How does nonpoint source pollution effect the environment?
• The environmental impacts are gradual, but severe. Over time, the pollutants build up in the waterway and settle in the tissue of fish, sediment bottom and the banks of rivers. • Water becomes murky and polluted, rendering it unsafe for people to swim or fish in. • Sediment – ordinary soil – is the number one pollutant of our nation’s waterways. When soil enters a waterway as a result of erosion, it prevents sunlight from reaching aquatic plants, clogs fish gills, chokes other organisms, smothers fish spawning and negatively affects nursery areas. • Chemical fertilizers contain phosphorous, a nutrient that helps plants grow. Using excessive amounts of fertilizer or applying it close to a shoreline causes the phosphorus to run off. Once in the waterway, the phosphorus feeds algae, causing it to grow rapidly. Large amounts of algae reduce oxygen levels in the water and compromise overall water quality. • About 40 percent of surveyed waterways are not clean enough to swim or fish in bec
