United States
                     Environmental Protection
                     Agency
               Office Of Water
               (4503F)
         EPA841-F-94-002
         April 1994
<>EPA      FACT SHEET
     NATIONAL WATER QUALITY INVENTORY
     1992 REPORT TO CONGRESS
        Background

The National Water Quality In-
ventory Report to  Congress is
prepared every two years under
Section 305(b) of the Clean Wa-
ter Act.  The 1992 Report is  the
ninth in its series.

The Clean Water Act gives states
the responsibility to monitor and
assess their  waters and report
the results to EPA.  EPA pro-
vides technical assistance and
guidance on monitoring and re-
porting, and summarizes the re-
sults of the state assessments in
this Report to Congress.

This 1992 Report  is based on
water quality assessments sub-
mitted by 57 states, territories,
interstate jurisdictions, and an
American Indian Tribe (hereaf-
ter  collectively referred to as
states). These State assessments
describe water quality condi-
tions during 1990-1991.

Rivers,  lakes, estuaries, wet-
lands, coastal waters, Great
Lakes, and ground water are all
covered in this Report. This Re-
port also contains  information
on public health and aquatic life
concerns,  water quality moni-
toring,  and state  and federal
water  pollution control pro-
grams.
States measure water quality by
determining if individual wa-
ters are clean enough to support
uses such as fishing, swimming,
and drinking.  These uses are
part of the state water quality
standards, are set by the States,
and are approved by EPA.

   A Summary of Findings

For their 1992 reports to EPA,
the States assessed the quality of
roughly the same  amount of
waters as in previous reporting
cycles. Many waters remained
unassessed in the 2-year report
period. States assessed:

 • 18% of the Nation's 3.5 mil-
   lion river miles
 • 46% of the Nation's 39.9 mil-
   lion lake acres
 • 74% of the Nation's 37,000
   estuary square miles.
This represents a near doubling
of waters assessed in the inital
  About iwd thirds &f #$«
  semtd waters are of good
  mougfi quality & support
  uses $«£& it* ffehmg mid
  M*tiMn$ m&  fk&r&fote
  ito&t tfo Ctatrt Vfa&& Act
  goats established % Con-
two year period for 1984 when
EPA first started to gather this
type of information.

About two thirds of assessed
waters are of good enough qual-
ity to support the uses, states set
for them such as fishing  and
swimming, and therefore meet
the Clean Water Act goals es-
tablished by Congress.  The re-
Five Leading Sources of Water Quality Impairment
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Rivers
Agriculture
Municipal Point Sources
Urban Runoff/
Storm Sewers
Resource Extraction •
Industrial Point Sources
Lakes
Agriculture
Urban Runoff/
Storm Sewers
Hydrologic/Habitat
Modification
Municipal Point Sources
Onsite Wastewater
Disposal
Estuaries
Municipal Point Sources
Urban Runoff/
Storm Sewers
Agriculture
Industrial Point Sources
Resource Extraction
  Source: 1992 Report to Congress.
                                                              Ftecyctodflrtocyctabl*
                                                              Printed on paper that contains
                                                              at least 50% recycled fiber

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1992 National Water Quality Inventory
                                                   Fact Sheet
1 ive Loading Causes of Water Quality Impairment
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Rivers
Siltation
Nutrients
Pathogens
Pesticides
Organic Enrichment/
Low DO
Lakes
Metals
Nutrients
Organic Enrichment/
LowEO
Siltation
Priority Organic
Chemicals
Estuaries
Nutrients
Pathogens
Organic Enrichment/
Low DO
Siltation
Suspended Solids
 Source: 1992 Report to Congress.

 maining waters are impaired to
 varying degrees.

 In the one third of assessed wa-
 ters that have water quality prob-
 lems, the leading contributors to
 problems are agricultural run-
 off, municipal sewage treatment
 plant discharges, storm sewers
 and urban runoff. Agricultural
 runoff is  the most extensive
 source of pollution  in  the
 Nation's waters.

 Nutrients, Siltation, pathogens,
 metals, and organic enrichment
 are the most commonly reported
 pollutants in  impaired waters.
 Nutrients can overstimulate the
 growth of algae and weeds; silt-
 ation smothers bottom-dwelling
 organisms and destroys stream
 habitat; pathogens cause shell-
 fish  harvesting  restrictions,
 drinking water restrictions, and
 recreational beach closures; and
 organic enrichment leads to re-
 duced  levels of dissolved oxy-
 gen in water.

 Municipal sewage treatment fa-
 cilities, industries, and  others
 that discharge into waterways
 from "points" such as pipes con-
tinue to contribute to water qual-
ity problems.  Municipal  dis-
charges, for example, are the
leading pollution source in estu-
aries and the second leading
source in rivers. Industrial dis-
charges are often the source of
severe problems due to toxicants
  Agri&tftwe to the
           rvers
  7Z% of ifte impaired rfoer
and  are the leading source of
fish  consumption restrictions
and  the second leading source
of fish kills. Storm sewers and
urban runoff have emerged as
significantproblems nationwide
and  are the second leading
source of impairment in lakes
and estuaries.

Wetland loss continues at a sig-
nificant rate  and is attributed
primarily to residential and ur-
ban  development, agriculture,
resource extraction activities
such as mining, and the build-
ing of impoundments and high-

            Page 2
ways.  Loss of these resources
(1) reduces the biological pro-
ductivity of waters because wet-
lands are nurseries and breed-
ing grounds for many fish, shell-
fish, and birds; (2) increases the
impacts of floods and storm sew-
ers that wetlands would other-
wise attenuate; and (3) deprives
open waters of a natural "filter"
for the removal of pollutants.

Toxic substances, though not as
widely found as other pollut-
ants, continue to cause locally
severe impacts.  Among these
impacts are fish consumption re-
strictions, fish kills, and contami-
nation of bottom sediments.

Although, in general, the qual-
ity of the Nation's ground water
is good, an increasing number
of pollution incidents affecting
ground water  have been  re-
ported. Underground storage
tanks, septic systems, municipal
landfills, agriculture, and aban-
doned hazardous waste sites are
sources of ground water pollu-
tion cited by the states.

In ground water, the leading
pollutants include nitrates, met-
als, pesticides, petroleum prod-
ucts, and volatile organic com-
pounds.

      River and Stream
       Water Quality

For 1990-1991,  fifty-five  states
assessed the quality of 642,881
miles of rivers and streams, or
18% of the Nation's total 3.5 mil-
lion miles of rivers and streams.

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April 1994
                                                                             Section 305(b
 Of these 642,881 miles:

   • 56% fully support swim-
    ming, fishing, and other uses,
    and an additional 6%  cur-
    rently support uses but are
    threatened and  could be-
    come impaired if pollution
    control actions are not taken;
                               maining 13% are not support-
                               ing uses.

                            Leading sources - States attribute
                            72% of problems in assessed riv-
                            ers to agriculture; 15% to mu-
                            nicipal dischargers;  11% to re-
                            source extraction; and 11% to
                            storm sewers and urban runoff.
38% are impaired. Of these,  Leading pollutants - States at-
25% are considered partially  tribute 45% of problems in as-
supporting uses and the re-  sessed rivers to siltation; 37% to
                            nutrients;  27% to pathogens;
                            26% to pesticides;  and 24% to
                            organic enrichment.
       River Miles Assessed
         (For 1990-1991)

  Total rivers = 3.5 million miles
  Total assessed = 642,881 miles
               18% Assessed
               82% Unassessed
        Levels of Overall
      Use Support - Rivers
                              Any singlerivtr wile, takeacrt,
                              or esivarim square mile
                              ww
                                                    **»-
                              pa irmmt catego tie$ mo# total
           Fully Supporting
           56%
           Threatened
           6%
           Partially Supporting
           25%
           Not Supporting
           13%
           Not Attainable
                              Lake and Reservoir Quality

                            For 1990-1991, forty-nine states
                            assessed the quality of 18.3 mil-
                            lion acres of lakes, ponds, and
                            reservoirs, or 46 % of the Nation's
                            39.9 million lake acres.

                            Of these 18.3 million acres:

                              • 43%  fully support fishing,
                               swimming, and other uses,
                               and an additional  13% cur-
                               rently support uses but are
                               threatened  and could be-
                               come impaired if pollution
                               control actions are not taken;

                                         Page 3
     Lake Acres Assessed
        (For 1990-1991)
 Total lakes = 39,920,000 acres
 Total assessed = 18,300,000 acres
              46% Assessed
                                                                              54% Unassessed
                                                                       Levels of Overall
                                                                      Use Support - Lakes
                                                                     Fully Supporting
                                                                     43%
         Threatened
         13%
                                                                         Partially Supporting
                                                                         35%
                                                                     Not Supporting
                                                                     9%
                                                                          Not Attainable
 • 44% are impaired. Of these,
   35% are considered partially
   supporting uses, and the re-
   maining 9% are not support-
   ing uses.

Leading sources - States attribute
56% of problems in lakes to agri-
culture;  24% to storm sewers
and urban runoff;  23% to hy-
drologic modifications;  21% to

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1992 National Water Quality Inventory
                                                   Fact Sheet
 municipal dischargers; and 16%
 to onsite wastewater disposal.

 Leading pollutants - States at-
 tribute 47% of problems in as-
 sessed lakes to metals; 40% to
 nutrients;  24% to organic en-
 richment; and 22% to siltation.

 Pollution can accelerate the natu-
 ral aging process of lakes, known
 as eutrophication.  Eutrophic
 lakes are characterized by vari-
  Estuary Square Miles Assessed
         (For 1990-1991)

  Total estuaries = 36,890 square miles
  Total assessed, = 27,227 square miles
                Assessed 74%
                Unassessed 26%
        Levels of Overall
      Use Support - Estuaries
          Fully Supporting
          56%
          Threatened
          12%
          Partially Supporting
          23%
          Not Supporting
          9%
          Not Attainable
          0%
ous  conditions,  such as the
growth of weeds and algae due
to high nutrient levels; reduced
water clarity; and reduced lake
depth due to buildup of silt and
organic matter. Almost half of
all lakes assessed (47%)  were
found  to  be eutrophic  or
hypereutrophic.

     Estuary and Coastal
        Water Quality

For 1990-1991, twenty-five states
assessed the quality of 27,227
square miles of  estuaries,  or
about 74% of the Nation's total
37,000 square miles.

Of these 27,227 square miles:

 • 56% fully support fishing,
   swimming, and other uses,
   and an additional 12% cur-
   rently support uses but are
   threatened and  could  be-
   come impaired if pollution
   control actions are not taken;

 • 32% are impaired. Of these,
   23% are considered partially
   supporting uses and the re-
   maining 9% are not support-
   ing uses.

Leading sources - States attribute
53% of problems in assessed es-
tuaries to municipal discharges;
43% to storm sewers and urban
runoff; 43% to agriculture; and
23% to industrial point sources.

Leading pollutants - States  at-
tribute 55% of problems in as-
sessed estuaries  to nutrients;
42% to pathogens; 34%  to or-
ganic enrichment; and 12% to
siltation.

            Page 4
Water quality reporting  for
ocean coastal waters is limited.
                 the second
   leading p&Uuiion pr&bhm
   ifc Out N&foa $
 States assessed water quality in
 about 6% of the U.S. coastline
 miles. Only 14% of the assessed
 coastline miles were found to be
 impaired.

     Water Quality in the
       Chesapeake Bay

 The Chesapeake Bay Program
 has implemented programs to
 reduce impacts from nutrients,
 oxygen-demanding substances,
 and pathogens. Nutrients (pri-
 marily phosphorus and nitro-
 gen) feed the excessive algal
 growth in the Bay that results in
 low dissolved oxygen concen-
 trations and losses of underwa-
 ter grasses that provide critical
 food and habitat for waterfowl
 and shellfish.   Pathogen con-
 tamination in shellfish beds re-
 sults in shellfish harvesting re-
 strictions.

 Wastewater plant upgrades, en-
 hanced compliance with per-
 mits, bans on phosphorus  de-
 tergents in the Bay watersheds,
 and nonpoint source controls re-
 duced  annual discharges of
 phophorus into the Chesapeake
 Bay by 40% (4.7 million pounds)
 between 1985 and 1991. Over-
 all, water quality monitoring
 data confirm that the reduction
 in phosphorus loading is reduc-
 ing phosphorus concentration

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April 1994
                                                Section 305(b)
 in Bay waters.  Total phospho-
 rus concentrations in the Bay de-
 creased by 16% between  1984
 and 1992. However, total nitro-
 gen  concentrations have re-
 mained stable in the mainstem
 of the Bay and increased in some
 tributaries.

 The Cheaspeake Bay Program's
 nonpoint source program em-
 phasizes controls for runoff gen-
 erated by agricultural activities,
 paved surfaces, and construc-
 tion in urban areas.  Trie pro-
 gram includes nutrient manage-
 ment for applying animal wastes
 and fertilizers to cropland in
 amounts calculated to me;et crop
 requirements without contami-
 nating ground and surface wa-
 ters.

      Water Quality in the
          Great Lakes

 For 1990-1991, seven Great Lakes
  states assessed 5,319  miles of
 Great Lakes shoreline, or about
  99% of the Nation's total Great
  Lakes' shoreline.

  Of these 5,319 miles:

   • 2% fully  support fishing,
     swimming, and other uses,
     and  an additional 1% cur-
     rently support uses but are
     threatened  and could be-
     come impaired if pollution
     control actions are not taken;
These  statistics  only address
nearshore waters, not conditions
in the deeper, less stressed cen-
tral waters of the Great Lakes.

States attribute a high percent-
age of problem  waters  in the
Great Lakes to fish consump-
tion restrictions in  place for
nearshore areas.

Information on sources and pol-
lutants in the Great Lakes is lim-
ited.  Atmospheric deposition,
contaminated sediments, and
landfills are the leading sources
of pollution, and leading pollut-
ants include toxic organic chemi-
   Since tirte  19#0 JRgpwf f
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1992 National Water Quality Inventory                             	Fact Sheet
 Forty-seven States cite 1,279 wa-  sing efforts on carefully chosen  management activities  imple-
 terways with fish consumption  watersheds.  The WPA is not a  mented at the  state and local
 advisories. Mercury, PCBs,pes-  new government program, but  levels.
 ticides,dioxin, and other organic  rather a means of pulling to-
 chemicals and heavy metals are  gether the resources and exper-  The EPA is responsible for 20
 most commonly cited pollutants  tise of existing local,  State/  programs related  to ground
 causing fish consumption re-  Tribal, and Federal programs.   water protection.  EPA issued
 strictions.                                                  the National Guidance to assist
                               Point source dischargers are  States in  developing Compre-
 Twenty-seven states  discuss  regulated  through permits is-  hensive Ground Water Protec-
 problems with toxic contamina-  sued by the states or EPA. As of  tion  Programs (CSGWPPs),
 tion of bottom sediments. These  June, 1992,  most  dischargers  which are a key component of
 states reported 669 incidents of  were meeting their permit lim-  the Agency7 s Ground Water Pro-
 contamination caused primarily  its, but 10% of major municipal  tection Strategy. The States have
 by heavy metals, PCBs, dioxin,  dischargers and 7% of directly-  adopted a variety of programs
 and pesticides.                 discharging industrial plants  to address ground water con-
                               were not meeting their permit  tamination.   These include
 Forty-three states reported 930  conditions (i.e., were in "signifi-  implementing ground water
 pollution-caused fish kills affect-  cant noncompliance").         protection strategies, enacting
 ing more than 5 million fish. Low                               comprehensive ground water
 levels of dissolved oxygen, pes-  The National Pretreatment Pro-  protection legislation, and estab-
 ticides, manure and silage, oil  gram protects municipal waste-  lishing programs to protect well-
 and gas, and chlorine are the  water treatment plants and the  head areas.
 leading pollutants causing the  environment from the impacts
 fish kills, and the leading sources  of toxic discharges into sewers  Over the next  few years, EPA
 include agriculture, industrial  from industrial sources.  Fifty-  and the States are committed to
 discharges, municipal sewers,  four  percent of significant in-  implementing a wide variety of
 spills, and pesticide applications,  dustrial users of sewage treat-  water pollution control pro-
                               ment facilities are reported to be  grams. These programs include
 Thirty states reported 371 swim-  in significant noncompliance  the National Combined Sewer
 ming area closures,  most of  with discharge standards and/  Overflow Strategy, storm sewer
 short-term duration and attrib-  or self-monitoring and report-  permitting requirements;  and
 uted  to  bacteria from sewage  ing requirements.   Thirty-five  water quality standards for wet-
 treatment plants, combined  percent of municipalities re-  lands.
 sewer overflows, and urban run-  quired to  do so have not fully
 off.                           implemented their pretreatment     Improving Nationwide
                               programs.                     Monitoring: The Intergovern-
       Status of Pollution                                      mental Task Force on Moni-
       Control Programs       All states have assessed their       toring Water Quality
                               nonpoint source pollution prob-
 Since the 1990 Report to Con-  lems, and all  have developed  In 1992, the Intergovernmental
 gress, EPA and many States have  nonpoint  source  management  Task Force on  Monitoring  Wa-
 moved  toward a more geo-  programs to address them. EPA  ter Quality (ITFM) convened to
 graphically  oriented approach  has approved 51 state nonpoint  prepare a strategy for improv-
 to water quality management,  source management programs  ing water quality monitoring
 In  1991, EPA highlighted the  and  portions of all remaining  nationwide. The ITFM is a Fed-
 Watershed Protection Approach  programs. Nonpoint sources are  eral/State  partnership of ten
 (WPA), a framework for focus-  primarily addressed through  Federal agencies, nine State and

                                           Page 6

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April 1994
                                               Section 305(b)
 Interstate agencies, and  one
 American Indian Tribe. The EPA
 chairs the ITFM with the  U.S.
 Geological Survey  (USGS) as
 vice chair and Executive Secre-
 tariat as part of their Water In-
 formation Coordination Pro-
 gram pursuant to OMB memo
 92-01.

 The mission of the  ITFM is to
 develop  and implement a na-
tional strategic plan to achieve
effective collection,  interpreta-
tion, and presentation, of water
quality data and to improve the
availability of existing informa-
tion for decisionmaking at all
levels of government and the
private sector. The ITFM is also
producing products that can be
used by monitoring programs
nationwide. For a copy of the
first and second year ITFM re-
ports contact:

   USGS Office of Water Data
   Coordination
   417 National Center
   Reston, VA 22092
   (703) 648-5023
               For more information about the National Water Quality Inventory
               Report contact:
                     Barry Burgan
                     National 305(b) Coordiantor
                     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (4503F)
                     401 M Street, SW
                     Washington, DC 20460
                     (202) 260-7060
                     (202) 260-7024 (fax)
               For copies of this report or the companion summary document,
               use order  form  on page 8.
                                           Page 7

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1992 National Water Quality Inventory	Fact Sheet
 For copies of the National Water Quality Inventory: 1992 Report to Congress or the companion summary
 document Quality of Our Nation's Waters: 1992 check the appropriate box(es) below and mail or Fax
 this form to the address/Fax number indicatated below. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.
         National Water Quality Inventory: 1992 Report to Congress (EPA841-R-94-001)
         Quality of Our Nation's Waters: 1992  (EPA841-S-94-002)
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