banner MPWA Home Page MPWA Home Page
 

Sample Uses, Impacts, Causes and Pollutants/Affected Water Quality Components

  IMPACTS CAUSES POLLUTANTS
Agriculture
  • land disturbance
  • animal and plant wastes
  • substances applied to enhance production such as manure, chemical fertilizers and pesticides
  • poorly located or managed animal feeding operations
  • overgrazing
  • tilling too often or at the wrong time
  • improper, excessive, or poorly timed application of pesticides, irrigation water, and fertilizer
  • sediment
  • nutrients
  • bacteria
  • pesticides
  • metals
  • salts

Forestry
  • increased run-off
  • increased sedimentation
  • land disturbance
  • road construction and use; heavy equipment operation
  • land disturbance
  • road construction and use; heavy equipment operation

Mining
  • Point-source pollution
  • run-off from mine sites/settling ponds
  • land disturbance
  • specific to mine but can include pH (from acid mine drainage)
  • total suspended solids and associated metals
  • total dissolved solids
  • nitrogen, selenium

Built-up Areas
  • erosion
  • pollution into storm sewers or directly to lake, stream, river or wetland
  • concentrated flow at discharge from storm sewers
  • pollutants picked up by run-off
  • sediment
  • nutrients, bacteria
  • hazardous wastes such as pesticides, solvents, motor oil
  • higher water temps

Oil and Gas
  • soil erosion
  • contamination of groundwater
  • point-source pollution
  • heavy machinery use
  • saltwater injection wells or disposal wells
  • spills from roads, well sites, and exploration corridors
  • concentrated flow at discharge from storm sewers
  • pollutants picked up by run-off

Recreation
  • trail damage
  • erosion of soil
  • sedimentation of stream beds
  • risk to fish
  • unregulated access to wilderness areas due to infrastructure development
  • motorized vehicles
  • increased stream crossings
  • Solvents, and motor oil from boats and quads, litter, TDS (sediments)






CONTACT THE ALLIANCE