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Agricultural Runoff

Agricultural Runoff. Lena Shapiro and Nicole Melamed. What is Agricultural Runoff?. Pollutants from farms are deposited into bodies of water Nonpoint source Pollution (NPS): pollution from many different sources Causes: Sedimentation Irrigation Pesticides/fertilizers Livestock grazing.

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Agricultural Runoff

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  1. Agricultural Runoff Lena Shapiro and Nicole Melamed

  2. What is Agricultural Runoff? • Pollutants from farms are deposited into bodies of water • Nonpoint source Pollution (NPS): pollution from many different sources Causes: • Sedimentation • Irrigation • Pesticides/fertilizers • Livestock grazing

  3. Sedimentation • Soil is washed off of fields • Rain or wind transports sediment into water sources • Too much sediment clouds water • Clouded water  reducing the amount of sunlight animals get in the water • Sediment can clog fish gills and smother fish larvae • Prevents new life from growing in the pond

  4. Irrigation • Irrigating is done to supplement natural precipitation or protect crops against freezing and wilting • Excessive irrigation can cause erosion • All of this transports [bad] nutrients, pesticides, and heavy metals into bodies of water • OR it can decrease the amount of water that flows naturally in streams and rivers • Can cause selenium buildup which can kill waterfowl

  5. Pesticides/Fertilizers • Pesticides, fertilizers, and more are spread over the crops and soil • These chemicals can contaminate water) through runoff, when it rains • They poison fish, animals, food sources, and destroy animals’ habitats Pesticides Pesticides Pesticides Pesticides

  6. Livestock Grazing • Overgrazing increases erosion and exposes soil • Destroys fish habitats and stream banks because animals graze too close to other creatures • Also ruins floodplain vegetation necessary for water quality filtration • It contaminates your water

  7. Why should we care? • It costs the U.S. thousands of dollars to pay for damage and water waste • Algal blooms form everywhere and it’s • bad for tourism, due to the lack of watersports • terrible for the environment, killing multiple ecosystems and disrupting the food chain

  8. What YOU Can Do • Learn about the ways water drains into the ocean in your area and prevent your garden’s chemicals from getting into the drain • If it enters a storm sewer system, it’s left untreated, and goes into the water bodies we use for swimming, fishing and, in some cases, drinking water. • Don’t overwater your plants • Remove vegetation from areas where it can mold and affect water areas To stop over watering your plants

  9. What is being done? • Farmers are preventing this by measuring out how much water their plants need or create efficient irrigation systems with quality equipment • They’re using less harmful pesticides and fertilizers • Farm Bill 2002  funds for conservation programs

  10. Have any questions? • visit the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) ordering Webpage here: http://www.epa.gov/nscep/ordering.html • email U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water • the people from the Water Quality Program at (985) 447-0868 and theycan help you improve your water conditions

  11. Works Cited • "Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural Runoff." Www.epa.gov. N.p., Mar. 2005. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. "Tox Town - Agricultural Runoff - Text Version." Tox Town - Agricultural Runoff - Text Version. N.p., 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. "Improving Water Quality in Your Neighborhood.” http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20protecting%20and%20restoring/what%20you%20can%20do/. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014 "Farm Security and Rural Investments Act Of 2002." GPO. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. Farm. Bill.” 2002 Farm Bill. Organic Consumers Association, n.d. Web 25 Feb. 2014 THANKS FOR LISTENING/WATCHING!

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