Clean Coastal Waters

Clean Coastal Waters PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309069483
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description
Environmental problems in coastal ecosystems can sometimes be attributed to excess nutrients flowing from upstream watersheds into estuarine settings. This nutrient over-enrichment can result in toxic algal blooms, shellfish poisoning, coral reef destruction, and other harmful outcomes. All U.S. coasts show signs of nutrient over-enrichment, and scientists predict worsening problems in the years ahead. Clean Coastal Waters explains technical aspects of nutrient over-enrichment and proposes both immediate local action by coastal managers and a longer-term national strategy incorporating policy design, classification of affected sites, law and regulation, coordination, and communication. Highlighting the Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone," the Pfiesteria outbreak in a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, and other cases, the book explains how nutrients work in the environment, why nitrogen is important, how enrichment turns into over-enrichment, and why some environments are especially susceptible. Economic as well as ecological impacts are examined. In addressing abatement strategies, the committee discusses the importance of monitoring sites, developing useful models of over-enrichment, and setting water quality goals. The book also reviews voluntary programs, mandatory controls, tax incentives, and other policy options for reducing the flow of nutrients from agricultural operations and other sources.

Clean Coastal Waters

Clean Coastal Waters PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309069483
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description
Environmental problems in coastal ecosystems can sometimes be attributed to excess nutrients flowing from upstream watersheds into estuarine settings. This nutrient over-enrichment can result in toxic algal blooms, shellfish poisoning, coral reef destruction, and other harmful outcomes. All U.S. coasts show signs of nutrient over-enrichment, and scientists predict worsening problems in the years ahead. Clean Coastal Waters explains technical aspects of nutrient over-enrichment and proposes both immediate local action by coastal managers and a longer-term national strategy incorporating policy design, classification of affected sites, law and regulation, coordination, and communication. Highlighting the Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone," the Pfiesteria outbreak in a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, and other cases, the book explains how nutrients work in the environment, why nitrogen is important, how enrichment turns into over-enrichment, and why some environments are especially susceptible. Economic as well as ecological impacts are examined. In addressing abatement strategies, the committee discusses the importance of monitoring sites, developing useful models of over-enrichment, and setting water quality goals. The book also reviews voluntary programs, mandatory controls, tax incentives, and other policy options for reducing the flow of nutrients from agricultural operations and other sources.

Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program

Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309679702
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 423

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Book Description
New York City's municipal water supply system provides about 1 billion gallons of drinking water a day to over 8.5 million people in New York City and about 1 million people living in nearby Westchester, Putnam, Ulster, and Orange counties. The combined water supply system includes 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes with a total storage capacity of approximately 580 billion gallons. The city's Watershed Protection Program is intended to maintain and enhance the high quality of these surface water sources. Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program assesses the efficacy and future of New York City's watershed management activities. The report identifies program areas that may require future change or action, including continued efforts to address turbidity and responding to changes in reservoir water quality as a result of climate change.

Confronting the Nation's Water Problems

Confronting the Nation's Water Problems PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030916589X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
In order to confront the increasingly severe water problems faced by all parts of the country, the United States needs to make a new commitment to research on water resources. A new mechanism is needed to coordinate water research currently fragmented among nearly 20 federal agencies. Given the competition for water among farmers, communities, aquatic ecosystems and other users-as well as emerging challenges such as climate change and the threat of waterborne diseases-Confronting the Nation's Water Problems concludes that an additional $70 million in federal funding should go annually to water research. Funding should go specifically to the areas of water demand and use, water supply augmentation, and other institutional research topics. The book notes that overall federal funding for water research has been stagnant in real terms for the past 30 years and that the portion dedicated to research on water use and social science topics has declined considerably.

Watershed Management for Potable Water Supply

Watershed Management for Potable Water Supply PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309172683
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 569

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Book Description
In 1997, New York City adopted a mammoth watershed agreement to protect its drinking water and avoid filtration of its large upstate surface water supply. Shortly thereafter, the NRC began an analysis of the agreement's scientific validity. The resulting book finds New York City's watershed agreement to be a good template for proactive watershed management that, if properly implemented, will maintain high water quality. However, it cautions that the agreement is not a guarantee of permanent filtration avoidance because of changing regulations, uncertainties regarding pollution sources, advances in treatment technologies, and natural variations in watershed conditions. The book recommends that New York City place its highest priority on pathogenic microorganisms in the watershed and direct its resources toward improving methods for detecting pathogens, understanding pathogen transport and fate, and demonstrating that best management practices will remove pathogens. Other recommendations, which are broadly applicable to surface water supplies across the country, target buffer zones, stormwater management, water quality monitoring, and effluent trading.

Water Quality Standards for Wetlands

Water Quality Standards for Wetlands PDF Author: DIANE Publishing Company
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9780788106392
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 70

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Book Description
Provides guidance to States on how to ensure effective application of water quality standards to wetlands. The basic requirements include: wetlands in the definition of 3State Waters2; designate uses for all wetlands; adopt aesthetic narrative criteria for wetlands; adopt narrative biological criteria for wetlands; and apply the State1s antidegradtion policy and implementation methods to wetlands. Charts and drawings.

Water Code

Water Code PDF Author: Texas
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water
Languages : en
Pages : 548

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Book Description


Compilation of Regulations

Compilation of Regulations PDF Author: United States. Federal Aviation Administration
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Airspace (Law)
Languages : en
Pages : 496

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Book Description


Technical Support Document for Water Quality-based Toxics Control

Technical Support Document for Water Quality-based Toxics Control PDF Author: United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Water
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Toxicology
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description


EPA Strategic Plan

EPA Strategic Plan PDF Author: United States. Environmental Protection Agency
Publisher: Agency
ISBN:
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description


Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act

Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309177812
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description
The Mississippi River is, in many ways, the nation's best known and most important river system. Mississippi River water quality is of paramount importance for sustaining the many uses of the river including drinking water, recreational and commercial activities, and support for the river's ecosystems and the environmental goods and services they provide. The Clean Water Act, passed by Congress in 1972, is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States, employing regulatory and nonregulatory measures designed to reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways. The Clean Water Act has reduced much pollution in the Mississippi River from "point sources" such as industries and water treatment plants, but problems stemming from urban runoff, agriculture, and other "non-point sources" have proven more difficult to address. This book concludes that too little coordination among the 10 states along the river has left the Mississippi River an "orphan" from a water quality monitoring and assessment perspective. Stronger leadership from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is needed to address these problems. Specifically, the EPA should establish a water quality data-sharing system for the length of the river, and work with the states to establish and achieve water quality standards. The Mississippi River corridor states also should be more proactive and cooperative in their water quality programs. For this effort, the EPA and the Mississippi River states should draw upon the lengthy experience of federal-interstate cooperation in managing water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.