# Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution: Agenda for the Future **Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities**  **Federal Advisory C**  **ommittee February**  **2 3, 2009** 

# Why is This on the Agenda?

• 

## Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is a significant problem for the Nation

• 

### Water quality/ecological consequences • Hypoxia and eutrophication • Impairment • Leading sources and trends

• 

### Human - health concerns for drinking water • 

## Addressing nutrients is a top priority for EPA

• 

### Current efforts are not sufficient

• 

### Future actions: Are we heading toward regulation? • 

## The agricultural community should be involved in future decision - making

# Hypoxia Areas Have Increased Dramatically over the Last 50 Years

Source : Science /World Resources Institute.

## Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia

# “Failing the Chesapeake Bay”

-- Washington Post, December 2008

• 

### EPA Chesapeake Bay Program’s 2007 Annual Assessment found most of the Bay's waters are degraded:

• 12% of the Bay and its tidal tributaries met dissolved oxygen standards during the summer months

• 26% of the Bay's waters had acceptable concentrations of chlorophyll a

• 12% of the Bay's waters had acceptable water clarity.

• Fish kills in a number of rivers leading to the Bay

“ Stepped - up Regulation Backed as 25 - Ye ar Effort Fails to Meet Long - Te rm Deadlines” -- Wa shington Post, December 9, 2008

# Other Areas of the Country

• 

### Although smaller in size, many other watersheds exhibit significant water quality challenges caused largely by agricultural runoff.

• Selenium discharges from irrigation return flows in the Central Valley of California

• Runoff of unusually large sediment loads in eastern Washington (Palouse Region) due to agricultural activities on highly erosive lands

• Grazing impacts throughout much of the West from both upland and riparian erosion

# Nutrients, Organic Enrichment, and Pathogens are Leading Causes of Impairment **Rivers and Streams**  **(23% assessed)**  **Lakes, Ponds**

**and Reservoirs (40%**  **assessed) Estuaries** 

**(32% assessed)**  Pathogens Mercury Pathogens Sediment Nutrients Organic enrichment Nutrients Organic

enrichment PCBs Source : Most recent state 305(b) reporting in AT TA INS (mix of 2006, 2004, and 2002).

# Agriculture and AtmoDep are Leading Sources of Impairment **Rivers and Streams**  **(23% a**  **ssessed) Lakes, Ponds** 

**and Reservoirs (40%**  **a ssessed)**  **Estuaries**

**(32% assessed)**  Agriculture Unknown/

Unspecified* Unknown/

Unspecified* Unknown/ Unspecified* Atmospheric

deposition Atmospheric

deposition Hydromodification Agriculture Municipal discharges * Source unknown or undocumented due to insufficient information Source : Most recent state 305(b) reporting in AT TA INS (mix of 2006, 2004, and 2002).

# Highest Concentrations of Nitrogen are Geographically Focused

# Nitrogen Concentrations Increase with Percent Agriculture in Watershed

**Ecological Regions**

CPL NAP SAP UM W NPL SPL TPL WMT XER **WS A**  **Wa te**  **rs he**  **ds**

% Ag i n Wa te rs hed 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0TotalNitrogen(ug/L) 50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0

# 2002 Ammonia Emissions from

Animal Agriculture

# Poor Stream Biology is Twice as Likely in Streams with High Levels of Nitrogen, Phosphorus or Sediments

From the December, 2006 W adeable Streams Assessment

**National Summary**

**Biological Condition**  **of Wa**  **deable Streams**

### Year

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000DIN,ML-1

50 100 150 200 250 300 350DIP,ML-1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 DIN DIP **1960 -**  **62**

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus (DIP) 

# Nutrient Tr ends for Mississippi River

# Agriculture is the Predominant Nutrient Source to Gulf
• Ag contributes more than 70% of the N and P delivered to the Gulf • AtmDep contributes16% of N • Urban sources represent only 9 - 12% • Watersheds contributing highest load include Central Mississippi and Ohio (IL, IA, IN, IS, AR, KY, TN, OH, MS) • Greatest reduction in load to the Gulf predicted from targeting sources near large rivers or small streams that flow quickly to large rivers Source : USGS SP

ARROW Model for Mississippi/Atchafalaya Basin

# Effects of Excess Nutrients on

Drinking Water Quality • Nutrients can stimulate algal growth – elevated levels of organic matter • Creates taste and odor problems • Possible health effects from algal toxins • Organic matter + disinfectants = disinfection byproducts 

# • Runoff of nitrogen - based fertilizers leads to elevated nitrate levels in surface and ground water • Acute health risks for children (blue babies)

# Current Voluntary Approaches Alone are not Sufficient to Deal with the NPS Problem

Source : EP

A’ s Chesapeake Bay 2007 Health and Restoration Assessment Report 

# For Example: Chesapeake Bay

# Numeric WQS for Nutrients are Not Being Adopted Fast Enough

• 

### Florida Determination

• On January 14, EPA issued a formal determination under the CWA that numeric nutrient water quality criteria are necessary in Florida.

• EPA expects to propose numeric nutrient standards for lakes and flowing waters within 12 months, and for estuaries and coastal waters within 24 months.

• 

### Mississippi River Petition

• On July 30, 2008, various environmental groups petitioned EPA for Rulemaking under the CWA for numeric water quality standards for N and P and TMDLs for the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

# Is it Time to Regulate NPS Pollution?

• 

# What’s the tipping point?

• 

## More hypoxic “dead” zones?

• 

## Fisheries collapse?

• 

# Are we there now?

# Your Help is Needed

• 

# We need YOUR HELP to:

• 

## Better connect the water quality message with the farming community

• 

## Assure that we all understand how we can better support farmers in their nutrient reduction efforts

• 

## Make sure our solutions make financial sense to the farmer

• 

## Figure out a way to start getting significant reductions sooner rather than later!

## Joseph T. Piotrowski Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds U.S. Environmental Protection Agency