snowmelt, Our Biggest Water Quality Problem. Volume 17, Number 5.
            U,S. EPA. 1992. National Water Quality Inventory, 1990 Report to Congress.
            Office of Water. EPA 503/99-92-006.


                                                                                                                                      27
                                                         MS. GOVEMaCKNT PFMMNG OMCE: 1992 - 617-003 - 1302/67041






          U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Offices



          EPA Region 1                     EPA Region 4                       EPA Region 6                      EPA Region 8
          JFK Federal Building             345 Courtland Street, NE           1445 Ross Avenue                  One Denver Place
          Boston, MA 02203                 Atlanta, GA 30365                  Dallas, TX 75202                  999 18th Street, Suite 500
          (617) 565-3424                   (404) 347-3004                     (214) 655-2200                    Denver, CO 80202
          Connecticut, Massachusetts,      Alabama, Florida, Georgia,         Arkansas, Louisiana,              (303) 293-1119
          Maine, New Hampshire,            Kentucky, Mississippi, North       New Mexico,                       Colorado, Montana, North
          Rhode Island, Vermont            Carolina, South Carolina,          Oklahoma, Texas                   Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
          EPA Region 2                     Tennessee                          EPA Region 7                      Wyoming
          26 Federal Plaza                 EPA Region 5                       726 Minnesota Avenue              EPA Region 9
          New York, NY 10278               77 West Jackson Blvd.              Kansas City, KS 66101             75 Hawthorne St.
          (212) 264-2515                   Chicago, IL 60604                  (913) 551-7003                    San Francisco, CA 94105
          New Jersey, New York,            (312) 353-2072                     Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,           (415) 744-1585
          Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands      Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,       Nebraska                          Arizona, California, Hawaii,
          EPA Region 3                     Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin                                           Nevada, American Samoa,
          841 Chestnut Street                                                                                   Guam
          Philadelphia, PA 19107                                                                                EPA Region 10
          (215) 597-9072                                                                                        1200 Sixth Avenue
          Delaware, Maryland,                                                                                   Seattle, WA 98101
          Pennsylvania,                                                                                         (206) 553-4973
          Virginia, West Virginia,                                                                              Alaska, Idaho, Oregon,
          District of Columbia                                                                                  Washington








                                                              4
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            VOEPA

                                                                                                                                                  2---Cv)
                 United States
                 Environmental Protection
                                                                                                                                                  5@0
                 Agency                                                                                                                                C)
                 401 M Street, S.W.; (WH-553)
                 Washington, DO 20460                                                                                                                  (0
                                                                                                                                                  @CD
                                                                                                                                                       (0
                 Official Business                                                                                                                     M
                 Penalty for Private Use
                 $300


                                                                                                             '14