Standards and Criteria:
The Clean Water Act establishes three major steps for water quality protection. States designate one or more beneficial uses for each water body or stream segment. This triggers the adoption of protective water quality standards for each use, based on available (EPA or State) water quality or human health criteria. For waters designated as drinking water sources, human health criteria are used. Wildlife and habitat criteria standards are also applied in some cases. These are generally more stringent than those for drinking water, which are applied at the faucet after municipal treatment. If the uses of waters are impaired (do not meet water quality standards), States (or EPA) develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) to reduce the loadings of pollutants.
Criteria are critical technical information about the effects of a specific pollutant on human health or aquatic life and specify the maximum allowable concentrations that are protective of aquatic life or human health. Both numeric standards (“no more than 0.9 parts per billion”) and narrative standards ("free from toxic pollutants in toxic amounts") exist, as do both numeric and narrative criteria. Criteria are developed by EPA and are published as guides to states for the development of water quality standards. States may substitute locally developed criteria if they are as protective as EPA's. Criteria are developed for the most persistent, prevalent and toxic substances known and incorporate bioaccumulative factors where appropriate.
A single water body may have several uses and several standards. Different standards may exist for different segments on the same water body if beneficial uses differ among the segments. Standards are not directly enforceable under the CWA, but each state has the option to make them enforceable through its own legislative process. EPA is required to develop standards if a State fails to adopt acceptable standards. Beneficial uses and standards must be reviewed at least once every three years with EPA oversight and public hearings. Sometimes rivers and lakes are cleaner than the minimum needed for the beneficial use designated by the State. According to the CWA's anti-degradation policies, the cleaner level must become the standard for that designated use. On the other hand, increased discharges are prohibited on streams and lakes that are Maintaining water quality that is protective of existing uses (present before designation of new beneficial uses); Protecting actual water quality where the quality exceeds minimum levels needed to maintain all beneficial uses; and Providing special protections for "Outstanding Natural Resource Waters (ONRWs), or high quality or ecologically unique waters (swamps, hot springs, national parks, wildlife refuges, endangered species habitat).
Water Quality Monitoring:
Improved information on the conditions of ground water aquifers, surface water bodies and health of aquatic systems is a principal mechanism for water pollution control programs and efforts to build understanding of water pollution problems. To meet water quality standards and criteria, States and local agencies monitor surface water (and sometimes ground water) to determine levels of regulated contaminants so they can issue permits and control point source discharges of waste. Such monitoring provides the basis for determining if a water body is "impaired,” and if a total maximum daily load will be needed. States assess rivers, lakes, estuaries and other water bodies and report to EPA every two years under section 303(d) and section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act. Federal, State and university scientists also conduct "weight of evidence" monitoring that can link water quality and ecology assessments. They evaluate water chemistry, the diversity of aquatic communities, the structure of aquatic habitat, and contaminant levels in indicator species. In its recent Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), EPA proposed to include biological assessments and related criteria development in new regulations and guidance for state water quality standards programs. In addition to regulatory roles, monitoring programs provide scientific information needed for ecosystem research and watershed planning and management. In recent years, monitoring has provided greater knowledge of the water quality functions of riparian zones and of the pathways of exchange between shallow ground water and surface water bodies. A principal focus in recent years has been to determine the impacts and severity of nonpoint source pollution by assessing soil sedimentation rates and the frequency and concentrations of nutrient and pesticide detections in selected streams. The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) is conducting pesticide and nutrient studies on more than 50 major river, stream, and ground water systems. Many agribusinesses and related organizations also conduct surface and ground water monitoring for pesticides, nutrients and soil sediment as part of stewardship programs or when linked to specific pesticide registration requirements.
Total Maximum Daily Loads
This topic provides information on EPA's total maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). There are still waters in the nation that do not meet the CWA national goal of "fishable, swimmable" despite the fact that nationally required levels of pollution control technology have been implemented by many pollution sources. CWA section 303(d) addresses these waters that are not "fishable, swimmable"by requiring states, territories and authorized tribes to identify the waters and to develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for them in a prioritized manner, with oversight from EPA. A TMDL specifies the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, and allocates acceptable pollutant loading levels among point and nonpoint sources.
In August 1999, EPA proposed major revisions to the TMDL regulations (40 CFR Part 130), linking agricultural nonpoint sources to what has been viewed as strictly a point-source regulatory program. This action also includes related revisions to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPDES) and Water Quality Standards regulations to facilitate implementation of TMDLs. To view the proposed changes, see EPA draft proposed TMDL rule, or contact us for more information.
Watershed Management
Watersheds are the areas of the earth's surface that drain downhill to surface water bodies. Large (e.g., Florida Everglades or Mississippi River) or small, watersheds have discrete boundaries established by mountains, hills and valleys, and include all the lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands, streams, and other
surrounding landscape. Ground water recharge areas are also considered. Often crossing national, state and local borders, watersheds transcend as many political, social and economic boundaries as they do ecological boundaries.
In recent years, significant progress has been made in achieving cleaner and healthier watersheds that support both aquatic life and many human uses. New federal and state clean water policies often focus water quality protection strategies on comprehensive watershed resource management tailored to local needs.
Agriculture is an important stakeholder in watershed planning activities, often holding keys to solutions as well as many of the problems associated with non-point source environmental impacts: soil erosion, increased sediment and nutrient loadings, riparian vegetation removal, pesticide loadings, and stream canalization. In addition, many communities in agricultural watersheds have a
strong interest in increasing the use of those rivers as drinking water resources. Watershed partnerships among key stakeholders may provide equitable solutions.
Non-point Source Runoff:
Over the 25 years since the Clean Water Act (CWA) was originally enacted most of the historic point source toxics problems have been corrected, revealing less obvious nonpoint source (NPS) water quality and aquatic habitat problems. Aware of this NPS problem in 1987, Congress modified the CWA to include a voluntary, incentive-based program (section 319), which challenged each state to identify and address NPS pollution problems. Considerable progress has been made since its inception, despite total federal funding of only approximately $1 billion -- versus approximately $100 billion for control of point source pollution.
As overall water quality has improved in recent years, NPS runoff from farms, cities, suburban development and logging activities has come under intense scrutiny. Although two-thirds of all waters now meet water quality standards; recent state reports of U.S. water quality indicate that NPS runoff is responsible for about half of the remaining water quality problems.
In the Clinton/Gore administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) have mounted a major effort under the Clean Water Action Plan to expand regulations to counter many of these remaining problems. Such regulations challenge agriculture's traditional voluntary, incentive-based stance, and could force major changes in farming and livestock production. Common sense, affordable and effective solutions are needed.
Irrigation Return Flows
Irrigation is the basis for life and crop production in arid croplands of America, particularly in the 17 western states. In California alone, irrigated agriculture represents a nearly $27 billion industry, producing half of the nation's vegetables, fruit and nuts, and employing one out of six Californians. Not all of the water that is applied to crops, however, is taken up by the growing plants or held in the soil profile. Irrigation return or drainage water can pose environmental problems to surface or groundwater when it contains troublesome levels of dissolved salts, natural elements, nutrients or pesticides. An examination of California's challenges provides us an overview of this issue. Decades of surface irrigation has caused the leaching of selenium from soils in parts of the south and west sides of California’s San Joaquin Valley and Imperial Valley. Selenium is a naturally occurring trace element toxic to wildlife when concentrated. drainage water can also contain high concentrations of salts, arsenic, boron and/or other trace elements, which can concentrate in evaporation ponds to levels that are toxic to waterfowl. Contributing to the problem are both surface runoff and subsurface drainage from systems used to drain excess or saline water from the root zone of dense, improperly drained soils. It will be difficult to achieve solutions that protect wildlife and the long-term productivity of the valuable farmland, yet don’t adversely impact today's harvests. Runoff of nutrients and pesticide traces thought to adversely affect certain aquatic species in small agricultural drains in California will be the basis for development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). To solve the selenium problem other methods are being tried. Some states are purchasing the most problematic areas, taking them out of production and allowing native plant and animal populations to take over. In other areas, alternative wildlife habitat is provided to mitigate the effects of dangerous selenium levels in irrigation drainage collection basins. In yet other areas, farmers in problematic agricultural drainage areas have their annual discharge limited to average historic selenium levels.
Livestock and Poultry
Management of animal manure, litter and wastewater has always been an integral part of total farm management. Today it's becoming one of the most important factors in farm survival. That's because in recent years, there has been a significant shift in the public perception of livestock and poultry production. Thanks to several highly visible spills of livestock waste and concerns over fecal coliform bacteria and nutrients, much of the public now sees current federal and state laws governing animal agriculture as inadequate to deal with the social and environmental pressures that rapid growth and concentration have brought. Although voluntary programs have produced significant reductions in agricultural nonpoint source pollution, lawmakers are under tremendous pressure to sharply revise animal production policies.
The Clinton Administration is determined to significantly reduce runoff from animal feeding operations. Its Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations translates to stricter enforcement, a significant number of new regulations, and new funding for voluntary initiatives designed to address water quality concerns. USDA has issued new nutrient standards for commercial fertilizer, manure or biosolids application to crops and pasture. A new compliance program of EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance is ensuring all regulated operations are in compliance with existing permits. EPA is also developing new effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for large beef, pork, poultry and dairy operations or those that are known or likely to contribute to water quality impairment. New statewide and watershed-specific NPDES permits soon will be required of all concentrated animal-feeding operations (CAFOs) not covered by individual permits and many smaller operations that contribute to water quality impairment. An important part of this will be the development and implementation of comprehensive nutrient management plans (CNMPs) to balance the applied nutrient contribution of the manure and wastewater to the needs of the crops and pasture receiving it. Management is the key to pollution control when operating animal facilities. CNMPs will address all aspects of manure and wastewater collection and storage, handling and disposal, employee training, planning and record keeping.
Wetlands Preservation:
Wetlands are swamps, marshes, bogs, and sometimes relatively dry areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support (and at under normal circumstances do support) a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands are often found at the interface between dry terrestrial ecosystems such as upland forests, grasslands, and cropland, and permanently wet aquatic ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, bays, estuaries, and oceans.
A wide variety of wetlands exist across the country because of differences in climate, soils, topography, hydrology, vegetation, and other factors. Wetland type is determined primarily by local hydrology: the unique pattern of water flow through an area. But in general there are two broad categories of wetlands: Inland and coastal wetlands. Inland wetlands are most common on floodplains along rivers and streams in isolated depressions surrounded by dry land, and along the margins of lakes and ponds. Wetlands are the primary habitat for many species of plants and animals.
Wetlands provide many benefits including food and habitat for fish and wildlife, water quality improvement, flood protection, groundwater exchange, and shoreline erosion control. Wetlands help protect water quality by intercepting pollutants in surface water runoff before they reach surface water bodies, removing or retaining nutrients and sediment, and processing chemical and organic waste. As water moves slowly through a wetland, sediment and pollutants settle out, and plant roots trap sediment. Pollutants are metabolized and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are removed. The loss or degradation of wetlands are often a result of hydro modification (stream channeling), development, agriculture, and other practices, and can lead to increased folding, species population changes, and a decline in water quality.
