Progress since the Any Questions or The Clean Concerns? Water Act Before the Clean Water Act, only about a third of U.S. water was safe for swimming Contact the Tribal or fishing; the rest was fouled by sewage, Environmental Office at oil, pesticides and heavy metals. The 951.654.5544 country was losing up to 500,000 acres of Ext. 4129/4130 wetlands per year, and 30 percent of tap water samples exceeded federal limits for certain chemicals. Today waterways are clearer. In a study of lakes from the 1970s to 2007, improved. Half the lakes saw less nutrient concentrations (forming green sludge) and a quarter saw improved trophic status. Additionally, more than 2,000 water bodies identified as impaired in 2002 now meet water quality standards.

P.O Box 487 San Jacinto, CA 92581

23906 Soboba Road

San Jacinto, CA 92583 There is still room for more progress. An estimated 35 percent of U.S. waters are still unfit for fishing or swimming in 2012. Printed on 100% recycled paper Soboba Tribal Environmental Department 951.654.5544 ext. 4129/4130

Addressing diffuse, nonpoint sources Background The Basics of pollution Section 319 provides money for the Although there were some laws to protect Establishing the Standards to Measure development of programs to reduce water quality in place since the start of Success pollution from unregulated, diffuse the 20th century, no comprehensive Water quality standards are the foundation sources, such as agriculture. EPA grants national law existed that was somewhat of the CWA's programs. These standards are used to identify impaired waters, easy to implement. Things like fish die are used to determine which waters must help implement best management offs and rivers catching on fire brought be cleaned up, how much pollution can be practices to reduce runoff, and monitor the need for greater protection of water in discharged, and what is needed for and evaluate progress to restore waters. the 60s and 70s. Originally enacted in protection. To help achieve these targets, Protecting Wetlands 1948 to control primarily EPA reviews and approves state and tribal The CWA regulates the discharge of based on state and local efforts, the standards; develops replacement standards dredged or fill material into waters of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or where needed, and provides technical and U.S., including wetlands. Activities Clean Water Act (CWA), was totally scientific support. regulated include fill for development, revised in 1972 to give the Act its current Identifying Polluted Waters and water resource projects, infrastructure shape. The CWA set a new national goal Developing Plans to Restore Them development and mining projects. “to restore and maintain the chemical, Every two years states are required to Protecting Coastal Waters through physical, and biological integrity of the assess the condition of surface waters and the National Program Nation’s waters”, with interim goals that submit lists of those that are too polluted to The National Estuary Program (NEP) is all waters be fishable and swimmable meet water quality standards. The Act a community-based program designed to where possible. The Act embodied a new requires that states address these impaired restore and maintain the water quality federal-state partnership, where federal waters by developing Total Maximum and ecological integrity of 28 guidelines, objectives and limits were to Daily Loads. TMDLs identify pollutant of national significance. The NEP uses a be set under the authority of the U.S. limits necessary to clean up the water to watershed-based ecosystem planning Environmental Protection Agency, while meet water quality standards and then approach to connect upstream pollution states, territories and authorized tribes quantify a pollutant "budget" for different sources with downstream impacts. would largely administer and enforce the sources of pollutants. Protecting Large Aquatic Ecosystems CWA programs, with significant federal Permitting Discharges of Pollutants EPA administers programs for 10 large technical and financial assistance. from Point Sources aquatic ecosystems, such as the Gulf of The National Pollutant Discharge Mexico and Pacific Islands. These Elimination System (NPDES) is one of the programs involve stakeholders to key regulatory tools available in the CWA. address problems, such as loss of habitat It requires that any point source that and invasive species. Activities include discharges polluted wastewater into a body water quality monitoring, working with of water must first obtain a permit after the states to negotiate pollution controls, and operator of the facility shows that they are educating citizens regarding the causes using the best available technology to and cures for these environmental reduce pollutants from their discharges. problems.