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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the nation's worst water quality problem?
A: Nonpoint source pollution is the largest source of water quality problems.
It is the main reason that 40% of our assessed water bodies are unsafe for
basic uses such as fishing or swimming.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/facts/point1.html
- What is a TMDL?
A: A TMDL-or total maximum daily load-is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a
waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards. In other words, it is the sum of the
allowable loads of a single pollutant from all contributing point and nonpoint sources, and includes a
margin of safety and consideration of seasonal variations. In addition, a TMDL contains the reductions
needed to meet water quality standards and allocates those reductions among the sources in the
watershed.
For more info:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl
- How can I help prevent pollution to waters?
On Farmland
A:Agriculture activities that cause pollution include confined animal
facilities, grazing, plowing, irrigation, fertilizing, planting, and
harvesting. The impacts can be minimized by properly using combinations of
best management practices within an environmental context.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/facts/point6.html
At Home
A:Limiting paved surfaces, landscaping with nature, proper septic system
maintenance and proper chemical use, storage and disposal are easy and
inexpensive ways to prevent household water pollution. Raising community
awareness can also be essential to solving this problem
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/facts/point10.html
- How can I become involved in EPA's volunteer monitoring program?
A: EPA supports the efforts of state, local, and independent volunteer
monitoring programs throughout the country, but does not generally recruit
or train individual volunteers. EPA's role is primarily to provide technical
and outreach assistance to groups engaged in volunteer monitoring.
If you are interested in becoming involved in volunteer monitoring, you
may want to start by visiting our volunteer
monitoring homepage. Consult our National
Directory of Volunteer Environmental Monitoring programs for the
address of a volunteer program near you, or visit our Surf
Your Watershed page to learn about other watershed-based volunteer
opportunities. To learn more about volunteer monitoring in general, look
through our national newsletter, The
Volunteer Monitor, read our volunteer
monitoring fact sheet , or browse through one of the methods manuals
on our homepage.
- What is a wetland?
A: Wetlands are the link between water and land or the collective term for
areas between dry land and bodies of water. Wetlands also act as filters
thereby protecting sources of drinking water.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/facts/fact5.html
What is EPA's role?
A:EPA's authortity to protect wetlands comes through secion 404 of the clean
water act.
- What are the environmental consequences of wetland loss?
A: The loss or degradation of wetlands has many consequences, such as
increased flooding or the decline of water quality.
- What funds are available to support wetlands oceans and watershed
activities?
A: There are currently three grant programs that OWOW administers through
our regional offices:
The National Estuary Program, The Wetlands Protection State Development Grant Program and the
Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant Program.
In addition, in Dec. 1999, EPA published a document called the Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection (Second Edition), which provides information on 69 federal grant and loan programs which might be available to fund watershed protection and restoration projects.
- What is a watershed? What watershed do I live in?
A: Watersheds are nature's boundaries. They are the areas that drain to water
bodies, including lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands, streams, and the
surrounding landscape. Ground water recharge areas are also considered. Surf
Your Watershed is a new device that allows you to enter your zip code and find
out what watershed you live in as well as certain programs that are currently
on-going in your watershed as well as water quality and pollution information
for that area.
Go to Surf Your Watershed
Why is EPA focusing
on watersheds?
- What resources are available for kids on our Homepage?
A: There are many "cool" things on our page for kids but a couple
of highlights include The
Marine Debris Curriculum and the Wetlands reading list from the Wetlands
Hotline (1-800-832-7828).
- What is an estuary and what is EPA doing to protect them?
A: An estuary is a coastal area where fresh water from rivers and streams
mixes with salt water from the ocean. Many bays, sounds, and lagoons along
coasts are estuaries. Portions of rivers and streams connected to estuaries
are also considered part of the estuary. The land area from which fresh
water drains into the estuary is its watershed. EPA Protects estuaries
through the National Estuary Program.
For more Information: http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/about2.htm
- What newsletters do you provide and how can I be added to your mailing
lists?
There are currently 6 newsletters that our office sponsors. Just follow
these links to see the latest issues and leave a comment to be added to
the list.
Coastlines
News Notes
Watershed Events
The Water Monitor
The Volunteer Monitor
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