xe/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water (4503F)
Washington, DC 20460
EPA841-S-00-001
June 2000
The Quality of
Our Nation's Waters
A Summary of the National Water Quality
Inventory: 1998 Report to Congress
States, territories, tribes, and interstate commissions assessed 23% of the nation's
3.6 million miles of rivers and streams for their 1998 water quality assessment
reports to EPA. Of the assessed stream miles, 55% are rated as good, 10% good
but threatened, and 35% impaired. States and other jurisdictions assessed 42%
of the nation's 41.6 million acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds and reported
that 46% of assessed lake acres are rated as good, 9% good but threatened,
and 45% impaired. States and other jurisdictions assessed 32% of the nation's
90,500 square miles of estuaries and reported that 47% of assessed estuary
square miles are rated as good, 9% as good but threatened, and 44% as
impaired. Principal pollutants causing water quality problems include nutrients,
siltation, metals, and pathogens.
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Why Do States
and Other
Jurisdictions
Assess Water
Quality?
Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act
requires states, territories, tribes, and
interstate commissions to assess the
health of their waters and the extent
to which their waters support state
water quality standards and the basic
goals of the Clean Water Act. The goals
of the Clean Water Act are to achieve
and maintain water quality that provides
for healthy communities of fish and
shellfish and that allows for recreation
in and on the water. States collect data
and information that allow them to
characterize whether water quality
meets these and other uses for their
waters which are expressed in standards
that each state sets.
States and other jurisdictions such
as territories, tribes, and interstate
commissions submit their water quality
assessments to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) every 2 years.
EPA summarizes this information in a
biennial report to Congress. The
National Water Quality Inventory: 1998
Report to Congress is the twelfth biennial
report to Congress and the public
about the quality of our nation's rivers,
streams, lakes, ponds, reservoirs,
wetlands, estuaries, coastal waters,
and ground water.
States' Section 305(b) assessments are
an important component of their water
resource management programs. These
assessments help states:
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I H6 Under Section 303(d), the Clean Water Act includes a second reporting
*yf\r- /|~\ / requirement—that states provide a prioritized list of all their impaired
^*J*J \UJ' waters. Current requirements are that states submit these 303(d) lists
to EPA every 2 years. The most recent set of 303(d) lists were submitted
_ to EPA in April 1998.
VxVSI II Idrll\Jt I These lists of impaired waters are then used to prioritize state restoration
activities. One of the most important restoration tools is the development
of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)—calculations of the amount
of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality
standards. A TMDL is the sum of all available loads of a single pollutant from
all contributing point and nonpoint sources. It includes reductions needed
to meet water quality standards and allocates these reductions among
sources in the watershed.
The 305(b) and 303(d) reporting processes are connected, state
305(b) data is used to assist in the identification and priority ranking of
303(d) waters, although for their 303(d) listings, states may supplement
the 305(b) information with other assessments or choose only that data
in which they have the highest confidence. As a result, the findings on
impaired waters reported by the states in their 303(d) lists build on, and
are, in general, consistent with their 305(b) reports to EPA. Both sources
find similar amounts of impaired waters and conclude that siltation,
nutrients, bacteria, and metals are among the top pollutants causing
impairments.
EPA and the states continue to work to improve and harmonize both these
assessments through better and more extensive monitoring. Our goal is
comprehensive monitoring of all waters for all applicable water quality
standards—a challenging task given the demands placed on limited state,
tribal, and federal resources, but a particularly vital one because of the
important and costly water resource management decisions that depend
on high quality water data.
This National Water Quality Inventory report reflects incremental
progress toward the goal of comprehensive assessment, it includes
information submitted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 5
territories, 4 interstate commissions, and 9 Indian tribes. In addition, the
amount of waters assessed for this report has increased slightly since the
previous report. States assessed 150,000 more river and stream miles and
600,000 more lake acres in 1998 than in 1996.
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How Do States
and Other Juris-
dictions Assess
Water Quality?
Water quality assessment begins with
setting goals through water quality
standards adopted by states, tribes, and
other jurisdictions such as territories.
These standards must then be approved
by EPA before they become effective
under the Clean Water Act.
Water quality standards have
three elements:
1 Designated uses. The
Clean Water Act envisions that
all waters be able to provide for
recreation and the protection
and propagation of aquatic life.
Additional uses described in the Act
that can be adopted in standards by
states and tribes include drinking
water supply and fish consumption.
^ Criteria. Criteria help protect
designated uses. For example,
criteria include chemical-specific
thresholds that protect fish and
humans from exposure to levels that
may cause adverse effects. They may
also include descriptions of the best
possible biological condition of
aquatic communities such as fish
and insects.
Q Antidegradation policy. This
policy is intended to prevent waters
that do meet standards from
deteriorating from their current
condition.
After setting water quality standards, states then assess their
waters to determine the degree to which these standards are
being met and report this information in their 305(b) reports.
Currently states use two categories of data to assess water
quality. The first and most desirable category is monitored data.
This refers to field measurements, not more than 5 years old, of
biological, habitat, toxicity, and physical/chemical conditions in
water, sediments, and fish tissue. The second category, frequently
used to fill information gaps, is evaluated data. Evaluated data
includes field measurements that are more than 5 years old and
estimates generated using land use and source information,
predictive models, and surveys of fish and game biologists. This
type of data provides an indicator of potential water quality.
Because evaluated data varies in quality and confidence, it is
used for different purposes by different states. Most states use
evaluated data to supplement monitoring data for their 305(b)
reports. This information helps states identify waters that need
additional monitoring.
After comparing water quality data to standards,
states, tribes, and jurisdictions classify their
waters into the following general categories:
Attaining Water Quality Standards
• Good/Fully Supporting: These waters meet applicable
water quality standards, both criteria and designated uses.
• Good/Threatened: These waters currently meet water
quality standards, but water quality may degrade in the
near future.
Not Attaining Water Quality Standards/Impaired
• Fair/Partially Supporting: These waters meet water
quality standards most of the time but exhibit occasional
exceedances.
• Poor/Not Supporting: These waters do not meet water
quality standards.
Water Quality Standards Not Attainable
• Not Attainable: The state has performed a use-
attainability analysis and demonstrated that support of one
or more designated uses is not attainable due to specific
biological, chemical, physical, or economic/social conditions.
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How Many
of Our Waters
Were Assessed
for 1998?
This report does not describe the health
of all U.S. waters because states and
other jurisdictions have not yet achieved
comprehensive assessment of all their
waters (see Figure 1). Therefore, this
report summarizes the health of only
the subset of waters that states assessed
in their individual 1998 water quality
inventories: 23% of river and stream
miles, 42% of lake acres, 32% of estuary
square miles, 5% of ocean shoreline
miles, and 90% of Great Lakes
shoreline miles.
Oceans, coral reefs, wetlands, and
ground water quality are poorly
represented in state monitoring
programs. In part, this is due to the
fact that few states have adopted water
quality standards for these resources.
EPA's wetlands and ground water
protection programs continue
to work with states to develop
assessment methods and water quality
standards and to improve monitoring
coverage. EPA is initiating a coastal
monitoring program, Coastal 2000,
that will provide a national baseline
characterization of coastal waters and
data needed to assist in development
of water quality standards (particularly
biological and nutrient criteria) for
these waters.
fit 17,390,370 acres = 42% assessed
Total acres: 41,593,748
Figure 1
Percentage of Waters Assessed
for the 1998 Report
Rivers and Streams lit 842,426 miles = 23% assessed
Total miles: 3,662,255 (of which 35% are perennial,
excluding Alaska)
Lakes, Ponds,
and Reservoirs
Estuaries
Ocean Shoreline
Waters
Great Lakes
Shoreline
Source: 1998 Section 305(b) reports submitted by states, tribes, territories,
and commissions.
Ht 28,687 square miles = 32% assessed
Total square miles: 90,465
Hi 3,130 miles = 5% assessed
Total miles: 66,645, including Alaska's 44,000 miles
of shoreline
lit 4,950 miles = 90% assessed
Total miles: 5,521
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Figure 2
What Is the Status
of Our Assessed
Waters?
Rivers and Streams
The United States has a total of
3,662,255 miles of rivers and streams.
States and other jurisdictions assessed
23% of these river and stream miles,
focusing primarily on perennial streams
(i.e., those that flow year round).
Altogether, the states and other
jurisdictions reported that of the 23% of
assessed stream miles, 65% fully support
designated uses and 35% are impaired.
They also report that 10% of the
assessed rivers and streams are fully
supporting but are threatened for one or
more uses (Figure 2). Aquatic life use is
the most frequently impaired individual
use in assessed rivers and streams
(Figure 3).
According to the states and other
jurisdictions, siltation and bacteria are
the most common pollutants affecting
assessed rivers and streams (Figure 4).
Siltation alters aquatic habitat and
suffocates fish eggs and other bottom-
dwelling organisms. Excessive siltation
can also interfere with drinking water
treatment processes and recreational use
of a river. Bacteria provide evidence of
possible fecal contamination that may
cause waters to be unsafe for swimming
and other recreational activities. Both
pollutants raise the costs of drinking
water treatment to remove them.
States and other jurisdictions reported
agriculture as the most widespread
Summary of State Assessments
of Rivers and Streams
Total Rivers and Streams
3,662,255 miles
ASSESSED Rivers and Streams
840,402' miles
10%
Good, but
Threatened
85,544 miles
35%
IMPAIRED
291,263 miles
"Includes miles assessed as not attainable.
States assessed 23% of river and
stream miles for the 1998 305(b)
report. For the subset of assessed
waters, 55% are rated as good,
10% as good but threatened,
and 35% as impaired.
Individual Use Support in Rivers and Streams
Percent
Good Good Fair Poor Not
Designated Miles (Fully {Threatened) (Partially (Not Attainable
Use Assessed Supporting) Supporting) Supporting)
Aquatic Life Support
<1
435,807
13
This figure presents a tally of the river and stream miles for each
key designated use. For each use, the figure presents the
percentage of assessed waters in each water quality category.
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Figure 4
source of pollution in assessed rivers
and streams. Agricultural activities may
introduce siltation, nutrients, pesticides,
and organic matter that deplete oxygen
in surface water. Nutrients and pesticides
can also leach into and contaminate
ground water. While the impact of
agricultural activities is significant, it
should be considered in context of the
amount of land supporting agricultural
activities. According to the 1997 Census
of Agriculture, 41% of the continental
United States, about 900 million acres,
is used for agricultural production.
Other leading sources of pollution in
assessed rivers and streams include
hydromodifications such as flow
regulation and modification,
channelization, dredging, and
construction of dams—which may
alter a river's habitat in such a way
that it becomes less suitable for aquatic
life—and urban area runoff and storm
sewer discharges.
Lakes, Reservoirs,
and Ponds
There are a total of 41,593,748 acres
of lakes, reservoirs and ponds in the
United States. In 1998, states and other
jurisdictions assessed 42%, or about
17.4 million acres. Altogether, states
and jurisdictions reported that of the
42% of lake acres assessed, 55% fully
support all of their uses and 45% are
impaired. They also reported that 9%
of the assessed acres are fully supporting
but threatened for one or more uses
(Figure 5).
Leading Pollutants and Sources
Impairing Assessed Rivers and Streams
Leading Pollutants/Stressors
Miles
Siltation
Pathogens (Bacteria)
Nutrients
Oxygen-Depleting Substances
Metals
Pesticides
Habitat Alterations
Thermal Modifications
Percent of IMPAIRED River Miles
10 20 30 40 50
5 10 15
Percent of ASSESSED River Miles
20
Leading Sources
Miles
Agriculture
Hydromodification
Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers
Municipal Point Sources
Resource Extraction
Forestry
Land Disposal
Habitat Modification
10
Percent of IMPAIRED River Miles
20 30 40 50 60
70
170,750
57,763
32,310
29,087
25,231
20,020
19,928
18,451
5 10 15 20
Percent of ASSESSED River Miles
25
These bar charts present the leading pollutants and sources reported by the
states. The percent scale on the lower axis compares the miles impacted to
the total ASSESSED miles. The upper axis compares the miles impacted to
the total IMPAIRED miles.
Figure 5
Summary of State Assessments
of Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Total Lakes
41.6 million acres
ASSESSED Lakes
17.4 million* acres
9%
Good, but Threatened
1.6 million acres
45%
IMPAIRED
7.9 million acres
"Includes acres assessed as not attainable.
States assessed 42% of lake, reservoir, and pond acres for the 1998
305(b) report. For the subset of assessed waters, 45% are rated as
good, 9% as good but threatened, and 45% as impaired.
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More lake, reservoir, and pond acres were
reported as impaired for aquatic life use
support than any other assessed use (Figure
6). However, where fish consumption use
was assessed, it was responsible for a higher
percentage of impaired acres. (Many states
did not evaluate fish consumption use
support in lakes because they have not
included this use in their water quality
standards.) Through separate tracking of
state fish consumption advisories, EPA
estimates that about 6.5 million lake acres
were under fish consumption advisories in
1998.
According to the states and other
jurisdictions, nutrients are the most
common pollutant affecting assessed lakes,
reservoirs, and ponds (Figure 7). While
healthy lake ecosystems contain nutrients
in small quantities from natural sources,
too many nutrients disrupt the balance
of lake ecosystems. Nutrient overenrichment
can initiate a chain of impacts that includes
algal blooms, low dissolved oxygen
conditions, fish kills, foul odors, and
excessive aquatic weed growth that can
interfere with recreational activities.
Metals are the second most common
pollutants in assessed lake acres, mainly due
to the widespread detection of mercury in
fish tissue samples. The mercury problem is
especially complex because it often includes
atmospheric transport from power-generating
facilities, waste incinerators, and other sources.
The most widespread source of pollution
reported for assessed lakes is agriculture,
followed by hydrologic modification, urban
runoff and storm sewers, municipal point
sources, and atmospheric deposition
(Figure?).
Individual Use Support in Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Percent
Good Good Fair Poor Not
Designated Acres (Fully (Threatened) (Partially (Not Attainable
Use Assessed Supporting) Supporting) Supporting)
Aquatic Life Support
14,413,812
7,322,828
8,418,286
11
15
10
82
89
5 0
This figure presents a tally of the lake, pond, and reservoir acres
assessed for each key designated use. For each use, the figure
presents the percentage of assessed waters in each water quality
category.
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Figure 7
Leading Pollutants and Sources Impairing
Assessed Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Leading Pollutants/Stressors
Acres
Nutrients
Metals
Siltation
Oxygen-Depleting Substances
Suspended Solids
Noxious Aquatic Plants
Excess Algal Growth
Percent of IMPAIRED Lake Acres
10 20 30 40
50
3,454,361
2,111,056
1,172,738
1,101,936
802,270
665,575
626,514
5 10 15 20
Percent of ASSESSED Lake Acres
25
Leading Sources
Acres
Agriculture
Hydromodification
Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers
Municipal Point Sources
Atmospheric Deposition
Industrial Point Sources
Habitat Modification
Land Disposal
Percent of IMPAIRED Lake Acres
10 20 30 40
50
2,417,801
1,179,344
931,567
866,116
616,701
502,760
417,662
381,073
5 10 15 20
Percent of ASSESSED Lake Acres
25
These bar charts present the leading pollutants and sources reported by the
states. The percent scale on the lower axis compares the acres impacted to
the total ASSESSED acres. The upper axis compares the acres impacted to
the total IMPAIRED acres.
Figure 8
Summary of State Assessments of Estuaries
Total Estuaries
90,465 square miles
ASSESSED Estuaries
28,687 square miles
9%
Good, but
Threatened
2,766 square
miles
44%
IMPAIRED
12,482 square
miles
States assessed 32% of estuary square miles for the 1998 305(b) report.
For the subset of assessed waters, 56% are rated as good, 9% as good
but threatened, and 44% as impaired.
Coastal Resources—
Estuaries, The Great Lakes, Ocean
Shoreline Waters, and Coral Reefs
The United States' extensive coastal
resources include nearly 67,000 miles of
ocean shoreline, more than 5,500 miles
of Great Lakes shoreline, about 90,500
square miles of tidal estuaries, and
extensive coral reef areas.
Estuaries
There are 90,465 square miles of
estuaries in the United States. Estuaries
are where rivers meet oceans, and they
include bays and tidal rivers. They serve
as nursery areas for many commercial
fish and most shellfish populations,
including shrimp, oysters, crabs, and
scallops. States and otherjurisdictions
assessed 32% of the total square miles of
estuaries in the country (Figure 8).
Altogether, states and otherjurisdictions
reported that of the 32% of estuarine
square miles assessed, 56% fully support
designated uses and 44% are impaired.
They reported that 9% of the assessed
square miles are fully supporting but
threatened for one or more uses. Aquatic
life use is the most frequently impaired
individual use in assessed estuaries
(Figure 9).
States reported that bacteria (pathogens)
are the most common pollutants
affecting assessed estuaries. Most states
monitor indicator bacteria, such as
Esherichia coli, which provide evidence
that an estuary is contaminated with
sewage that may contain numerous
viruses and bacteria that cause illness in
people. Humans can become exposed to
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Individual Use Support in Estuaries
square Good Good Fair Poor Not
Designated Miles (Fully (Threatened) (Partially (Not Attainable
Use Assessed Supporting) Supporting) Supporting)
L
Aquatic Life Support
This figure presents a tally of the estuary square miles
assessed for each key designated use. For each use, the
figure presents the percentage of assessed waters in each
water quality category.
these pathogens by consuming contaminated
fish and shellfish or contacting or ingesting
contaminated water during swimming.
In addition to pathogens, the states also reported
that oxygen depletion from organic wastes, metals,
nutrients, thermal modifications, PCBs, and priority
toxic chemicals impacts more square miles of
estuarine waters than other pollutants and
stressors.
Municipal point sources and urban runoff and
storm sewers are cited as the most widespread
sources of pollution in assessed estuaries
(Figure 10). These urban sources are significant
contributors to the degradation of estuarine waters
because large cities are located near most U.S.
estuaries.
The Great Lakes
There are 5,521 miles of Great Lakes shoreline in the
United States. The Great Lakes contain nearly one-
fifth of the fresh surface water on earth. Despite
their large size, the Great Lakes are sensitive to the
effects of a broad range of contaminants that enter
the Lakes from polluted air, ground water, surface
water, wastewater discharges, and overland runoff.
For the 1998 report, five of the eight Great Lakes
states assessed conditions of 90% of the nation's
total Great Lakes shoreline miles (Figure 11). The
states reported that of the 90% of assessed
shoreline miles, 4% fully support designated uses
and 96% are impaired. They also report that 2%
of the assessed waters are fully supporting but
threatened for one more uses.
The reporting states indicated that the greatest
impacts to Great Lakes shoreline are on fishing
activities (Figure 12). The states bordering the
Great Lakes have issued advisories to restrict
consumption of fish caught along their entire
shorelines. Depending upon the location, mercury,
PCBs, pesticides, or dioxins are found in fish tissues
10
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Figure 10
Leading Pollutants and Sources
Impairing Estuaries
Leading Pollutants/Stressors
Miles
Pathogens (Bacteria)
Oxygen-Depleting Substances
Metals
Nutrients
Thermal Modifications
PCBs
Priority Toxic Organic Chemicals
Percent of IMPAIRED Estuarine Square Miles
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
L
I
I
05 10 15 20 25
Percent of ASSESSED Estuarine Square Miles
5,919
5,185
3,431
2,880
2,222
1,315
806
Leading Sources
Miles
Municipal Point Sources
Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers
Atmospheric Deposition
Industrial Discharges
Agriculture
Land Disposal of Wastes
Combined Sewer Overflow
Percent of IMPAIRED Estuarine Square Miles
0 10 20 30 40 50
3,528
0 5 10 15 20 25
Percent of ASSESSED Estuarine Square Miles
These bar charts present the leading
pollutants and sources reported by the states.
The percent scale on the lower axis compares
the square miles impacted to the total
ASSESSED square miles. The upper axis
compares the square miles impacted
to the total IMPAIRED square miles.
Figure 11
Summary of State Assessments
of Great Lakes Shoreline
Total Great Lakes Shoreline
5,521 miles
ASSESSED Great Lakes Shoreline
4,950 miles
10%
Not
Assessed
2% Good, but
Threatened
103 miles
States assessed 90% of Great Lake shoreline miles for the 1998 305(b)
report. For the subset of assessed waters, 2% are rated as good, 2% as
good but threatened, and 96% as impaired.
11
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at levels that exceed standards set to protect
human health.
Priority organic chemicals, pesticides, and
nonpriority organic chemicals are the most
common pollutants affecting the waters
along the Great Lakes shoreline, according
to the three states that reported on
pollutants and sources (Figure 13). These
states reported that atmospheric deposition,
discontinued discharges from factories that
no longer operate, and contaminated
sediments are the primary sources of these
pollutants.
Ocean Shoreline Waters
There are 66,645 miles of ocean shoreline
in the United States, including Alaska.
Our ocean shoreline waters provide
critical habitat for various life stages of
commercial fish and shellfish (such as
shrimp), provide habitat for endangered
species (such as sea turtles), and support
popular recreational activities, including
sport fishing and swimming. Despite their
vast size and volume, oceans are vulnerable
to impacts from pollutants, especially in
nearshore waters that receive inputs from
adjoining surface waters, ground water,
wastewater discharges, and nonpoint
source runoff.
Fifteen of the 27 coastal states and territories
assessed conditions in 5% of the nation's
total ocean shoreline miles (Figure 14).
The states and territories reported that of
the 5% assessed, 88% of ocean shoreline
miles fully support designated uses and 12%
are impaired. They report that 8% of the
assessed miles are threatened for one or
more uses.
Individual Use Support in the Great Lakes
Good Good Fair Poor Not
Designated Miles (Fully (Threatened) (partja||y (Not Attainable
Use Assessed Supporting) Supporting) Supporting)
Aquatic Life Support
This figure presents a tally of the Great Lakes shoreline miles
assessed for each key designated use. For each use, the figure
presents the percentage of assessed waters in each water quality
category.
12
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Figure 13
Leading Pollutants and Sources
Impairing Great Lakes Shoreline
Leading Pollutants/Stressors
Miles
Priority Toxic Organic Chemicals
Pesticides
Nonpriority Organic Chemicals
Nutrients
Pathogens (Bacteria)
Oxygen-Depleting Substances
Metals
Percent of IMPAIRED Great Lakes Shoreline Miles
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
1,391
1,017
1,017
234
186
175
143
05 10 15 20 25 30
Percent of ASSESSED Great Lakes Shoreline Miles
Leading Sources
Miles
Atmospheric Deposition
Discontinued Discharges from
Pipes*
Contaminated Sediments
Industrial Discharges
Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers
Agriculture
Municipal Point Sources
Percent of IMPAIRED Great Lakes Shoreline Miles
0 5 10 15 20 25
l_
I
I
I
I
1,017
1,017
684
140
134
133
120
0 5 10 15 20 25
Percent of ASSESSED Great Lakes Shoreline Miles
These bar charts present the leading
pollutants and sources reported by the
states. The percent scale on the lower
axis compares the miles impacted to the
total ASSESSED miles. The upper axis
compares the miles impacted to the
total IMPAIRED miles.
Figure 14
States assessed 5% of ocean
shoreline miles for the 1998
305(b) report. For the subset
of assessed waters, 80% are
rated as good, 8% as good
but threatened, and 12% as
impaired.
Summary of State Assessments
of Ocean Shoreline
Total Ocean Shoreline
66,645 miles
ASSESSED Ocean Shoreline
3,130* miles
95%
Not 5%
Assessed ASSESSED
8%
, Good, but
Threatened
257 miles
12%
IMPAIRED
377miles
'Includes miles assessed as not attainable.
13
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Swimming was the most frequently
assessed use in ocean shoreline waters
(Figure 15).
Bacteria (pathogens), turbidity, and excess
nutrients are the most common pollutants
affecting the assessed ocean shoreline.
The primary sources of pollution to
assessed shoreline miles include urban
runoff and storm sewers and land disposal
of wastes (Figure 16).
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are among the most
productive ecosystems in the ocean.
They are inhabited by a wide variety
of fish, invertebrates, and plant species
and provide important economic
opportunities, primarily in terms of fishing
and tourism. Coral reefs are found in three
states—Hawaii, Florida, and Texas, and
five U.S. territories—American Samoa,
Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto
Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
(Figure 17).
Recent evidence indicates that coral reefs
are deteriorating worldwide. To prevent
further deterioration of coral ecosystems,
President Clinton signed Executive Order
13089 on Coral Reef Protection. This
order created the U.S. Coral Reef Task
Force, composed of representatives from
the states and territories with coral
resources. In response, these areas have
initiated or increased efforts to identify
the causes of coral reef degradation and
approaches to prevent further loss.
Efforts are under way in Hawaii, Florida,
and American Samoa to assess the status
of coral reefs and identify pollutants
and stressors to coral reef ecosystems.
Individual Use Support in Ocean Shoreline Waters
Percent
Good Good Fair Poor Not
Designated Miles (Fully (Threatened) (Partially (Not Attainable
Use Assessed Supporting) Supporting) Supporting)
Aquatic Life Support
This figure presents a tally of the ocean shoreline miles assessed
for each key designated use. For each use, the figure presents the
percentage of assessed waters in each water quality category.
14
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Figure 16
Leading Pollutants and Sources
Impairing Ocean Shoreline
Leading Pollutants/Stressors
Miles
Pathogens (bacteria)
Turbidity
Nutrients
Suspended solids
Siltation
PH
Metals
10
Percent of IMPAIRED Shoreline Miles
20 30 40 50 60
70
80
Percent of ASSESSED Shoreline Miles
Leading Sources
Urban Runoff/Storm
Sewers
Land Disposal
Municipal Point Sources
Spills
Industrial Point Sources
Agriculture
Recreation and
Tourism Activities
Construction
Percent of IMPAIRED Shoreline Miles
10 20 30 40 50 60
Percent of ASSESSED Shoreline Miles
These bar charts present the leading pollutants and
sources reported by the states. The percent scale on
the lower axis compares the miles impacted to the
total ASSESSED miles. The upper axis compares the
miles impacted to the total IMPAIRED miles.
10
Miles
70
236
117
96
65
52
48
40
34
10
Figure 17
United States Coral Reef Areas
i-f.vr-'.a^ Texas <1%
-U.S. Virgin Islands 1%
Guam 1%
Florida Keys 2%
American Samoa 2%
Puerto Rico 3%
'Other Pacific Islands 4%
N. Mariana Islands 3%
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The findings will be used to develop management
actions to protect coral reefs in these areas. Coral
reef stressors identified to date include invasive
species, marine debris, petroleum spills, nutrient
runoff, and septic discharges.
Wetlands
Wetlands are intermittently or permanently flooded
areas that are the link between land and water. The
functions and values of healthy wetlands include the
following:
• Storage of water - Wetlands help prevent
flooding by storing and slowing the flow of
water through a watershed.
• Storage of sediment and nutrients -
Wetlands act like filters that purify water in a
watershed.
• Growth and reproduction of plants and
animals - Wetlands produce a wealth of natural
products, including fish and shellfish, wildlife,
timber, and wild rice.
• Diversity of plants and animals - Wetlands
are critical to the survival of a wide variety of
plants and animals, including numerous rare or
endangered species as well as many species of
great commercial value to man.
It is estimated that over 200 million acres of
wetlands existed in the lower 48 states at the time of
European settlement. Since then, extensive wetlands
acreage has been lost, with many of the original
wetlands drained and converted to farmland and
urban areas. Today, less than half of our nation's
original wetlands remain. Recent federal studies
estimate an average net loss of wetlands around
100,000 acres per year in the contiguous United
States. Although losses continue to decline, we still
have to make progress toward our Administration's
goal of an annual net gain of 100,000 wetland acres
per year by the year 2005 and every year thereafter.
Eleven states and tribes listed sources of recent
wetlands loss in their 1998 305(b) reports. Eight states
cited agriculture as a leading source of current losses.
Other losses were due to construction of roads,
highways, and bridges; residential growth and urban
development; filling and/or draining; construction;
industrial development; commercial development; and
channelization.
The states and tribes are making progress in
incorporating wetlands into water quality standards
and developing designated uses and criteria specifically
for wetlands. But many states and tribes still lack
wetland-specific designated uses, criteria, and
monitoring programs for wetlands. Without criteria
and monitoring data, most states and tribes cannot
evaluate use support.
Ground Water
Ground water—water found in natural underground
formations called aquifers—is an important component
of our nation's fresh water resources. About 77,500
million gallons of the nation's ground water are
withdrawn daily for use in drinking and bathing,
irrigation of crop lands, livestock watering, mining,
industrial and commercial uses, and thermoelectric
cooling applications (Figure 18). Unfortunately, this
valuable resource is vulnerable to contamination,
and ground water contaminant problems are being
reported throughout the country. Ground water
contamination can occur through relatively well
defined, localized pollution plumes emanating from
specific sources such as leaking underground storage
tanks, or it can occur as a general deterioration of
ground water quality over a wide area due to diffuse
nonpoint sources such as agricultural fertilizer
and pesticide applications, septic systems, and
urban runoff.
Based on results reported by states in their 1998
305(b) reports, ground water quality in the nation is
good and can support the many different uses of this
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resource. However, despite these positive results,
measurable negative impacts to aquifers across the
nation have been detected, and they are usually traced
back to human activities.
States identified leaking underground storage tanks as
an important potential threat to our nation's ground
water resources. This was based on the sheer number
of underground storage tanks and the risk posed to
human health and the environment from releases.
States also report that the organic chemicals found in
petroleum products such as gasoline are common
ground water contaminants. Other potential sources of
ground water contamination include septic systems,
landfills, industrial facilities, fertilizer and pesticide
applications, accidental spills, surface impoundments,
and animal feedlots. Contaminants occur in the form
of organic compounds, metals, and nitrate.
Assessing the quality of our nation's ground water
resources is no easy task. An accurate and
representative assessment of ambient ground water
quality requires a well-planned and well-executed
monitoring plan. Although the 305(b) ground water
program is improving, there is still much to be done.
States need to increase their monitoring coverage and
focus on collecting ground water data that are most
representative of the resource.
Figure 18
National Ground Water Use
Irrigation 63%
. Commercial 1%
,--Thermoelectric 1%
Livestock Watering 3%
Domestic Supply 4%
Mining 3%
Industrial 5%
Public Supply 20%
Source: Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1995.
U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1200,1998.
How Does Impaired
Water Quality Impact
Public Health and
Aquatic Life?
Water pollution threatens both public health and
aquatic life. Public health may be threatened directly
through the consumption of contaminated food or
drinking water or indirectly through skin exposure to
contaminants present in recreational and boating
waters. Aquatic organisms can be affected by the
presence of toxic chemicals in their environment and
are also particularly susceptible to changes in the
physical quality of their environments, such as changes
in pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and habitat.
Public Health Concerns
The 1998 EPA Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories
listed 2,506 advisories in effect in 47 states, the District
of Columbia, and American Samoa (Figure 19).
Mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT (with its
byproducts) caused 99% of all the fish consumption
advisories in effect in 1998.
In their 1998 305(b) reports, 11 of the 27 coastal
states and jurisdictions reported shellfish harvesting
restrictions in over 2,300 square miles of estuarine
waters. These areas are monitored for bacteria as part
of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.
Advisories were also issued to warn the public about
health risks from water-based recreation. Sixteen states
and tribes identified 240 sites where recreation was
restricted at least once during the reporting cycle.
The states and tribes identified sewage treatment plant
bypasses and malfunctions, urban runoff and storm
sewers, and faulty septic systems as the most common
sources of elevated bacteria concentrations in bathing
areas.
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Thirty-eight states, tribes, and other
jurisdictions provided information about
the degree to which drinking water use is
met. Of the 23% of river and stream miles
assessed, only 3% do not support drinking
water where it is a designated use; of the
42% of lake and reservoir acres assessed,
5% do not support drinking water use.
Increasingly, states are coordinating
their efforts under the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water
Act (CWA) to assess sources of drinking
water. SDWA requires states to determine
the susceptibility to contamination of
drinking water sources, while the CWA
calls for them to assess the ability of
waters to support drinking water use.
Assessments under both laws will provide
the information necessary for states to
develop tailored monitoring programs
and for water systems to work with states
and local governments to protect drinking
water sources.
Aquatic Ecosystem Concerns
A fish kill is one of the most obvious
effects of pollution on aquatic life. This
phenomenon is normally attributed to
exceptionally low dissolved oxygen
levels—usually due to excessive nutrients
in the water—or to the discharge of toxic
contaminants to the water column. A
more insidious impact of pollution on
aquatic organisms is the development of
growths, lesions, and eroded fins, or
increased body burden of toxic chemicals.
The most common impact of pollution on
aquatic life is the shift of a waterbody's
naturally occurring and self-sustaining
population from one type of aquatic
Figure 19
Fish and Wildlife Consumption Advisories
in the United States
Number of Advisories in Effect
•& American Samoa (December 1 998)
I 1 1-10
I 1 11-20
I 1 21-30
EEE3 31-50
51-100
^M >100
* Statewide Advisory
Note: States that perform routine fish tissue analysis (such as the Great Lakes
states) will detect more cases offish contamination and issue more
advisories than states with less rigorous fish sampling programs. In many
cases, the states with the most fish advisories support the best monitor-
ing programs for measuring toxic contamination in fish, and their water
quality may be no worse than the water quality in other states.
community to another. An example is the shift of a cold
water trout stream to a warm water carp-dominated stream.
Changes in aquatic community structure and function may
occur due to a variety of reasons, but the most common are
an elevation of temperature, a lowering of available
dissolved oxygen, and an increase in sedimentation due to
land use practices within the watershed.
The persistence of chemicals in bottom sediment poses risks
to both aquatic life and humans. These chemicals may be
toxic to bottom-dwelling aquatic organisms. Some of these
chemicals, like mercury and PCBs, bioaccumulate in fish
tissue and pose a potential threat to humans and other
organisms that consume the fish. In their 1998 305(b)
reports, 11 states and tribes listed 115 separate sites with
contaminated sediments. These states and tribes most
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frequently listed metals, PCBs, pesticides, PAHs, and
other priority organic chemicals as the source of
contamination. They identified industrial and municipal
discharges (both past and present), landfills, resource
extraction, and abandoned hazardous waste disposal
sites as the primary sources of contamination.
What Is Being
Done to Restore
and Maintain
Water Quality?
Public polls consistently document that Americans
value water quality. In addition to its economic
benefits, clean water provides recreational and
aesthetic benefits. As a result, local, state, and federal
agencies, the private sector, and other organizations
are working to improve water quality. According to
President Clinton's Clean Water Act Initiative: Analysis
of Costs and Benefits, these partners spend between
$63 billion and $65 billion dollars each year to
improve and protect water quality.
This study estimated that private sources spend a
combined total of about $30 billion per year on
pollution prevention and control efforts. Agriculture
spends another $500 million per year on activities
that reduce its impact on water quality, including
implementation of best management practices to
control the effects of nonpoint source runoff.
Municipalities spend a total of $23 billion per year,
primarily on wastewater treatment plants, drinking
water treatment, and storm water pollution control.
State governments dedicate almost $500 million and
federal governments dedicate almost $10 billion to
water resource protection and restoration efforts each
year. These efforts include developing and revising
water quality standards, monitoring and assessing
water quality, characterizing causes and sources of
impairment, developing total maximum daily loads
and allocating these loads to point and nonpoint
sources, implementing permitting programs to address
point sources, and developing and implementing best
management practices to control nonpoint source
pollution.
Significant resources are dedicated to restoring and
maintaining water quality. Water quality monitoring
and assessment is a critical tool to help ensure that
these resources are used effectively to achieve water
quality goals. EPA and state environmental agencies
recognize that water quality monitoring and
assessment programs need continued strengthening
to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of water quality
protection and restoration efforts.
EPA continues to work with states and other partners
to increase the quality and comprehensiveness of water
quality monitoring and assessment programs. This is
achieved through data sharing and development of
consistent monitoring designs and assessment criteria.
EPA provides technical assistance, guidance, and
resources for monitoring design and implementation.
EPA and its partners including states, tribes, other
federal agencies, and other public and private
monitoring organizations are developing a
Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology
(CALM) that will provide a consistent approach for
characterizing water quality under both Sections
305(b) and 303(d) of the Clean Water Act.
For more information on CALM, visit EPA's website at
www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/wqreport.html.
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For More Information
For more information about the National Water Quality Inventory:
1998 Report to Congress, visit EPA's Office of Water 305(b) website
at http://www.epa.gov/305b, call EPA's Assessment and Watershed
Protection Division at (202) 260-7040, or contact:
U.S. EPA (4503F)
Assessment and Watershed Protection Division
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
For a copy of the National Water Quality Inventory: 1998 Report to
Congress (EPA-841-R-00-001) or related materials, call 1-800-490-
9198, fax your order to EPA's National Service Center for
Environmental Publications at (513) 489-8695 (include EPA number
and document title), or send your order to:
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
11029 Kenwood Road, Building 5
Cincinnati, OH 45242
O National Water Quality Inventory: 1998 Report to Congress
(434 pages) (EPA841-R-00-001)
O National Water Quality Inventory: 1998 Report to Congress
Appendixes (diskette) (EPA841-C-00-001)
O Water Quality Conditions in the United States: A Profile from the
National Water Quality Inventory: 1998 Report to Congress
(2 pages) (EPA841-F-00-006)
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