Book Description

The quality of the nation's surface and ground water supplies is an issue of public health and environmental awareness. Runoff from agricultural activities resulting in sediment and nutrient loading causes 60-80% of surface water impairments. Agrichemicals in ground water have been detected in evety state of the Great Plains excpet Wyoming, where contamination is suspected but not verified. Nitrate and pesticide contamination of ground water in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas is described as regional. However, normal use of agrichemicals is not causing widespread ground water contamination except in ares of high vulnerability, even though fertilizer application rates in the Great Plains and herbicide use nationally have tripled since 1965.