Partnerships and Solutions:
The Middle Atlantic
4 Nonpoint Source
Success Story
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Polluted Runoff
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution occurs when
rainfall, snowmelt, or
irrigation travels over
land or through the
ground; picks up
pollutants, and deposits
them into rivers, lakes,
and coastal waters or
introduces them into
ground water. Imagine the path taken by a drop of
rain from the time it hits the ground to when it
reaches a river, ground water, or an ocean. Any
pollutant it picks up on its journey can become part
of the NPS problem. The most significant sources
in the Mid-Atlantic Region occur from abandoned
mines, agriculture, and urban land uses.
The Mid- Atlantic Region consists of District of
Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia and West Virginia. NPS pollution is
widespread because it
can occur any time
activities disturb or
change the land or
water. Farming,
harvesting trees,
grazing animals, septic
systems, recreational
boating, paved roads,
buildings, home
construction, physical
changes to stream
channels, and habitat
degradation are sources of NPS pollution.
Extent of Nonpoint Source Pollution
NPS pollution constitutes the Nation's largest
source of water quality problems. It is the main
reason that
approximately
40 percent of
our surveyed
rivers, lakes,
and estuaries
are not clean
enough to
meet basic

Q
uses such as fishing or swimming. NPS pollution
is happening in our own backyard.
In our region over 20,000 miles of streams, rivers
and creeks are impaired or polluted. Of these
assessed impaired waters, 88 percent of water
pollution is due to NPS pollution.
The Early History
In 1987, Congress established the NPS Pollution
Management Program under Section 319 of the
Clean Water Act (CWA). This program provides
states with grants to implement NPS pollution
controls to achieve goals that are described in NPS
pollution management program plans.
EPA/State Partnership
States have to meet two basic requirements to be
eligible for a Section 319 funding. First, the state
must develop and obtain EPA approval of a NPS
pollution assessment report. In the assessment
report, the state or territory identifies waters
impacted or threatened by NPS pollution. The state
also describes the categories of NPS pollution,
such as agriculture, urban runoff, or forestry, that
are causing water quality impairment.
Second, a state or territory must develop and obtain
EPA approval of their NPS pollution management
program plan. This program becomes the
framework for
controlling NPS
pollution, given
the existing and
potential water
quality problems
described in the
NPS pollution
assessment	-
report. By 1991, all states in our region had
received approval of their NPS Pollution
Management Programs.
Recent History
In February 1998, the President announced in his
State of the Union Address, the new Clean Water
Action Plan — an initiative to speed the restoration
of the nation's precious waterways. The principle
focus of the new plan was teamwork — getting the

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Region III Nonpoint Source Success Stories
Delaware: Unusual Partnerships
The Coverdale community
had contaminated drinking
water caused by
malfunctioning septic systems
and improperly placed wells.
In addition, living conditions
in the summer camp and now
permanent community were
deplorable. Through a
partnership lead by DNREC
NPS Program, by September 2
of many community organizations such as, the
Delaware Housing Authority, Greenwood Trust
Bank and Sussex Conservation District,
approximately 50 wells and 100 septic systems
were replaced. Through the help of these groups
the community has not only improved water
quality, but also the standard of living for many of
the Coverdale residents.
300. with the help
District of Columbia: Cleaning up Watts
Branch
Watts branch, a
tributary to the
Potomac River, "Our
Nations River", is
polluted. The causes
of the water quality
problems are storm
water runoff and illegal dumping. The District of
Columbia, in partnership with the USDA-NRCS
and USF&W has stabilized nearly 2,000 feet of
eroding streams. In addition. volunteer
organizations and civic groups have helped with
stream beautification and cleanup. In a little over
one year; Parks and
People, a local NGO
organized more then
4,000 volunteers to
collect over 7,000 bags
of trash and haul away
twenty-six abandoned
vehicles. In addition,
signs and surveillance cameras have been installed
to deter further dumping. Watts Branch is on its
way back to becoming a clean river.
myriad of Federal, state, and local governments,
environmental partnerships, business and industry
groups to tackle the nation's remaining water
pollution problems as a team.
In 1999, Congress doubled (from $100 million to
$200 million) the
amount awarded
under Section 319
nationally. The
Clean Water Action
Plan required that,
beginning in Fiscal
Year 2000, that EPA would only award the
additional 319 funds exceeding $100 million to
States providing they updated the NPS
management program plans.
By January 2001, all states had updated their NPS
management program plans. As of fiscal year
2002, Congress has appropriated over $1.3 billion
nationally to the EPA to fight NPS pollution. EPA
provides funding and technical assistance to states
through a regional office structure. Since 1988,
EPA has provided over $150 million to states in
the Middle Atlantic Region.
Map of current Mid-Atlantic 319
Watershed Projects
Current Developments
With congressional appropriations of over 20
million dollars per year to our region and
management plans that provide a road map for
restoring and protecting our waterways,
measurable progress is being achieved.

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Maryland: Partners Combating Agricultural
Runoff
Antietam Creek, identified as transporting the 8th
highest loading of
agricultural
pollutants to the
Chesapeake Bay,
became a priority
for the Washington
County
Conservation District and its partners.
Implementation of 3,600 conservation plans and
projects include: installation of agricultural
manure management systems, stream fencing,
livestock watering facilities, stream restoration
projects and widespread education efforts.
Recently, the
Maryland
Department of the
Environment has
shown that stream
water quality and
the creek's riparian
Pennsylvania: The Lititz Watershed
Urban stormwater runoff, nitrogen and phosphorus
loadings are responsible for degrading Lititz Run.
Located in Warwick Township the local
government has worked closely with the Lititz Run
Watershed Alliance to improve water quality
through combined techniques in natural resource
management, land use planning, education and
community involvement in addressing nonpoint
source pollution. Projects include agricultural
management plans throughout the watershed,
creation of a GIS database, water quality
monitoring network, streambank stabilization,
establishment of forested riparian buffers along the
stream and a major public education program.
Tangible results include improvement in water
quality as demonstrated in the monitoring program
established by faculty and students from the local
high school, sighting of a Black Crowned Night
Heron at the created wetland of the regional
constructed wetland and improved wildlife habitat
along a restored section of the stream.
Virginia: Cleaning up Acid Mine Drainage
Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine operated along
Quantico Creek from 1890 till the 1920s, when it
was abandoned. Highly acidic mine tailings and
toxic discharge from improperly sealed mine
shafts have polluted the water. Now a part of
Prince William Forest Park, the area has become a
priority of the National Park Service. Reclamation
components include diverting storm waters away
from mine sites and sealing mine shafts. In
addition, 150 volunteers helped plant 5000 native
shrubs and trees. The fish community downstream
has increased both in taxa and number. The site is
used as an educational tool to help inform people
about acid mine drainage.
West Virginia: North Fork Water Quality
Restored
The North Fork and South Fork of the South
Branch of the Potomac River had been identified
by the WVDEP as polluted with high levels of
bacteria and sediments originating mostly from
agricultural sources.	ft-*"'
The watershed be-
came a major priority
of the WV Conserva-
tion Partnership for
restoration. The
result, over 85% of the farmers in the watershed
have implemented agricultural Best Management
Practices. The funding sources for this project
have been EPA Nonpoint Source Section 319
B grants, the State
Revolving Fund Loan
program, state grants
and USDA PL-534
cost-sharing. Recent
water quality
monitoring studies have determined that the stream
now meets the Federal Clean Water Act goal of
fishable and swimmable.
Mid-Atlantic Environmental Protection Agency
Non Point Source Program
1-800-438-2474
Contact Fred Suffian, NPS Team Leader
http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/nps/
area have improved.

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