Addressing Water Quality through Nutrient Management

Agricultural runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus is a primary driver of water contamination, leading to eutrophication and hypoxic zones in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Climate change is expected to worsen this by increasing the frequency of heavy rains and subsequent nutrient runoff. While the Clean Water Act does not regulate water leaving farmers' fields, various state-level voluntary and mandatory programs, alongside the federal Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), aim to reduce nutrient loading through best management practices like cover crops and no-till operations.

• Agricultural pollution is the primary source of contamination in surveyed rivers and lakes, with nutrient runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus causing eutrophication and the creation of hypoxic zones where oxygen levels fall below 2 milligrams per liter, making them unable to sustain most animal life.
• In the Great Lakes, agricultural nonpoint nutrient sources on the western side of Lake Erie account for 71 percent of the lake's nutrient loading, contributing to harmful algal blooms such as the August 2014 event that left 400,000 people in Toledo, Ohio, without safe drinking water for three days.
• Agricultural nonpoint source pollution is responsible for 60 percent of nitrogen loads and 49 percent of phosphorous loads delivered to the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting hypoxic zone annually covers an area roughly the size of Connecticut.
• Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heavy rains, which will increase nutrient runoff and further impair water quality.
• The USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, aims to invest up to $1.2 billion with an expected total of $2.4 billion including partner funds through 2018 to promote cross-sectoral partnerships for soil and water restoration.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2016). Addressing Water Quality through Nutrient Management. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_NutrientManagement_11.2016.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Addressing Water Quality through Nutrient Management. 2016. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_NutrientManagement_11.2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Addressing Water Quality through Nutrient Management |date=November 2016 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_NutrientManagement_11.2016.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2016addressing, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Addressing Water Quality through Nutrient Management}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_NutrientManagement_11.2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }