DOCSLIB.ORG

Economic Profile of the Upper Mississippi River Region

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Economic Profile of the Upper Mississippi River Region ECONOMIC PROFILE OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER REGION INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, INCORPORATED 2067 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 Economic Profile of the Upper Mississippi River Region Prepared for: Division of Economics U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior Prepared by: Robert Black, Bruce McKenney, Alane O’Connor, Erin Gray, and Robert Unsworth Industrial Economics, Incorporated 2067 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 March 1999 Acknowledgements We wish to thank John Charbonneau and Lynn Lewis of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bruce Carlson of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their review of the report and insightful comments and suggestions. We are also grateful to Holly Stoerker of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association for helping us identify initial contacts and providing research assistance. We also extend our thanks to the people who offered their comments at a briefing on the draft report on February 8, 1999 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to John Charbonneau, Lynn Lewis, and Bruce Carlson, attendees included Bill Hartwig (USFWS), John Blankenship (USFWS), Marvin Moriarty (USFWS), Barbara Naramore (Upper Mississippi River Basin Association), and Matt Kerschbaum (USFWS) . The draft report was distributed to a number of interested parties in addition to the reviewers listed above. We thank the following people for their review and comments: Terry Moe (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources), John Duvyejonck (USFWS), James Williams (Missouri Department of Natural Resources), Bob Delaney (U.S. Geological Services), Dick Lambert (Minnesota Department of Transportation), and Dan Ray (The McKnight Foundation). Finally, we wish to thank the many people that provided valuable information for the report. These individuals and their organizations are listed in Appendix C of the report. A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S Table of Contents Executive Summary................................................................................... i Key Findings for Economic Sectors ............................................... ii Chapter 1: Introduction and Purpose ................................................... 1 Sectors Examined ........................................................................... 1 Study Area ...................................................................................... 4 Data Sources ................................................................................... 4 Summary Economic Profile ........................................................... 7 Revenue and Employment ........................................................ 7 Water Use ................................................................................. 9 Land Use and Land Value ...................................................... 10 Report Structure............................................................................ 11 Chapter 2: Commercial Navigation ..................................................... 13 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 13 Development of the UMR for Commercial Navigation .......................................... 14 Shipments on the UMR ................................................................ 16 UMR Waterway Transportation Industry: Revenue and Employment ...................................................... 18 Trends ........................................................................................... 19 Chapter 3: Commercial Harvest of Natural Resources ..................... 21 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 21 Commercial Fishing ..................................................................... 22 Commercial Fish Harvest ....................................................... 22 Economic Value of Fish Harvested ........................................ 23 Trends ..................................................................................... 24 Commercial Musseling................................................................. 24 Commercial Musseling, 1800s to 1940s ................................ 24 Commercial Musseling, 1970s to the present ........................ 25 Mussel Harvests, 1987-1998 .................................................. 25 Trapping ....................................................................................... 26 Number of Animals Trapped .................................................. 27 Economic Value of Pelts ........................................................ 28 Trends ..................................................................................... 28 Chapter 4: Water Supply ...................................................................... 29 Data Sources And Methodology .................................................. 29 Overview of Water Supply and Water Users ............................... 30 Water Supply System ............................................................. 30 Major Users of the Public Water Supply................................ 31 Revenues and Employment in the Water Supply Sector .............. 32 Trends in the Water Supply Sector ............................................... 33 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Chapter 5: Recreation and Its Role in the Regional Economy ......... 35 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 35 Corps of Engineers Recreation Study..................................... 35 Other Recreation Studies ........................................................ 37 Recreational Activity and Economic Importance ........................ 37 Economic Activity Associated with Developed Recreational Areas ................................. 37 Other Studies of UMR Recreation ......................................... 39 Caveats and Uncertainties ...................................................... 40 Trends in Recreational Activity.................................................... 41 Chapter 6: Tourism and Cultural/Historical Resources ................... 43 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 43 Tourist Attractions ........................................................................ 44 Cultural/Historical Resources................................................. 44 River Towns and Festivals ..................................................... 47 Riverboat Tours and Gaming ................................................. 48 Travel Expenditures and Travel-Generated Employment in the UMR Corridor .............................................................. 49 Trends ........................................................................................... 51 Chapter 7: Mineral Resources ............................................................. 53 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 53 Overview of Major Mining Activities .......................................... 54 Crushed Stone ......................................................................... 55 Sand and Gravel ..................................................................... 55 Coal......................................................................................... 55 Cement .......................................................................................... 56 Lime ........................................................................................ 56 Other Mining Operations ........................................................ 56 Mining Revenues .......................................................................... 56 UMR Corridor vs. UMR’s Five-State Region........................ 57 Areas of High Mining Activity............................................... 57 Mining Employment ..................................................................... 58 Trends ........................................................................................... 58 Chapter 8: Agriculture.......................................................................... 59 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 60 Overview of the UMR Corridor’s Agricultural Sector................. 61 Corn ........................................................................................ 62 Soybeans ................................................................................. 63 Livestock ................................................................................ 63 Revenue and Employment in the Agricultural Sector .................. 64 Trends ........................................................................................... 65 Chapter 9: Energy Production ............................................................. 67 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 67 Overview of Power Plants ............................................................ 68 Power Generation and Capacity ................................................... 69 Revenue and Employment ............................................................ 71 Trends ........................................................................................... 72 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Chapter 10: Manufacturing.................................................................. 73 Data Sources and Methodology.................................................... 73 Manufacturing Revenue and Employment ................................... 74
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Upper Mississippi River Conservation Opportunity Area Wildlife Action Plan
    Version 3 Summer 2012 UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY AREA WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN Daniel Moorehouse Mississippi River Pool 19 A cooperative, inter-agency partnership for the implementation of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan in the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Opportunity Area Prepared by: Angella Moorehouse Illinois Nature Preserves Commission Elliot Brinkman Prairie Rivers Network We gratefully acknowledge the Grand Victoria Foundation's financial support for the preparation of this plan. Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. ii Acronym List .............................................................................................................................. iii I. Introduction to Conservation Opportunity Areas ....................................................................1 II. Upper Mississippi River COA ..................................................................................................3 COAs Embedded within Upper Mississippi River COA ..............................................................5 III. Plan Organization .................................................................................................................7 IV. Vision Statement ..................................................................................................................8 V. Climate Change .......................................................................................................................9
    [Show full text]
  • The Natural History of Pikes Peak State Park, Clayton County, Iowa ______
    THE NATURAL HISTORY OF PIKES PEAK STATE PARK, CLAYTON COUNTY, IOWA ___________________________________________________ edited by Raymond R. Anderson Geological Society of Iowa ______________________________________ November 4, 2000 Guidebook 70 Cover photograph: Photograph of a portion of the boardwalk trail near Bridal Veil Falls in Pikes Peak State Park. The water falls over a ledge of dolomite in the McGregor Member of the Platteville Formation that casts the dark shadow in the center of the photo. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF PIKES PEAK STATE PARK CLAYTON COUNTY, IOWA Edited by: Raymond R. Anderson and Bill J. Bunker Iowa Department Natural Resources Geological Survey Bureau Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1319 with contributions by: Kim Bogenschutz William Green John Pearson Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Office of the State Archaeologist Parks, Rec. & Preserves Division Wildlife Research Station 700 Clinton Street Building Iowa Dept. Natural Resources 1436 255th Street Iowa City IA 52242-1030 Des Moines, IA 50319 Boone, IA 50036 Richard Langel Chris Schneider Scott Carpenter Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Dept. of Geological Sciences Department of Geoscience Geological Survey Bureau Univ. of Texas at Austin The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242-1319 Austin, TX 78712 Iowa City, IA 52242-1379 John Lindell Elizabeth Smith Norlene Emerson U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Department of Geosciences Dept. of Geology & Geophysics Upper Mississippi Refuge University of Massachusetts University of Wisconsin- Madison McGregor District Office Amherst, MA 01003 Madison WI 53706 McGregor, IA 52157 Stephanie Tassier-Surine Jim Farnsworth Greg A. Ludvigson Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Parks, Rec. & Preserves Division Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Geological Survey Bureau Iowa Dept.
    [Show full text]
  • Art, Geology and Life on the Upper Mississippi
    Peer Reviewed Title: A River Runs Through It: Art, Geology and Life on the Upper Mississippi Journal Issue: Journal for Learning through the Arts, 11(1) Author: Henderson, Lynette K, California State University, Northridge Publication Date: 2015 Permalink: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/12f3c2m2 Acknowledgements: I would like to thank the National Art Education Foundation for their funding and support, as well as all the faculty and students who participated and helped bring the project to life. Author Bio: Associate Professor of Art Education. Joined CSUN Department of Art in 2006. BFA (1986), MFA (1989) and PhD in Art Education/Curriculum and Instruction (2006). Research interests include interdisciplinary, multi-and cross-cultural topics and issues in art and education. Dr. Henderson is also a working artist (painter) and regularly participates in exhibitions. Keywords: Art Education, Art, Environment, Geology, History, Interdisciplinary Local Identifier: class_lta_20880 Abstract: This article presents a pilot interdisciplinary project for middle-school students including visual literacy, studio art, English-language literacy, geology and the study of indigenous groups.[i] The location of the pilot was in the upper Midwest, along the Mississippi river bluffs of St. Paul, Minnesota. English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) students from a Title I school joined a six week summer program, where they examined the banks and bluffs of the Mississippi river, effigy mound sites, and made visits to the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. This curriculum investigates ‘place’ and effects of time, with the intent to increase students’ knowledge of local history, and their placement within the socio-cultural context of a river-city.
    [Show full text]
  • Upper Mississippi River Restoring Natural River Dynamics
    Upper Mississippi River Restoring natural river dynamics Prairie Rivers Network is working toward the restoration of the Upper Mississippi River to promote healthier living and working relationships with our rivers that benefit people, fish, and wildlife. Potters Marsh Restoration Area on About the Upper Mississippi River the Upper Mississippi River The Mississippi River Basin is the third largest river basin in the world, covering 31 states entirely or in part, and draining 41% of the contiguous United States. The north- ern section of the Mississippi, the Upper Mississippi River basin was declared by the U.S. Congress “a nationally significant ecosystem.” Stretching for 1,300 miles from its headwaters in Minnesota to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers south of Cairo, Illinois, the Upper Mississippi River Basin is home for millions of people and an abundance of wildlife. Originally, the Upper Mississippi River consisted of a fully-functioning, complex, large- river ecosystem, with habitats ranging from wetlands and marshes to forested flood- plains and free-flowing open waters. Over time, increased human settlement resulted in “improvements” to the river which drastically altered the diversity of ecosystems and wildlife it can support. Problems from Alterations to the Upper Mississippi River Prairie Rivers Network is Illinois’ Man’s attempts to tame “Old Man River” began in the early 1800s when the U.S. Con- gress started a progression of projects designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers advocate for clean water and (the Corps) to alter the river’s flow for navigation. Early activities, such as snag removal healthy rivers.
    [Show full text]
  • Driftless Area - Wikipedia Visited 02/19/2020
    2/19/2020 Driftless Area - Wikipedia Visited 02/19/2020 Driftless Area The Driftless Area is a region in southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois, of the American Midwest. The region escaped the flattening effects of glaciation during the last ice age and is consequently characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys, and karst geology characterized by spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams. Ecologically, the Driftless Area's flora and fauna are more closely related to those of the Great Lakes region and New England than those of the broader Midwest and central Plains regions. Colloquially, the term includes the incised Paleozoic Plateau of southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Relief map showing primarily the [1] Iowa. The region includes elevations ranging from 603 to Minnesota part of the Driftless Area. The 1,719 feet (184 to 524 m) at Blue Mound State Park and wide diagonal river is the Upper Mississippi covers 24,000 square miles (62,200 km2).[2] The rugged River. In this area, it forms the boundary terrain is due both to the lack of glacial deposits, or drift, between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The rivers entering the Mississippi from the and to the incision of the upper Mississippi River and its west are, from the bottom up, the Upper tributaries into bedrock. Iowa, Root, Whitewater, Zumbro, and Cannon Rivers. A small portion of the An alternative, less restrictive definition of the Driftless upper reaches of the Turkey River are Area includes the sand Plains region northeast of visible west of the Upper Iowa.
    [Show full text]
  • 5 River Ch 4.Pdf
    557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:03 AM Page 74 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:03 AM Page 75 Chapter 4 Transforming the River I: Commerce and Navigation Improvements, 1823-1906 response to their lobbying, Congress authorized four broad projects to improve navigation on the upper river and a number of site-specific projects in the Twin Cities metropol- itan area since 1866. The four broad projects are known as 1 the 4-, 4 /2-, 6- and 9-foot channel projects. Key local proj- he Mississippi River gave birth to most cities ects included Locks and Dams 1 (Ford Dam) and 2 along its banks, and those cities did all they (Hastings), Lower and Upper St. Anthony Falls Locks and could to ensure that the river would nurture Dams, and the little known Meeker Island Lock and Dam, Ttheir growth. From their pioneer days on, they insisted that which was the river’s first and shortest-lived lock and dam the federal government should “improve” the river for navi- (Figure 2). In less than 100 years, these projects would rad- gation. St. Paul and Minneapolis pushed especially hard. ically transform the river that nature had created over mil- Lying at the head of navigation, they demanded a river capa- lions of years and that Native Americans had hunted along, ble of delivering the immigrants needed to populate the canoed on, and fished in for thousands of years. land (not considering that they had taken it from Native Americans) and the tools and provisions needed to fully use Navigation on the Natural River: it.
    [Show full text]
  • Under Raduate Geography Colloquium 2009
    Under raduate Geography Colloquium 2009 .. .. Introduction The French had a significant influence on the settlement of the United States, impacting city planning, land divisions, architecture, religion and many other aspects of life. Coming to the United States in search of trade and land, they spread their culture and heritage via the establishment of trade routes, particularly through the economics of the Great Fur Trade and in rare instances fanning communities. In Wisconsin there too exists a French legacy. Many settlements throughout the state bear French names, specifically those scattered along or near the Mississippi River such as La Crosse, Trempealeau, Prairie du Chien, and Platteville. We focus our case study on the rise and fall of French influence in the settlement of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, located just north of the Mississippi and Wisconsin confluence. The purpose of this study is to understand the French settler's impacts, if any, on the cityscape and traditions of Prairie du Chien. Furthennore, we will assess how those impacts and traditions transcended time through architecture, land distribution, toponymy, and festivals. The story of Wisconsin and the settlement of Prairie du Chien is perhaps so intriguing because it is the story of ''the Americanization of a French settlement," a process coined in 1908 by Rueben Thwaites. Beginning with the first French expeditions ofJoliette and Marquette to the area in 1673, the French settlement and its socioeconomic structures flourished and therefore remained unchanged for nearly two full centuries. Following the war of 1812, the Americans for the first time take possession of Prairie du Chien and consequently started its Americanization through the incorporation of the area into the United States and with it changing land use patterns.
    [Show full text]
  • The Management of the Mississippi River System
    The management of the Mississippi Jonathan W.F. Remo Associate Professor River System: an engineered legacy Director of Env. & Policy Program with a flood of future policy challenges Debris Removal “River Training” Greenville Mississippi 1927 Social Template: Management of the Mississippi River and its Major Tributaries Navigation – Commerce Clause – River and Harbors Act, 1824 Flood Control Act - 1928 Gavin's Point Dam, Missouri River Endangered Pallid Sturgeon Water Supply, Flood Control, and Power Generation - Flood NEPA, ESA – late 1960s – early 1970s and 1986 WRDA and Control Act of 1944 – Pick Sloan Missouri Basin Program Environmental Management Program - River Rehabilitation The Engineering Tool Kit: Navigation - River Training The Engineering Tool Kit: Navigation - Locks and Dams Lock and Dam Number 8 – La Crosse Wisconsin The Engineering Tool Kit: Navigation and Flood Risk Reduction - Reservoirs • 40,000 Reservoirs • ~440 km3 of storage • 1% of these dams account for 89% of storage Reservoir Impacts on Peak Flood Discharges Estimated Flood Peak Reduction by Model Reduction of Flood Discharges Reservoirs for the 1973 and 2011 Floods at St. Louis (USACE, 2004) (USACE, 1973 and DeHaan et al., 2012) Percent Chance Flood Peak Reduction Discharge Reduction Station Exceedance 1973 2011 0.2 -12% Alton -4% No Data 0.5 -15% St. Louis -6% No Data 1 -18% Cairo -15% <-2% 2 -17% Memphis -13% No Data 5 -17% 10 -18% Arkansas City -8% No Data 20 -17% Vicksburg -7% No Data 50 -19% Natchez -6% No Data Reservoir Impact on River Flows 25% - moderate
    [Show full text]
  • Upper Mississippi River - Illinois Waterway Navigation Expansion: an Agricultural Transportation and Environmental Context
    Order Code RL32470 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Upper Mississippi River - Illinois Waterway Navigation Expansion: An Agricultural Transportation and Environmental Context July 15, 2004 Randy Schnepf, Coordinator Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress Upper Mississippi River - Illinois Waterway Navigation Expansion: An Agricultural Transportation and Environmental Context Summary The Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway (UMR-IWW) navigation system provides a vital export outlet for the agricultural bounty of the upper midwestern states of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. The waterway is also a vital means for shipping other bulk commodities important to the regional economy. Commercial navigability on the UMR-IWW is dependent on a system of locks and dams built, maintained, and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Commercial users of the UMR-IWW navigation system — primarily shippers and agricultural producers — claim that, since the 1980s, the UMR-IWW has been beset by increasing traffic congestion and delays related to its aging infrastructure and limited lock capacity. These groups advocate that the federal government should invest in major modernization and lock expansion on the UMR-IWW’s navigation system. They argue that the economies of the UMR-IWW basin states, as well as U.S. export competitiveness, depend on navigation system improvements. In contrast, budget watchdogs, environmentalists, and other interest groups argue that improving navigation must not needlessly damage river ecology; less expensive alternatives should first be fully exploited, and major spending on UMR- IWW improvements is not fully justified on economic grounds.
    [Show full text]
  • Water-Quality Assessment of Part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin- Compilation of Related Literature______
    Water-Quality Assessment of Part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin- Compilation of Related Literature________ U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-579 Upper Mississippi River Basin j | National Water-Quality Assessment Study Unit Contribution from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program Water-Quality Assessment of Part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin- Compilation of Related Literature By J.R. Stark, and G.L. Amos______________________ U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-579 Contribution from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program Mounds View, Minnesota 1996 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: U.S. Geological Survey District Chief Branch of Information Services U.S. Geological Survey Box 25286 2280 Woodale Drive Denver Federal Center Mounds View, MN 55112 Denver, CO 80225 Foreword The goals of the NAWQA Program are being achieved through ongoing and proposed investigations The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is of 60 of the Nation's most important river basins and to assess the quantity and quality of the earth resources aquifer systems, which arc referred to as study units. of the Nation and to provide information that, will assist These study units are distributed throughout the Nation resource managers and policy makers at Federal, State, and cover a diversity of hydrogeologic settings. More and local levels in making sound decisions. Assessment than two-thirds of the Nation's freshwater use occurs of water-quality conditions and trends is an important within the 60 study units and more than two-thirds of part of this overall mission.
    [Show full text]
  • Resiliency in the Upper Mississippi River Basin LAUREN SALVATO (VIRTUAL) WISCONSIN WATERS CONFERENCE APRIL 3, 2020
    Resiliency in the Upper Mississippi River Basin LAUREN SALVATO (VIRTUAL) WISCONSIN WATERS CONFERENCE APRIL 3, 2020 Today’s Topics About the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRBA) UMRBA’s role on the River Resilience in practice - A new vision for flood, sediment, and drought - The UMRR program - Water level management - The UMR Water Quality Improvement Act Opportunities for collaboration Q&A Photo: MVS Flickr ≈1,100 navigable miles 37 locks and dams ≈1,600 miles long The Upper Mississippi River is a vital resource for regional economic prosperity. 5.1 1.6 0.53 Manufacturing 10.3 8.8 0.03 Economic sectors in the Tourism 32.9 UMR and IWW corridors Agriculture 49.5 generate more than $548 Energy production billion annually, supporting Mineral resources over 1.86 million jobs. Outdoor recreation Navigaton $54.6 billion from tourism Water supply 475.7 and recreation, supporting Harvest over 686,000 jobs. http://www.umrba.org/umr-econ-profile.pdf The UMR has ecological value too 127 species of fish - 30 species of freshwater mussels - 300 species of birds Photos: USFWS Flicker Multi-Purpose River Management In 1986, Congress declared the Upper Mississippi River Basin a “nationally significant ecosystem and nationally significant commercial navigation system.” Photo: MVS Flickr About UMRBA Regional interstate organization formed in 1981 by the Governors of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri Facilitate dialogue and cooperative action regarding water and related land resource issues on behalf of the five basin states Photo credit: US FWS Ecosystem Commercial UMRBA Issue Areas Health Navigation Clean Hazardous Water Spills Aquatic Flooding Nuisance Species Photo credit: MVS Flickr UMRBA Water Quality Groups Water Quality Executive Committee and Water Quality Task Force • Tier I: • Nutrient reduction strategies • Interstate water quality monitoring • Tier II: • Harmful algal blooms • Emerging contaminants (e.g., PFAS) • Chloride Photo: USFWS Refuge Flicker The case for building resilience in the UMRB Photos: Indiana Public Media and St.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Quality of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area 1976-2015 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
    SUMMARY FACT SHEET Water Quality of the Mississippi River www.metrocouncil.org in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area 1976-2015 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES The Mississippi River flows through a mix of areas – natural, agricultural, and IS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER urban – that affect its water quality before it reaches the metro area. Here, IMPROVING? the Mississippi is influenced further by the region’s urban areas and the two major rivers that join it – the Minnesota and the Saint Croix. Generally, concentrations of sediment, bacteria, and phosphorus decreased Over the last four decades (1976-2015), the Mississippi has experienced (conditions improved) from 1976 to major improvements for some water quality pollutants, but issues remain. 2015. Pollutants considered in assessing river water quality Nitrogen and chloride, on the other Sediment is sand, soil, silt, or clay particles, measured as “total suspended hand, increased (conditions declined). solids,” from sources such as eroded fields, banks and gullies and poorly “Concentration” is the pollutant managed construction sites. Sediment can decrease the light available in amount measured in a specific volume rivers, harm aquatic life, and carry nutrients to receiving waters. of water. Nutrients, like phosphorus (measured as total phosphorus) and nitrogen (measured as nitrate), are substances used for growth and to support life. Sediment, Phosphorus, and Bacteria However, excessive nutrient levels (eutrophication) caused by materials like fertilizers, animal manure, pet waste, or grass clippings can cause excessive Sediment, Phosphorus, and Bacteria algae growth, which harms aquatic wildlife, insects, and fish. M . i s R * s # i x ssi i p * pi R. # o Bacteria are microscopic living organisms, measured as “fecal coliform.” r Decrease C .
    [Show full text]