Agriculture and water quality. Agriculture Information Bulletin

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6801495

Crowder, B M; Ribaudo, M O; Young, C E

Agriculture generates byproducts that may contribute to the contamination of the Nation's water supply. Any effective regulations to ban or restrict agricultural-chemical or land-use practices in order to improve water quality will affect the farm economy. Some farmers will benefit; some will not. Most agricultural pollutants reach surface waterways in runoff; some leach through soil into ground water. Because surface-water systems and ground water systems are interrelated, farm-management practices need to focus on water quality in both systems. Modifying farm-management practices may raise production costs in some areas. Farmers can reduce runoff losses by reducing input use, implementing soil-conservation practices, and changing land use. Also at issue is who should pay for improving water quality.

• Research Organization: Economic Research Service, Washington, DC (USA). Resources and Technology Div.
• OSTI ID: 6801495
• Report Number(s): PB-89-104327/XAB; USDA/AIB-548
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CONTROL
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FARMS
FERTILIZERS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAND USE
LEGISLATION
MASS TRANSFER
NUTRIENTS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PESTICIDES
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SEDIMENTS
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SURFACE WATERS
TAXES
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