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This fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the impact of agricultural nutrient runoff—specifically nitrogen and phosphorus—on water quality in the United States, focusing on the Upper Midwest, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. It details the environmental consequences of eutrophication and hypoxia, the legal and regulatory landscape including the Clean Water Act's exemptions for irrigated agriculture, and the role of the USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in funding voluntary conservation efforts to reduce pollution.