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AGRICULTURE RUNOFF PROBLEM
At Iowa's Neal Smith Refuge, turning just 10% of cropland into prairie strips cut sediment loss by 95%, phosphorus runoff by 90%, and total nitrogen loss by about 85%Native prairie strips can play a crucial role in reducing agricultural runoff, which has significant environmental implications. By prevent...
In 2002, Kansas listed the North Cottonwood River for copper pollution. 12 years later, farm conservation helped lower copper from 14.1 to 3.5 µg/L and restore the riverNorth Cottonwood River restoration: Kansas listed the North Cottonwood River as impaired by copper pollution in 2002. Agricultural runoff w...
In 2001, Kentucky flagged 6.5 miles of Triplett Creek for silt and nutrient pollution. 21 years later, monitoring found it met standards and cleared 2 pollution listingsTriplett Creek water quality: Triplett Creek's water quality improved significantly after extensive restoration work. Years of planning and...
In 2021, an Oregon farmer turned 70 acres of his barley farm into a wetland. Four years later it attracts thousands of birds and helps endangered fish surviveIn Oregon, a farmer has transformed seventy acres of barley into a thriving managed wetland, fostering a habitat for countless waterfowl an...
In 1996, Illinois added Lake Decatur to its pollution list after farm runoff harmed its water. 28 years later, nitrogen levels fell below the 7.8 mg/L limitLake Decatur's water quality improved after implementing agricultural best management practices. Efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment ru...
In 2002, Illinois listed Sugar Creek as polluted by 2 water-quality problems. 20 years later, 1 was cleared after cleanup efforts helped restore healthy oxygen levelsSugar Creek's dissolved oxygen impairment was cleared after twenty years of restoration work. Projects across the watershed focused on redu...
In 2006, Delaware listed Broadkill River waters as impaired for nutrients. 18 years later, BMPs helped restore 7.6 miles of Ingrams Branch, bringing phosphorus levels below the state thresholdIngrams Branch in Delaware has reached an important water-quality milestone. The 7.6-mile stream segment was once impaired by excess phosph...
In 1998, officials listed Arkansas' L’Anguille River as impaired for siltation and turbidity. Six miles of Lateral 1A were restored; today, landowners have restored two more milesL’Anguille River restoration is gaining ground in eastern Arkansas, years after the river was listed as impaired. In 1998, officials cited ...
In 1995, North Dakota's Richland County SCD began monitoring Antelope Creek for bacteria. 10 years later, a watershed project tackled septic, livestock and farm sources to cut bacteriaAntelope Creek and Wild Rice River saw reduced bacteria levels after conservation efforts. Best management practices addressed animal feedi...
In 2008, Virginia listed Grease Creek as impaired for swimming. 16 years later, DEQ cleared it from the impaired list after watershed BMPs restored water quality in 2024Grease Creek in Virginia has finally escaped a problem that followed it for 16 years. The creek was listed as impaired for swimming in 2008...
In 2006, Virginia flagged the Rapidan River for failing swimming standards. 18 years later, DEQ removed it from the impaired list after BMPs restored water qualityRapidan River water quality in Virginia has finally turned a corner after nearly two decades of concern. A section once flagged for failing...
In 1998, PA DEP listed 67 miles of Warrior Run for siltation and flow problems. 26 years later, 8.5 miles were delisted after farmers and agencies improved water qualityWarrior Run water quality has improved after years of work across Pennsylvania’s agricultural watershed. In 1998, the state listed 67 miles...
In 2006, Illinois listed 10.69 miles of Cahokia Creek as impaired. 14 years later, Heartlands Conservancy's BMPs improved the stream, leading to delisting in 2020Cahokia Creek in Illinois was impaired due to severe streambank erosion and lack of vegetation. Heartlands Conservancy used grant funding t...
In 2012, Maryland's Greensboro launched 2 projects to curb stormwater flooding. 9 years later, its firehouse gained permeable pavers and step pools, helping reduce pollutants reaching the riverGreensboro, Maryland, has successfully implemented modern stormwater control practices, improving water quality. These projects, funded by ...
Carbon emissions are worsening the western US water crisis, new study findsDecades of carbon emissions significantly worsened the western United States water crisis. Fossil fuel and cement producers' emissions redu...
In 2006, Delaware listed the Broadkill watershed for nitrogen and phosphorus impairment. 18 years later, BMPs restored 7.6 miles of Ingrams Branch, ending the phosphorusThe restoration of Ingrams Branch is a powerful example of how best management practices can produce measurable improvements in water quali...
An engineering mistake in 1905 accidentally created California’s largest lake — and it changed the desert foreverIn 1905, an engineering blunder redirected the Colorado River into a desert basin, unintentionally giving rise to California's Salton Sea. ...
In 2002, Idaho listed the South Fork Palouse River as bacteria-impaired after livestock grazing. 14 years later, restoration helped remove it from the 2016 impaired listThe South Fork Palouse River restoration began with a problem Idaho could not ignore. In 2002, the river was listed as bacteria-impaired, w...
In 1994, Illinois EPA listed 50.75 miles of Silver Creek as impaired by farm pollution. 28 years later, Illinois removed the creek from its impaired list in 2022Upper Silver Creek in Illinois has been removed from an impaired waters list. Best management practices were installed to reduce pollution ...
In 1989, a 185-page California climate report warned that a warming would slash the state's spring runoff by a full third. 30 years later, its warnings proved right, with mountain snow cover falling by half as droughts, floods and fires worsenedCalifornia received climate change warnings thirty years ago. These projections accurately predicted droughts, floods, and heat waves. The ...