Water quality in the state’s lakes, rivers and streams has improved slightly over the last two years, according to a new report by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The agency’s draft 2012 water quality report — a biannual analysis required by the federal Clean Water Act —found that 57.7 percent of waterways now meet quality goals. That’s up from 56.7 percent in 2010.
The new report removed 260 waterways previously deemed “impaired,” but added 244 newly impaired waterways.
Major areas of concern include excess nutrients and pollutants present in many waterways, often attributed to agricultural land use and urban development that can harm aquatic ecosystems.
Water quality in the state’s largest rivers also decreased from the 93 percent meeting standards in 2010 to 89 percent in the new report.
via www.dispatch.com
Original Headline: State report: Lakes, rivers, streams improving slightly
Alternative Headline 1: State report: Lakes, rivers, streams improve by 1.8%
Alternative Headline 2: State report: Rivers worsen by 4.3%
Alternative Headline 3: State report: 260 waterways removed from 'impaired' list
Alternative Headline 4: State report: 244 waterways added to 'impaired' list
It's all in the interpretation.
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