 |
Update on Water Quality United States Department of Agriculture |
Progress Update #5, July 2, 1990
- Water Quality Policy Revision Nearly Complete
The Working Group has revised existing USDA water quality policies. A single, comprehensive USDA policy for water quality protection and enhancement us being developed to replace the two existing USDA water quality policies—on groundwater quality and nonpoint source contamination. The final draft policy has been forwarded to the Secretary’s Policy Coordinating Council for approval and signature by Secretary Yeutter. Contact: Vivan Jennings, ES, 202-447-5623.
- SCS–EPA Workshop Held
The annual SCS–EPA water quality workshop was held May 7–10 in Seattle, WA, to strengthen coordination of water quality programs between the two agencies. Major focus of the workshop was discussion of problems encountered in project implementation under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
Seattle was selected as the site for this year’s workshop because it allowed participants to view water quality treatment results in the Puget Sounds National Estuary. Also, the EPA region that includes Seattle is the only one with water quality liaison officers from three USDA agencies (ES, FS, and SCS). Contact: Peter Tidd, SCS 202-382-1870.
- Research Funds Transferred to Midwest
ARS and CSTS have transferred funds to researchers in the five Management Systems Evaluation Areas (MSEA’s) in the Midwest Initiative. (See Update #4.) States, other Federal agencies, and industry are contributing an additional $2.3 million in funds and equipment to supplement the $4 million in Federal funding for the research. Contact: Dick Amerman, OSEC, 202-447-5979.
- AGU to Include Water Quality Session at December Meeting
Two members of the MSEA program management team, Charles Onstad, ARS, and Michael Burkart, USGS, have been asked to organize a half-day session, “Agricultural Chemicals and Water Quality,” at the December American Geophysical Union Western Meeting in San Francisco. They have called for papers on the following topics: (1) processes affecting fate of nutrients and pesticides; (2) occurrence of these chemicals in the hydrologic system; (3) agricultural practices that reduce risk of chemical contamination of water; and (4) methods of evaluating chemical contamination over large areas. Contact: Dick Amerman, OSEC, 202-447-5979.
- Water Information Clearinghouse Established
USDA is cooperating with the U.S. Geological Survey in establishment of a water information clearinghouse at USGS. USGS’s charges from Congress are to disseminate information on groundwater protection and on remedies for contaminated groundwater, and to explore the relationship between the quality of ground and surface waters. Contact: Janice Kemp, NAL, 301-344-3875.
