G82-586 Effects of Agricultural Runoff on Nebraska Water Quality

This NebGuide discusses the effects of agricultural runoff on Nebraska water quality. Methods of controlling agricultural runoff are also examined. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 and the Clean Water Act of 1977 were written in response to a national concern for decreasing surface and groundwater quality. These laws set 1985 as a target date for eliminating pollutant discharges into navigable waters. An interim goal of the acts calls for water quality which provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shell fish, and wildlife and provides for recreation in and on the water, where attainable, by July 1, 1983