United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4504F)
EPA 842-F-98-007
July 1998
Nearshore Waters and Your Coastal
Watershed
7\ watershed is an area
in which, water,
sediments, and
dissolved material drain
to a common outlet,
: such as a river, lake, bay
I or ocean.
r • .
earshore waters in lakes, rivers, estuaries, and oceans reflect the conditions and
activities within the coastal watershed. They are an important component of
that complex and dynamic watershed.
What Are Nearshore Waters and What
Do They Do?
Stand on any beach or shoreline and look out
toward the water. What you'll see is an area called
the nearshore, which is a part of all coastal water-
sheds. The nearshore is defined as an indefinite zone
extending seaward from the shoreline well beyond the
breaker zone. It defines the area where the current
system is caused primarily by wave action.
Whether marine or freshwater, nearshore waters
serve a variety of functions.
• They provide a unique habitat for a variety of
plants and animals. Sea grasses and other
aquatic plants living in the nearshore waters provide food and shelter for many
species offish and shellfish. Many marine organisms, including most commercially
valuable fish species, depend on nearshore waters at some point during their
development. Nearshore waters provide'habitat for 80 percent of the fish species in
the United States.
• Numerous recreational opportunities such as boating, diving, swimming, surfing,
snorkeling, and fishing are provided in the nearshore waters.
• Nearshore waters provide countless educational and research opportunities for
scientists, students, naturalists, and the curious.
Some Impacts on the Nearshore Environment
Water quality in most confined waters and some nearshore waters is deteriorating,
and this degradation is affecting the plant and animal life inhabiting nearshore areas.
Industrial and municipal wastewater, storm water and agricultural runoff, and destruction
of important habitat areas such as wetlands can affect water resources and are contribut-
ing to the general degradation of nearshore waters.
People using nearshore waters can have an adverse impact on aquatic resources.
Recreational uses like boating can cause water quality problems if not carried out in a
conscientious manner. Trash dumped from boats can pose a threat to humans and marine
species. Boat engines that have not been properly maintained can leak fuel into the
nearshore waters, causing water quality degradation. Activities upstream in the
watershed can impact these waters. For example, trash washed into city storm
sewers might eventually be carried into the nearshore waters. Garbage left on the
beach can wash into the waters with the tide. Water quality problems and debris
not only harm the sensitive aquatic habitat in the nearshore waters but are aesthetically
displeasing as well.
Nutrients from sources such as sewage, fertilizers, detergents, and atmospheric
deposition can affect nearshore water quality. At excess levels, nutrients overstimulate
the growth of aquatic plants and algae. Excessive growth of these organisms, in turn,
uses up dissolved oxygen as they die and decompose and blocks light to deeper waters.
These conditions affect the respiration offish and aquatic invertebrates, lead to a decrease
in animal and plant diversity, and affect our use of the water for fishing, swimming, and
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boating. Excess algae can also block industrial intake pipes.
Sediment and other suspended solids can wash off plowed fields,
construction and logging sites, urban areas, strip-mined land, and eroded
stream banks when it rains. As these sediments enter rivers, lakes, coastal
waters, and wetlands, fish respiration is impaired, plant productivity and
water depth are reduced, aquatic organisms and their habitats are
smothered, and the aesthetic enjoyment of the water is diminished.
Pathogens are microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that can
cause human health problems. These organisms enter water bodies from
sources such as inadequately treated effluent from sewage treatment
plants, storm water drains, faulty septic systems, medical waste, runoff
from livestock pens, and boats that discharge untreated or poorly treated
sewage. When found at unsafe levels in nearshore waters, pathogens can
lead to beach and shellfish bed closures.
Toxic substances, such as metals (e.g., mercury and lead) and toxic
organic chemicals (e.g., PCBs and dioxin), which originate from industrial
discharges, runoff from city streets, mining activities, runoff from landfills, atmospheric
deposition, and a variety of other sources, can severely disrupt the nearshore waters
habitat. These toxic substances can cause death or reproductive failure in the fish,
shellfish, and wildlife that use the habitat. In addition, they can accumulate in animal and
fish tissue (leading to fish consumption advisories), become attached to sediments, or find
their way into drinking water supplies, posing long-term health risks to humans. Pesti-
cides and herbicides used on farmlands and lawns can be washed into ground and surface
waters by rainfall, snowmelt, and irrigation practices and may, ultimately, find their way to
nearshore waters. These contaminants are usually very persistent in the environment and
can accumulate in fish, shellfish, and wildlife to levels that pose a risk to human health and
the environment.
Nearshore waters reflect
the conditions and activities
within the coastal watershed.
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Nearshore waters
provide habitat for 80
percent of the fish
species in the United
• States.
J
Habitat modification results from activities like development, channelization, dam
construction, impacts from storms, and dredging. Shoreline modification can destroy habitat
and result in water quality problems. When urban shorelines are hardened or filled, habitat
diversity decreases. Typical examples of the effects of habitat modification include loss of
streamside vegetation, siltation, smothering of bottom-dwelling organisms, and increased
water temperatures. The modification of surrounding lands causes water quality problems
that can decrease the number of species capable of living and reproducing in the nearshore
waters.
What Is EPA Doing to Protect Nearshore Waters?
EPA works in partnership with other federal agencies, state and local governments, other
organizations, and the public to improve and protect nearshore water quality.
EPfi's Watershed Approach—EPA, other federal agencies, state, tribal, and local
governments, the private sector, and the public have combined their resources to promote
the Watershed Approach as a means of restoring and maintaining the biological, chemical,
and physical quality of our nation's waters, including nearshore waters. For example, EPA has
• Increased efforts to assist states in assessing the quality of their watersheds through a
variety of programs.
• Applied watershed planning tools to the wetland permitting process to identify areas
that are suitable or unsuitable for development.
• Assisted states, territories, and tribes in watershed planning and management activities.
National Estuary Program—Through the National Estuary Program (NEP), federal,
state, and local government agencies; industry; environmental organizations; and private
citizens work together to create a formal management plan to restore and protect targeted
estuaries and other coastal areas. This watershed management approach is supported by
EPA's Coastal Watershed Protection Strategy, which provides technical assistance and
support to priority watersheds and the Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP). CWAP is an
interagency plan developed to further protect public health from pollution.
BEACH Program— EPA, through its new Beaches Environmental Assessment, Closure
and Health (BEACH) Program, is working with state, tribal, and local governmental partners
to make sure nearshore water quality information is available to the public. The BEACH
Program provides a framework for local governments to develop equally protective and
consistent programs across the country for monitoring the nearshore water quality along
beaches and posting warnings or closing beaches when pollutant levels are too high.
Other EPA Programs—EPA works with other federal agencies to protect human health
and aquatic habitats by reducing marine debris. The efforts include the establishment of the
National Marine Debris Monitoring Program, which looks at the origins and amounts of marine
debris deposited along U.S. coasts. EPA and the Coast Guard work together to regulate the
transportation of municipal and commercial waste on vessels and to issue regulations for the
manufacture, maintenance, and efficiency of marine sanitation d
the establishment of "no discharge zones" for vessel sewage.
EPA also regulates the discharge of pollutants from facilities
into nearshore waters. The discharging facilities must obtain
a permit that ensures the removal of materials that might
degrade the nearshore waters. EPA assists states in the
development of water quality standards designed to protect
human health and aquatic life. This assistance includes
the development of criteria for water quality that accu-
rately reflect the most up-to-date scientific knowledge
about the effects of pollutants on aquatic life and human
health. In assisting coastal states with the development
of their Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs,
EPA and other federal agencies developed guidance
specifying management measures for sources of
nonpoint pollution (diffuse runoff of pollutants) in
coastal and nearshore waters. In its program, a state ,'
or territory describes how it will implement
nonpoint source pollution controls.
(boat.toilets), as well as
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What Can You Do to Help Protect Nearshore Waters?
Examine your everyday activities and think about how you might be contributing to
nearshore pollution problems. Consider some of these suggestions on how you can make a
difference.
Be informed and involved. Learn about water quality issues that affect the
communities in which you live and work. Become familiar with your local water
resources, whether they be small streams, lakes, or oceans. Be aware if the stream in
your backyard drains to nearshore waters. Become a citizen volunteer. As a volunteer
monitor, you might be involved in taking water quality measurements, tracking the
progress of protection and restoration projects, or reporting special events such as
fish kills and storm damage. Visit or contact your NEP office.
Take responsibility in your own backyard. Determine whether additional
nutrients are needed before you apply fertilizers. Reduce the use of pesticides and
herbicides. Consider selecting plants and grasses with low maintenance requirements.
Water your lawn conservatively; the less water you use, the less runoff will eventually
find its way into nearshore waters. Preserve existing trees and plant new trees and
shrubs to help prevent erosion and promote infiltration of water into the soil. Restore
bare patches in your lawn to prevent erosion.
Practice good housekeeping. Learn about procedures for disposing of harmful
household wastes so they do not end up in sewage treatment plants that can't
handle them or in landfills not designed to receive hazardous materials. Keep litter, pet
waste, leaves, and grass clippings out of gutters and storm drains so that they don't
drain to nearshore waters. Use the minimum amount of water needed when you
wash your car. Never dump any household, automotive, or gardening wastes into a
storm drain. Keep your septic system in good working order. Repair or replace
dripping faucets or leaky pipes and install water-saving devices in shower heads and
toilets. Always follow label directions for the use and disposal of household chemi-
cals. Take used motor oil, paints, and other hazardous household materials to proper
collection sites.
Respect your nearshore -waters. Maintain safe boat speeds to avoid prop
dredging and shore erosion. Avoid entering sensitive habitat areas with your boat or
other motorized watercraft. Maintain your boat engine to prevent fuel leaks. Keep all
waste produced during your excursions in a safe place to be disposed of properly
when you're back on land. Use designated pumpout and dump stations. Maintain and
use your marine sanitation devices properly. Maintain your automobile so that oil
doesn't leak and the engine is tuned to conserve energy. By conserving energy,
harmful air emissions leading to air deposition in nearshore waters are minimized.
For additional information . ..
Call £P/Ts Oceans and Coastal Protection Division at (202) 260-1952 or
visit EPfl's web site at httptf/www.epa.gov/OWOW/oceans.
Visit EP/Ts "National Estuary Program" web site at http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/estuar-
Information on the National Estuary Program.
Visit EPR's "Beach Watch" web site at http://www.epa.gov/OST/beachesfor additional
Information on the BEftCH Program.
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