Browsing by Subject "Nonpoint source pollution"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Implementing nonpoint source pollution programs: Results of interviews with agency professionals
    (2025-01) Anderson, Meghan; Hohensee, Taylor; Keeler, Bonnie; Niehoff, Erin
    Nutrient pollution from agriculture remains a leading cause of water quality impairments in the United States despite decades of policy interventions. The authority to implement water quality policies falls to states with significant variation in the development and execution of programs designed to reduce nutrient pollution. Few have evaluated how states implement these programs, limiting insights into how policy actors can improve the design and delivery of water quality policies. State agency professionals have unique insights into the implementation of programs designed to address nutrient runoff. We report on interviews with agency staff involved in six water quality programs across three U.S. states. We asked interviewees to reflect on the implementation of each program and share recommendations for how policies could be adapted to other states or contexts. Respondents identified several insights relevant to successful policy implementation. They stressed the need for strong partnerships between state and local agencies, robust technical tools for monitoring and compliance, and adaptable strategies that account for regional and operational differences. Agency staff noted that voluntary policies are more politically feasible but less effective, while mandatory policies can achieve broader compliance when robust enforcement mechanisms are in place. In addition to implementation challenges, the study notes gaps in equity in agricultural policies. Many programs fail to account for barriers faced by small-scale, minority, and underrepresented farmers, including limited access to land and resources. This research provides actionable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the importance of balancing flexibility and resource allocation to create more effective and sustainable water quality programs.
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    Land Use and Water Resources in the Minnesota North Shore Drainage Basin
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 1991) Johnston, Carol A; Bonde, John; Meysembourg, Paul; Allen, Brian; Sales, James
    The major land use change currently occurring in the Lake Superior drainage basin is the increase in deforestation resulting from demand for wood and paper products, which is projected to increase total harvest by 50% between 1988 and 1995 (Minnesota DNR 1989). We know that the extensive pre-settlement logging of the Great Lakes drainage basin affected water quality, as indicated by sediment evidence of increased phosphorus concentrations (Kemp et al. 1972) and diatom production (Stoermer et al. 1985; Schelske et al. 1988), and model predictions of increased phosphorus loading (Chapra 1977). However, we don’t know the magnitude of land affected by more recent clearcutting, nor its effects on water resources. The purpose of this report is to describe these land use changes and other characteristics of the Minnesota North Shore drainage basin that could potentially affect fluxes of sediment and nutrients into Lake Superior.
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    Literature Pertaining to the Environmental Impacts of Turfgrass Management on Wetlands
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 1990) Johnston, Carol A
    This report lists references pertaining to the environmental impact of turfgrass management, in the following categories: General Wetland References, Impacts of Wetland Loss, Construction Impacts to Wetlands, Impacts of Pesticides on Wetlands, Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urbanization, Impacts of Recreation, Cumulative Impacts to Wetlands