Eps 3: Water runoff Agriculture
Agricultural runoff is typically a nonpoint source pollution, which means it is hard to exactly locate where the pollution comes from.
Agricultural runoff can occur because of improper management of animal feeding operations, plowing excessively, poorly executed application of pesticides, irrigation water and fertilizer.
As agricultural runoff enters bodies of water it can have negative impacts on the environment.
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Rhonda Romero
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When the runoff is in motion, it absorbs natural and man-made pollutants and deposits them in water catchments. This pollution runoff, known as agricultural nonpoint pollution, is one of the leading sources of pollution in the rivers and streams studied. Some states report that non-point source agricultural pollution is the second most common cause of water pollution and the third largest source of air pollution for the US Environmental Protection Agency .
Farmers routinely use pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides and fungicides to keep out unwanted weeds, insects, rodents and fungi. Livestock, crops and agricultural practices can contribute to local waterways, and farmers can significantly reduce nutrient runoff through improved soil health, such as planting cover plants, planting buffer plants on the side of the stream, or planting cover crops and adhering to best fertilization practices.
By choosing sustainable farming practices, farmers can reduce the amount of polluted runoff from their farms. Nature conservation plans deal with pollutants from farm runoff through nutrient and pest control strategies. Farmers and ranchers can develop unique plans for their land that improve water efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of their property. They can also work with local authorities, private landowners and conservation organisations.
Rainwater, melting snow and irrigation runoff carry manure, polluted sediments, bacteria and chemicals into the water. Landowners also have a responsibility to ensure that the drains do not pollute lakes, rivers and streams.
Farmers bring nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in the form of slurry, chemical fertilisers and sludge into their crops and into bodies of water such as lakes, rivers and streams.
When these sources exceed the needs of plants and are used immediately after rain, these nutrients are flushed into aquatic ecosystems and washed away from the nutrients.
This water is called a drain and can contain nitrates and fertilizers that are not absorbed by plants. High concentrations of nitrates in drinking water can lead to methomoglobinemia, also known as blue baby syndrome. This can then cause algal blooms that deprive fish of the opportunity to swim, deprive them of oxygen - and kill water, as well as creating a smell and bad taste in drinking water.
Although miles lie between the lines of the corn belt, the runoff from agricultural fields in the United States is not regulated. Although government regulations have been successfully rolled back, we still have a long way to go to address what was one of the Midwest's biggest environmental problems.
Here, defective clarifiers can also produce drains that discharge pollutants into streams, rivers and lakes. Water disturbances bring water to the surface, which can lead to water pollution in the form of runoff from sewage treatment plants, sewage treatment plants or sewage treatment plants.
In developed areas, for example, water that seeps into the ground in the form of runoff from sewage treatment plants, sewage systems, and other infrastructure can cause the land to sink. The submergence of land leads to costly damage to infrastructure, including irrigation channels, on which farmers depend.
Agriculture is also a leading source of nutrient runoff into water, which promotes the growth of algal blooms. To make matters worse, water temperatures are warming due to climate change, and water quality is changing due to droughts and other environmental factors.
Animal waste can also contain harmful bacteria that can enter the water supply and cause algal blooms. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency , CAFO pollution has restricted the flow of more than 1.5 billion gallons of water into Lake Erie each year. Each bloom in Lake Ohio costs about $71 million, lowering real estate values and water treatment costs, according to a report by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Many chicken farmers scatter huge amounts of chicken droppings on farmland to dispose of, but much more is distributed than can be absorbed and often more is permitted by law.
When it rains, excess nutrients and drug residues enter the air and enter groundwater, rivers, lakes and bays. Because last year's drought prevented parched fields from absorbing fertilizer, additional cargoes of these nutrients entered the waters and landed in the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for the cultivation of plants, but can also promote algae growth in rivers, lakes and bays.
These chemicals can threaten life in the water, says Bob Lerch, a USDA soil scientist, and there they can cause serious health problems for humans and animals.