Clean Water Act | Soil Science Society of America

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region-highlighted"> <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> </div> <main role="main"> <a id="main-content" tabindex="-1"></a> <div class="layout-content clearfix news-wrapper"> <div class="region region-content"> <div id="block-mainpagecontent--2" class="block block-system block-system-main-block wrapper"> <article role="article" class="node node--type-general-templates node--view-mode-full"> <div class="node__content"> <div class="field field--name-field-layouts field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--landing-page paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-landing-hero field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--landing-hero paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="row wrapper"> <div class="col-12"> <div class="landing-hero" style="background-image: url(/files/images/news/blue-green-grey-water-graphic-1300x400-header-style-svf.jpg)"> <div class="landing-heroInner"> <h1 class="landing-title wrapper-inner t-t:u">Clean Water Act </h1> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row wrapper"> <div class="col-12"> <div class="row wrapper-inner"> <div class="col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-7"> <div class="landing-content"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--landing-page-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="landing-intro"> This year, the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America are celebrating 50 years of the Clean Water Act. This Act aims to restore and maintain the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s water resources. Here we have collected information and below you will see links to blogs, a video, journal papers, and podcasts about clean water. </div> <div class="landing-repeat"> <h4 class="t-t:u">Clean Water's Ties to Agronomic, Crop and Soil Science</h4> <p><p><strong><em>Soils and Clean Water</em></strong></p> <p>One of the most important roles that soils play on the landscape is to filter rainwater and snowmelt. <a href="https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/soil-largest-reactor-on-the-planet/" target="_blank">Soils act as physical, chemical, and biological filters</a> for this water as it moves from the ground into surface or groundwater.</p> <p>For this to happen, a raindrop must spend as much time in the soil as possible before it enters a water body. This helps dissolved sediments and chemicals in the raindrop to stick to the soil instead of continuing to travel with the water. When the Clean Water Act was passed, it set regulations to help maximize the role that soils perform to keep water clean. </p> <p>The Clean Water Act particularly impacted how we think about and manage wetland soils. In fact, one of the three key criteria for defining a wetland is by looking at indicators in the soil. When the Clean Water Act set protections for wetlands, it sparked research focused on understanding wetland soils. Academic and government researchers, as well as <a href="https://www.soils.org/certifications/become-certified" target="_blank">certified professional soil scientists</a> work in wetland research and improvement. </p> <p><strong><em>Crop science, agronomy and clean water</em></strong></p> <p>For the agricultural community, water and soil are both critical resources for growing food. Adding fertilizer to the field to improve yields helps to feed the growing global population. However, when that fertilizer gets displaced, it can cause problems.</p> <p>Agronomists work on various techniques that allow farmers to use fertilizers in what are called “best management practices.” We describe many of those techniques on the next pages below. Many farmers also consult with <a href="https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/about-program" target="_blank">Certified Crop Advisers</a> to use these best practices.</p> <p>Farmers also use pesticides to control weeds, diseases and insect pests. They must use best management practices for these, too, to keep them out of waterways. When overused or used incorrectly, pesticides and fertilizers have the potential to pollute waterways and damage ecosystems.</p> <p>The Clean Water Act applies to the agricultural community, to guide practices that allow food production while avoiding harm to the environment, including our waterways.</p> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-5"> <div class="landing-sidebar"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--sidebar paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-call-to-action-1-window field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">yes</div> <a id="sidebarCta-1" title="Soils Matter Blog" class="content1-cta" href="https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> Soils Matter Blog </a> <div class="field field--name-field-call-to-action-2-window field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">yes</div> <div class="sidebar-video"> </div> <aside class="layout-sidebar-second" role="complementary"> </aside> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div>  </div>  <div class="row wrapper"> <div class="col-12"> <div class="wrapper-inner clearfix"> <h4 class="t-t:u">Learn more</h4> </div> </div> </div><div class="row wrapper"> <div class="col-12"> <div class="wrapper-inner clearfix"> <div class="landing-learnItem"> <a href="/clean-water-act/farming-agriculture" title="Farming and agriculture " class="imgLink"> <div class="pic" style="background-image: url(/files/images/about-agronomy/hands-holding-soil-zachary-stewart-800x600.jpg)"> <img class="sr-only" src="/files/images/about-agronomy/hands-holding-soil-zachary-stewart-800x600.jpg" alt="hands holding soil"> </div> </a> <a href="/clean-water-act/farming-agriculture" title="Farming and agriculture " class="link">Farming and agriculture </a> </div> <div class="landing-learnItem"> <a href="/clean-water-act/soil-environment" title="Soils and environment" class="imgLink"> <div class="pic" style="background-image: url(/files/images/news/wetland-restoration-jb-sedimentaddition1-800x600sf.jpg)"> <img class="sr-only" src="/files/images/news/wetland-restoration-jb-sedimentaddition1-800x600sf.jpg" alt="addition of soil to wetlands"> </div> </a> <a href="/clean-water-act/soil-environment" title="Soils and environment" class="link">Soils and environment</a> </div> <div class="landing-learnItem"> <a href="/clean-water-act/what-you-can-do-for-clean-water-act" title="What you can do" class="imgLink"> <div class="pic" style="background-image: url(/files/images/news/waterrunningtostormdrain-svf-800x600.jpg)"> <img class="sr-only" src="/files/images/news/waterrunningtostormdrain-svf-800x600.jpg" alt="water running into storm drain"> </div> </a> <a href="/clean-water-act/what-you-can-do-for-clean-water-act" title="What you can do" class="link">What you can do</a> </div> <div class="landing-learnItem"> <a href="https://www.agronomy.org/about-agronomy/at-work/laura-christianson" title="Clean water practices video" class="imgLink"> <div class="pic" style="background-image: url(/files/images/about-agronomy/christianson-fieldkneel-800rl.jpg)"> <img class="sr-only" src="/files/images/about-agronomy/christianson-fieldkneel-800rl.jpg" alt="Woman kneeling in corn field"> </div> </a> <a href="https://www.agronomy.org/about-agronomy/at-work/laura-christianson" title="Clean water practices video" class="link">Clean water practices video</a> </div> <div class="landing-learnItem"> <a href="/clean-water-act/k-12-activities" title="Clean Water Act learning activities" class="imgLink"> <div class="pic" style="background-image: url(/files/images/news/soilscleanandcapture-koolaid2-fisk-brightened-crop-x800x600.jpg)"> <img class="sr-only" src="/files/images/news/soilscleanandcapture-koolaid2-fisk-brightened-crop-x800x600.jpg" alt="Adult and children doing a soils activity"> </div> </a> <a href="/clean-water-act/k-12-activities" title="Clean Water Act learning activities" class="link">Clean Water Act learning activities</a> </div> <div class="landing-learnItem"> <a href="/clean-water-act/publications" title="Clean Water Act publications" class="imgLink"> <div class="pic" style="background-image: url(/files/images/publications/clean-water-act-publications-icon.jpg)"> <img class="sr-only" src="/files/images/publications/clean-water-act-publications-icon.jpg" alt="The Chesapeake Bay"> </div> </a> <a href="/clean-water-act/publications" title="Clean Water Act publications" class="link">Clean Water Act publications</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer role="contentinfo"> <div class="region region-footer"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-12"> <div class="row wrapper"> <div class="col-12 col-md-6"> <div> <a title="logo" href="/" class="footer-logoContainer"> <img class="footer-logo" src="/files/images/logos/sssa.jpg" alt="company logo"> </a> </div> <nav> <ul class="footer-navigation" }> <li class="menu-item"> <a 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