TMDL Development and Georgia Agriculture
by: Jeff Mullen
Recently agricultural
activities have become the target of perceptions, or some might say
misperceptions. Agriculture is often portrayed as the country's most
significant contributor of non-point source [NPS] pollution. Georgia's
agricultural community is attempting to use recent debates over proposed
swine facilities and confined animal feeding operations as an opportunity
to increase partnerships between, and within, natural resource management
individuals, groups, and agencies across the State. One aspect of this
cooperative effort has been the development of a methodology for assessing
agricultural contributions to water quality impairments, which is introduced.
While agricultural operations can represent a potential environmental
threat, the results of applying this methodology, to date, suggest that
individuals, groups, and agencies assessing the source of water quality
impairments in watersheds where agriculture exists should consider four
foundational characteristics before quantifying agricultural non-point
source pollution.
Irrigation: Its Consequences
in Basin Water Resources Management and the Potential for Saving Water
to Serve New Uses
by: Harald Fredericksen
Irrigated agriculture
is the largest consumer of water in most arid and semi-arid countries.
The amount of water consumptively used depends largely on the crop.
But additional quantities, not utilized by the plants, also must be
diverted depending on the water application methods, soils, weather
and losses from the conveyance systems.
Advanced application
methods, lined canals and enclosed conveyance works are offered as a
general panacea to free up water for other uses. Unfortunately for the
world, the quantities that may be salvaged are not substantial. Most
of the additional water remains in the surface water and groundwater
systems and is the supply relied upon by present agricultural and urban
users downstream and users of recharged groundwater.
Reallocating irrigation
water to other purposes by water markets and increasing prices above
the cost of services have severe political and physical limitations.
Social and economic impacts and domestic security risks are even more
serious obstacles. For agriculture still employs 60 to 80 percent of
the population in the developing countries. It will take several decades
to create alternative employment for these millions.
Urban centers are
already short in the developing countries. Urban waste recycling is
urgently needed, however require substantial funds. Desalting is not
affordable. One potential may arise from the genetic research intensively
pursued by developing countries in Latin America and Asia. Greater reliance
will fall upon products that yield the greatest nourishment per unit
of water.
Droughts will be
far more serious than even implied in the above discussion. The only
un-utilized resource remaining is floodwaters flowing to the sea. The
international community should face reality and press actions that will
produce new water immediately.
|
