------- ------- Water pollution, specifically non- point source (NFS) pollution is the nation's number one threat to water quality. Nonpoint source pollution occurs when runoff from precipitation deposits pollutants into waterways, often sickening or killing fish and plants and threatening drinking water supplies. An example of nonpoint source pollution is runoff from farms and lawns carrying fertilizers and pes- ticides into streams. Another example is runoff from roads and parking lots carrying motor oil and other contami- nants into lakes and rivers. Ground- water can also be contaminated by NPS pollutants carried by water per- colating through the soil. As you see, the name is derived from the concept that there is no single point from which the pollution comes. It comes from everyone and every- where. Nonpoint source pollution is a problem. Since its sources are hard to pinpoint, so are its solutions, So far, the best way to combat the problem has been through education, This publi- cation will help you understand how Section 319 of the Clean Water Act addresses nonpoint sources and how we can work together to stop this form of pollution. rue dL6AM uArec. 319 .5 ir Congress enacted Section 319 of the Clean Water Act in 1987, establishing a national program to control non- point sources of water pollution. Section 319 helps states address nonpoint pollution by developing nonpoint source assessment reports; adopting man- agement programs to control nonpoint source pollution; and imple- menting those manage- ment programs. Section 319 (h) provides for EPA's award of grants to states to assist them in implementing those management programs. Under the Clean Water Act, nonpoint source control is largely voluntary and promotes practices to protect watersheds. However, Section 319 results in much more than an EPA grant award. Because each state's grant requires a 40 percent non-federal match, Section 319 leverages additional money for nonpoint source control. EPA has four broad objectives for 319 grants. --~ 319 Grant Objectives • To supportjstate activities with the great- est potential to produce early, demonstratable water quality results. • To encourage and reward effective perfor- mance. • To assist in building the long-term capacity of states and local gov- ernments to address nonpoint source pollu- tion problems. • To encourage strong interagency coordina- tion and public involve- ment. 319 (202) 260-70^5 ------- ------- Since Region 7 is predominantly an agricultural area, most of its Section 319 projects are aimed at preventing and reducing agricultur- al pollutants, although there are also projects that address urban con- cerns. State projects submitted to EPA Region 7 for Section 319 funding are ranked by a committee. The selection process is highly competi- tive. Region 7 is particularly support- ive of projects that generate coop- eration among federal, state, and local organizations. Some projects that have been selected are designed to reduce nitrate contami- nation in drinking water supplies. There are also a growing num- ber of riparian (streamside) management projects involving restoration of habitat and riparian vegetation. ..-^ , -«' •».— -. -Y-,w.^-M.>a1r--w «-.- - - Nonpoint Source Program Manage U.S. EPA Region 7 726 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66101 (913) 551-7475 CAWSAS A designated lead agency within each state receives Section 319 grants. This agency then awards funds to cooperating organizations such as local conservation districts or not-for-profit groups. Each state has a nonpoint source coordinator who oversees the 319 grant proposals and program imple- mentation. Projects range from infor- mation and educational programs to highly technical applications of non- point source control technology. Each activity supports one or more of the five basic themes of the National Nonpoint Source Program. 4. 5. Increase public awareness about the effects of nonpoint source pollution. Provide states with successful examples of solutions to these problems. Encourage economic incentives for environmentally friendly prac- tices. Help states improve their reg- ulatory capacity to control nonpoint source pollution. Assist states in developing a good scientific foundation for water quality programs and monitoring protocols designed to evaluate nonpoint source controls. ------- ------- Trout streams )in Iowa? You fbet there are, L and they are the focus of some of ^^ "the state's most successful Section 319-funded watershed projects. Iowa has identified 25 cold-water trout streams as high priority for environmental protection. The most frequently encountered pollutant in Iowa is sediment, coming from erosion of cropped fields as well as collapsing stream- banks and other areas where the natural vegetation has been lost. A number of structural practices, as well as vegetative management and innovative soil bioengi- neering approaches, are used to solve these problems. Animal manure can also be a concern for the trout streams, and measures are used ranging from excluding cattle from the stream corridor and grazing on a rotating pasture basis to sophisticated animal manure handling systems. 6 CTAF6 Other key areas where projects are under way are publicly owned lakes, partic- ularly where they provide community drink- ing water. Watershed projects around lakes typically look at controlling sediment, nutri- ents and pesticides from agricultural and community land. A very strong part of Iowa's nonpolnt source program is the cooperation and participation of a variety of federal, state and local agencies and other groups in every project, where fund- ing and "in-kind" contributions come from many sources. The Department of Natural Resources administers and oversees the state nonpoint source management program, in a strong partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Iowa's water protection fund, administered by IDALS, is a key state source of support for nonpoint source watershed projects. Section 319 provides funding for staff at both these state agencies. roe -51 5-281 -6402 AS -913,206-4195 rue The 4,500 acre Hillsdale Reservoir "located 18 miles south of Kansas City is an example of Kansans working together to ensure water quality for all Kansas lakes. A lake is a reflec- tion of its watershed, and the Hillsdale Citizens Watershed Committee is a role model for working relationships of grassroot groups coor- dinating with local, state and federal partners to protect the lake from being tainted by urban and agricultural nonpoint source pollu- tion. The state's commitment to improve and protect water quality in the reservoir Is reflect- ed statewide by the Kansas Nonpoint Source Control Program involving local, state, federal and private sector organizations. The Kansas State Water Plan Fund is the principal source of state funding and is the source of money for local environmental pro- tection programs and the Kansas Nonpoint Pollution Control Fund. Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act is the principal source of federal dollars. Using state and federal dollars, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDH&E) provides financial assistance to local governments to develop, maintain and implement local environmental protection plans. These plans provide an infrastructure that enables local governments to address on-site waste water, public and private water supply protection, solid and hazardous waste issues, subdivision drinking water and waste- water facilities, and nonpoint source pollution. Funding is used to employ local staff, who are responsible for providing technical assistance, information, eduction, and water quality monitoring. The Kansas Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Fund is administered by the Kansas State Conservation Commission and provides finances for implementing nonpoint source pollution control measures such as riparian area treatment, integrated crop manage- ment, soil erosion control practices (i.e., con- touring, terraces, structures), reduced tillage, manure manage-^ ment, vegetative filter strips, and grazing management. Section 319 Grants are also used by KDH&E to maintain a staff dedicated to provide technical assistance, information and edu- cational materials, program coor- dination and funding of water- shed projects around the state like the Hillsdale Water Quality project. ------- ------- "Show me clean water" Is the atti- tude of nearly 700 volunteers who have taken to the streams in Missouri as part of a 319 project. The volunteer water quality monitoring pro- gram is a project sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Physical, biological and chemical monitoring data collected by citizens sup- plements data collected and coordinated by various universities, governmental agen- cies and public water companies. For infor- mation on Volunteer Monitoring or Missouri STREAM TEAMS call 1-800-781-1989. Farmers are partners in projects that pro- vide funding for Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as: irrigation man- agement; constructed dairy wetlands; on- site manure management; streambank sta- bilization; and nutrient and pest manage- ment. . ^ , . _ me The Nebraska NPS Management , Program is deal- 'ing with a variety of environmental concerns, including nitrate contamination of groundwater, runoff carrying nutrients, pesticides and sediment into lakes and streams, and the effects of rapidly urbanizing areas. A number or projects, using Section 319 funding as well as contributions from other federal, state and local sources, are under way in the state. One of these, at Wehrspann Lake in a develop- ing area near Omaha, has adopted Hanna the Hawk as its mascot. Hanna describes what she sees when flying over the watershed, and helps people understand their contributions to non- point source pollution, be it from agricul- tural runoff, urban construction or their daily outdoor activities. Projects such as the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program, the Niangua Basin Planned Grazing project, the Mark Twain Watershed Initiative and Outreach projects. Prescription Farming in the Bootheel, Urban Field Manual for Developers and the Missouri River Alluvium Groundwater project have nurtured local community involvement. Increasing aware- ness of nonpoint source pollution and the needed Best Management Practices are major goals of these projects. Like the statewide Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program, Missouri's nonpoint source (NPS) grants pro- gram fits well into the "grass roots" approach of work- ing on a local level to educate citizens and demonstrate environmentally sound urban and agricultural prac- tices. 63% of Missourians drink from surface water supplies 37% drink from well water supplies (groundwater) 70% of Missouri's land is in agriculture pro- duction Other projects in the corn-growing areas of central Nebraska are tackling the concerns about nitrates percolating into groundwater that supplies much of the drinking water in the state. Irrigation management techniques, as well as nitrogen management plans, are being employed there. A very popular feature of Nebraska's program is the NPS Information and Education Mini-grant program. Grants up to $5,000 help groups develop local materials to edu- cate citizens about nonpoint source pol- lution. Mini-grants have been made for water festivals, to build and demon- strate a model of a stream, and for water quality oriented trail signs at the Wehrspann Lake project. Foe vio -31 4-751 -71 44 A - 402-471-3196 ------- ------- A reue Section 319 programs provide states with cost-effective solutions to prevent and to control NPS pollution, and to improve water quality. Section 319 funds, together with other water quality protec- tion measures funded by federal, state and local programs and private initia- tives, can help states achieve real improvements in water quality, and can provide significant human health, environ- mental and economic benefits. t Published by U.S. EPA Region 7 In conjunction with USOA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination In Its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political belters, marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program Inlormatlon (braHe, large print, audlotape. etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or (202) 720-7808 (TDD). To fHe a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250, or ca« (202) 720-7237 (voice) (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA Is an equal employment opportunity employer. ------- ------- |