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Coastal Watershed Factsheets
Oceans and Coastal Protection: Your Coastal Watershed
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
|
Office of Water
(4504F) |
EPA 842-F-98-006
April 1998 |
What Is a Watershed?
A watershed is a geographic area in which all sources of water, including
lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands, and streams, as well as ground water,
drain to a common surface water body. Because all watersheds are defined
by natural hydrology and ultimately drain to coastal waters, they are
good focal points for managing coastal resources.
Parts of the Coastal
Watershed
The coastal
watershed has several parts. It starts up at the beginning headwaters
of the streams and rivers that ultimately drain down to the coastal areas.
Headwaters often include wetlands, and wetlands often are
adjacent to the flowing waters of rivers or streams. As the streams and
rivers flow to coastal waters, they are influenced by many land and water
uses. They pass through upland areas used for a variety of purposes such
as farming, housing, businesses, recreation, and conservation. Upon reaching
the coastal areas, the rivers empty into estuaries, which provide a unique
habitat for a diverse group of organisms. Among other habitat functions,
rivers and estuaries provide breeding and feeding grounds for a variety
of aquatic and terrestrial animals. Nearshore waters, the areas directly
offshore from the beach, are part of the coastal watershed because they
are influenced by the activities going on along the shoreline and by pollutants
coming from the land. Farther offshore are coral reefs (in tropical areas)
and other offshore habitats that are part of the coastal watershed as
well.
How Does the Watershed Influence Marine Resources?
Since a
watershed is made up of several components that are all part of the "big
watershed picture," it is important to remember that what happens on the
land can affect the water. For example, if a river or stream flows through
an agricultural area, it can pick up fertilizer, manure, and pesticides
from farming operations that run off the land after a rainstorm. As it
passes urbanized and suburbanized areas, it might gather fertilizers that
wash off lawns, untreated sewage from failing septic tanks, wastewater
discharges from industrial facilities, sediment from construction sites,
and runoff from impervious surfaces like parking lots. Upon reaching the
coast, the stream or river can be affected by commercial and recreational
boating, discharges from industrial and municipal facilities, and recreational
activities on beaches. All of these areas-- agricultural, uburban, urban,
and coastal-- can have an impact on marine resources.
Some Pollution
Impacts on the Coastal Watershed
Soil
(loose dirt) from construction sites, farms, and areas where dirt is exposed
can wash off into streams and rivers when it rains and flow to lakes,
estuaries, and oceans. The result can be muddy waters that smother organisms
living on the bottom, decrease the amount of light reaching the sea grass
beds, and clog fish gills. Some kinds of pollutants can bind to sediment
and flow with it to coastal waters.
Excess
nutrients can also wash off the land when it rains and end up in coastal
waters. Sources of excess nutrients include lawn fertilizers, pet and
farm animal waste, decaying plant material, failing septic tanks, atmospheric
deposition, and inefficient sewage treatment plants. The loss of wetlands
in many watersheds has reduced the ability of nature to process these
nutrients before they enter rivers, streams, and ultimately estuaries.
These nutrients can cause
an excessive amount of algae (microscopic plants) to grow in the water,
blocking the light reaching sea grass. When the algae die off, the decaying
process uses up the oxygen in the water, leaving little, if any, for fish
and other aquatic organisms. In addition, some of these algae and related
organisms (including Pfiesteria piscicida) release toxins that
can kill fish or shellfish, and can be harmful, or even fatal, to humans.
Toxic
substances, such as pesticides from lawns, gardens, and farms, and
lead, oils, and greases deposited on roads from cars and trucks, can all
run off the land with rainfall and snowmelt. Industrial plants and municipal
wastewater treatment plants can also contribute to the amount of toxic
substances entering streams and rivers and ultimately lakes, estuaries,
and coastal waters. Fish kills and loss of the recreational uses of an
area can occur.
Pathogens
are microscopic organisms like bacteria and viruses. They come from untreated
or poorly treated sewage, pet and farm animal waste, and improperly handled
medical waste. Pathogens in the water in unsafe amounts result in beach
closures, shellfish bed closures, fish kills, and human health problems.
Resource Impacts
Activities
in the watershed can adversely affect a variety of resources. (Specific
impacts on each of these resources are discussed in the referenced factsheets.)
Beaches--
Overloading of pollutants such as sewage and debris can result in beach
closings. (EPA 842-F-98-010)
Bays and estuaries-- Pollutants in and structural alterations to bays and
estuaries can lead to loss of breeding and feeding grounds of fish, other
aquatic animals, and birds, as well as loss of recreational areas. (EPA
842-F-98-009)
Nearshore
waters-- Along with bays and estuaries, nearshore waters are collection
places for pollutants that flow from the watershed. (EPA 842-F-98-007)
Coral
reefs and other offshore areas-- Marine debris and pollutants such
as nutrients and pesticides can flow offshore and affect coral reefs and
other offshore habitats. (EPA 842-F-98-008)
It is important to think of the watershed as a whole system that is tied together. What
happens in one part of the watershed can affect another part, sometimes
hundreds of miles away.
What Is EPA Doing
to Protect Coastal Watersheds?
As one
of the primary federal agencies with responsibility for protecting and
restoring the nation's waters, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has the opportunity to advance watershed protection. In recent years,
EPA has invested considerable effort in streamlining program requirements
that hinder watershed approaches and in developing useful watershed tools
and services. For example, EPA has:
- Increased efforts to assist states in assessing the quality of their
watersheds through a variety of programs.
- Applied watershed planning tools to the wetland permitting process
to identify areas that are suitable or unsuitable for development.
- Provided financial assistance to states, territories, and tribes to
promote watershed planning and management.
- Developed the "Surf Your Watershed" web site, which provides watershed-specific
information to the public through the Internet and has increased public
awareness of watersheds.
- Implemented the National Estuary Program to protect specific coastal
watersheds and foster citizen and local government involvement in coastal
watershed protection.
EPA also
works with state, local, and community organizations to help them initiate
grassroots efforts for protecting watersheds. The Getting in Step--
A Pathway to Effective Outreach in Your Watershed program provides
training to community organizations interested in learning how to communicate
the watershed protection message. EPA recognizes that even though federal
and state agencies can provide guidance and assistance, watershed protection
must be implemented at the local and watershed levels.
What Can You Do?
You can do several things to help protect your watershed and coastal waters.
- Take responsibility for your own backyard through sensible
lawn care, waste disposal, and resource conservation. Use pesticides
and fertilizers sparingly and correctly. Compost organic waste.
- Practice good housekeeping by properly disposing of toxic substances
like paint and paint thinners, automotive fluids, and cleaning products.
Participate in "amnesty days" or take toxic wastes to appropriate collection
sites.
- Curb your dog and properly dispose of pet waste. Do not leave
it on the ground or throw it down a storm drain. (Your neighbors will
appreciate this, too!)
- Maintain your septic tank if you have one. Frequent pumping,
proper drain field maintenance, and careful waste disposal will prolong
the life of your system and prevent discharge of untreated sewage to
ground and surface waters.
- Pick up litter when you see it and properly dispose of your
own trash.
- Properly maintain your boat, use pumpout facilities, and operate
your boat in a responsible manner to avoid shoreline erosion. Follow
all signage to avoid harming sensitive aquatic environments.
- Get involved in volunteer clean-up, monitoring, and environmental
protection efforts. Possibilities range from helping with mailings and
phone campaigns to stenciling storm drains and participating in beach
and stream cleanups.
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For additional information...
Call EPA's Oceans and Coastal Protection Division at (202) 566-1200,
or write to:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
Oceans and Coastal Protection Division 4504T
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
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