Invasive Species Affect Water Quality

Water contamination is vastly becoming an alarming issue across the world. We rely on clean water to survive, yet right now we are heading towards a water crisis. Changing climate patterns are threatening lakes and rivers, and key sources that we tap for drinking water are being overdrawn or tainted with pollution (www.nrdc.org). Clean and plentiful water is the cornerstone of prosperous communities. Yet as we enter the 21st century, swelling demand and changing climate patterns are

In order to have a thriving and healthy society a clean water supply is a very simple but necessary resource. Dating back to the beginning of civilizations the need for clean water was an essential need. The Clean Water Act dates to Franklin D Roosevelt’s administration. In 1972 Congress amended and passed what is now known as the Clean Water Act to protect our precious resource of water. The clean water Act prevented the dumping of pollutants into navigable waters without a permit. Many municipalities and commercial entities had previously dumped sewage and unregulated waste in to our rivers and streams contaminating a great percentage of our drinking water. This wreck less contamination of our waterways not only affected humans but also affected our wildlife including fish and animal’s life that depended on these waters. Any municipality or company that could affect our waters would need to apply for a permit to do so. While the Clean Water Act was a landmark legislation that was supported by both Democrats and Republicans alike over the years has seen expansion of the EPA’s interpretation of the law and has created a controversy in Administrative Law that has many challenges up to the Unites States Supreme Court. (Television, n.d.)

To do this, people could start out by passing out pamphlets on water purity. Every family would get at least one copy of it. Then a website would be made about this issue. People could put in real facts, like "Better water quality can lead to longer life!" We would also include the link to the site in the pamphlet.

Prevention is necessary to control many problems in the Chesapeake Bay. Prevention can range from something as big as a government issue or as small as a single person helping out. The greatest chance at total protection for water quality is when many people and organizations work together to prevent problems. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Federal, state and non-profit Bay Program partners are working with farmers, developers, homeowners and local governments to reduce pollutants from multiple sources and restore water quality for all to enjoy” (Chesapeake Bay Program).

It is easy person to point their finger at big industrial and chemical plants and blame them for the cause of so much pollution in our water. When taking a closer look, those same people pointing the finger are equally contributing to the pollution of our water supply and are also to blame. This person could be a friend, family member, classmate, or even you. Even if people do not think that they have a part in this, most do. A variety of data has shown traces of pharmaceuticals used by every day humans in our water. As well as pharmaceuticals there is a presence of chemical contaminants, mainly pesticides that are causing harm to our environment and wildlife. Even humans can be affected by such contamination in the water supply, and

The freshwater that is available for use is becoming more contaminated with each use. The Clean Water Act of 1972 put in order more regulations in regards to wastewater and the dumping of it into rivers and lakes. Multiple-step filtration systems have been used since then to better remove toxins from wastes before it enters freshwater. In a personal interview with Moe Crabtree, Nature Resource Specialist for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, I learned some measures taken to keep water clean. Her common job is to setup timber sales which includes much precaution of rivers and streams. I asked her- “In what ways do you have to avoid water contamination?” she replied, “we have to divert culverts at minimum one hundred feet from

“Water is life's mater and matrix, mother, and medium. There is no life without water.” This means that if we do not take good care of this water since it is so polluted there will be no water left for us. So the Government of Minnesota (CWD) should pass a law so the water in Minnesota is filtered better and so that it will be cleaner so everyone is able to drink it. There are three ways to do this and they are Hazardous waste treatment, Planting vegetation along bodies of water, to filter sediment and Filtering Bacteria so if they are ingested by humans it will not kill them.

It is difficult to prevent this completely, however, there are steps to be taken that could regulate it. One of which would be to provide funding for state programs such as the Great Lake Restoration Initiative, Clean Water Revolving Fund, and Drinking Water Revolving Fund, which are lacking in funding. These programs work to help clean up current pollutants in the Great Lakes, as well as prevent future pollutants. They also provide clean water for millions, which is a basic human right and should thus be taken as a serious priority. Another step to be taken that would significantly improve the health of Michigan’s waters would be to create a statewide septic code. Michigan is the only state without a septic code and perhaps creating one to regulate septic systems would greatly help pollution issues in the Great

I was hoping that sometime next week we could meet and discuss/establish our goals and expectations. It would be great if you could reply with the best day and time to meet, so we can get started.

5% of all lakes in MN are infested. That is 592 lakes, and lots of rivers, streams, ponds, and wetlands are infested too. Better awareness is needed for invasive species prevention. The DNR should require a sign saying that the lake is infested at the lake’s main water access. Not all lakes post that they are infested and laws force people to treat water from infested lakes differently. Having all infested lakes post that the are will help save the lakes from the invasive species.

When the Freshman Biology classes originally tested the water quality of the UHS creek, it was found to be excellent. However, not all creeks have excellent water quality. Humans can impact water quality when fertilizers and pesticides that are sprayed on plants wash into the rivers and creeks. The extra chemicals will bring down the quality in the water. Certain factories use river water to cool down or power their machines. The dirty or used water is put back into the river. If the water has any chemicals or dirt in it then it will cause the water quality to decrease. A lot of people hurt the water without realizing. What are some natural solutions to fix the damage done to the water? (http://www.lenntech.com/rivers-pollution-quality.htm)

My aquatic invasive species is the water chestnut. Though it is not too common in Indiana waters, it is on the invasive species list, due to the prediction that it will quickly become a threat. It is an aquatic plant native to Eurasia. Currently, it is naturalized in North America and Australia. The states that it is most common in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and others on the eastern coast.

Organisms without back bones are Macro Invertebrate species (Seminole.Wateratlas.Usf.Edu ,2012) . These organisms are small but can be seen without a magnifying glass (Waitakere.Govt.Nz , 2002) . Size ranges from 3-20mm long (Waitakere.Govt.Nz , 2002) .Insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, leeches, and anemones are classified a Macro invertebrate species (Waitakere.Govt.Nz , 2002). Streams that are free from pollution will contain a variety of these animals. Streams that have higher pollution levels will less of these animals.

As the worlds population grows, it is forced by circumstances that it has created to face the limitations of the worlds resources. Most people in the US have always been fortunate enough to have enough of whatever they wanted. When something they like breaks or wears out, they throw it away or buy a new one, and they often don’t even make an attempt to repair an item. They neglect basic maintenance until they damage their belongings beyond repair, and expect that they’ll always have enough. But some things are beyond their control, beyond there power or financial ability to replace or repair. The world’s drinking water supply is one of these without concern, without attention, without preventative maintenance and reclamation and

The purpose of this report is to propose a solution to the problem of reduced drinking water quality due to chemical pollution. Some bodies of water in the United States are becoming polluted from chemicals and restrictions are needed to protect drinking water quality.