Aquatic ecosystems are essential to human life. More than half the U.S. population lives near the nation's coasts and the rest of the population relies on inland water resources. Empowered by the Clean Water Act, the EPA strives to manage, protect and restore the water resources and ecosystems of the nation's marine and fresh waters. Some of the programs managed by the EPA to meet these goals include the National Estuary Program, the Coral Reef Task Force and the Water Quality Inventory.
Recommended EPA Web pages |