 |
 hile the Clean Water Act has forced significant
progress over the past twenty-five years in controlling water pollution
from point sources such as industrial outfall pipes, one entire class of
significant water pollution remains largely unaddressed. This major water
quality problem is known as polluted runoff the phenomenon in which pollutants
on agricultural fields, city streets, and suburban lawns are carried into
rivers, lakes, and coastal waters by runoff from rain or snow.
 Polluted runoff comes in various
forms and causes a series of problems. Soil sediment from sources such as
plowed fields and construction sites can destroy fish habitat and kill aquatic
life. Pesticides swept from fields and lawns into water bodies can increase
the risks of cancer and birth defects in human beings. Excess nutrients,
such as nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers applied to lawns and crops,
feed algae blooms that can prevent people from swimming and can kill fish
and other aquatic life by robbing the water of oxygen. Heavy metals such
as lead and copper, which can come from mining and industrial processes,
along with bacteria and pathogens from various sources also make their way
into waterways through polluted runoff where they can cause a variety of
human health problems.
Wetlands are a vital line of defense
in protecting water quality from polluted runoff. Because of their crucial
position between water and land, wetlands function as a buffer zone that
intercepts and filters polluted runoff before it can degrade rivers, lakes,
and coastal areas. Dense wetland vegetation improves the clarity and health
of receiving waters by trapping sediment and pollutants. Wetland microorganisms
and plants remove excess nutrients from water and store them in cell tissue,
which ultimately decomposes into soil rich in organic matter, or return
them to the atmosphere as harmless gas. Wetlands also filter pesticides
and heavy metals from water, and microbial action taking place on wetland
bottoms can reduce water-borne bacterial contamination significantly. By
filtering these pollutants from America's waters, wetlands help to safeguard
drinking water sources. They also improve the ability of rivers, lakes,
and coastal waters to support other important uses, such as safe and clean
swimming and fishing.
Despite their importance for protecting
and restoring water quality, wetlands are an endangered resource in America.
We have lost more than half our original wetlands in the lower forty-eight
states, and these losses continue today. Legislation introduced in the last
Congress would have accelerated wetland loss by dramatically weakening the
Clean Water Act's protections for wetlands, thus compromising safeguards
for water quality in America's rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. To protect
and restore the quality of America's water, we must protect and restore
America's wetlands.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 established
a national goal of water quality which makes our waters safe for fishing
and swimming. But nearly twenty-five years later, the goal of clean water
has not been fully achieved. More than a third of all lakes, rivers and
estuaries remain unsafe for fishing or swimming (EPA, 1995). Nearly one
out of every three shellfish beds were closed or restricted during 1994
(EPA, 1996). In 1995, coastal and Great Lakes beaches were closed or had
advisories posted warning against swimming on more than 3,522 occasions
(Natural Resources Defense Council, 1996).
Because of the contaminants present
in both surface waters and groundwater, the quality of our drinking water
supply is also at risk. In 1993, community water systems supplied 26.5 million
people with water that violated health-based standards . These violations
included the presence of nitrates and toxic organic chemicals. A recent
survey of utilities suggests that over 45 million Americans drink water
supplied by systems that have found Crypiosporidium, a dangerous parasite,
in their raw or treated water. Overall, medical researchers have estimated
that there are 7.1 million cases of mild to moderate waterborne illness
annually in the U.S. and another 560,000 cases that are moderate to severe.
Clean water is highly valued by the
American public. When choosing a place to live, Money Magazine readers
ranked Clean Water as the top concern in all but one year since 1990. Aside
from causing health-related concerns, poor water quality threatens the viability
of the $45 billion commercial fishing industry and the $380 billion recreational/tourism
industry, whose most popular destinations are beaches, lakes, and rivers
(EPA, 1996). According to an August 1995 Harris poll, 72 percent of Americans
thought that laws and regulations designed to control water pollution were
not strict enough.
Historically, the Clean Water Act
has focused on reducing the most evident sources of pollution, such as industrial
and municipal outflow pipes. These direct discharges are known as point
sources because they can be traced to a specific point of origin. The polluter
can be required to obtain a permit and uphold certain water quality standards
for point source pollution. While the Clean Water Act has been largely effective
in identifying pollution that flows from point sources such as pipes, polluted
runoff- pollution that does not emerge from a pipe or other discrete point
source - remains a largely unaddressed water quality problem.
Conservation of our nation's remaining
wetlands provides one of the best means of defense against polluted runoff.
The scientific link between functioning wetland systems and improved water
quality is well established. Wetlands, commonly known as marshes or swamps,
filter out pollutants from contaminated runoff through natural processes
that improve the quality of water downstream. Wetlands are a crucial, natural
mechanism for protecting and restoring water quality. Wetland protection
must be an essential part of our nation's efforts to ensure clean water
for all.  |
