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River Pollution

By: Hunter Flesch and Isaiah Hanna










2. Table of Contents
History of the River Pollution
- How did it develop?
- How was it discovered?
- What have other groups done about it?
- Laws/Treaties pertaining to River Pollution

Causes of the River Pollution

Consequences of River Pollution
-Present
-Future

Proposed solutions to the problem
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- Action Steps

Position of those Opposing You
- Rebuttal to opposing position

Tables, Charts, Pictures, etc. (Throughout various sections)

Works Cited













3. History of the problem
1.How did this problem develop?
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When it rains it washes dirt into streams and rivers (Discover & Explore.). This, in turn,
clogs the river/stream and kills the wildlife living in it, ergo, making the area
uninhabitable. As seen in the graph above, storm water runoff is the second biggest
problem concerning rivers and streams since when it rains it forces dirt and other things
into the rivers and streams, backing them up in the process.
2. How was it discovered?
By scientists who were studying the ecosystem of rivers and streams.
3.In areas all over the world Farmers and construction workers are using new methods
to reduce the aount of earth they disturb.
4.What are the relevant laws or treaties?
There are bioassessment protocols in use to monitor surface water so they can make
an accurate assumption of the environments health (Rapid Bioassessment Protocols).

4. Causes of the problem
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There are many different causes of polluted rivers/streams. A few main causes
are dumping solid wastes, industrial factories dumping their toxic wastes into the
rivers/streams, and burning fossil fuels which make acidic particles that go into the
atmosphere which creates deadly acid rain. Trash, storm water runoffs from urban
areas industrial discharges, sewage treatment plant discharges, landfill leacheate,
fertilizers and pesticides, and erosion and sedimentation are also crucial things that
pollute rivers and streams not only in our state but worldwide (Causes and effects). As
shown in the graphs above and below there is more
than one cause of this growing problem. Fromg large scale uban runoff to smaller
microbials and pathogens. It is our duty as human beings to prevent things like this from
getting into our fresh water supply and it is also our duty to do everything we can to
save these habitats. i

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5. Consequences of the problem

Because pollution has become so insurmountable in rivers around the world,
many of the consequences have become more severe. One main consequence of the
polluted rivers is the change in oxygen levels. This could be due to the sewage,
fertilizer, and agricultural runoff contain[ing] organic materials (Causes and Effects),
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which results in the growth spike in algae. The algae will thicken and thicken until the
oxygen reduces to a level so low that the river can no longer sustain life. Pollution
usually does not reach the point to where it can kill off large amounts of fish; however,
the fish living in severely polluted rivers are unsuitable for human consumption (Green
Tyne). The most obvious consequence of river pollution would be the depletion of
drinking water. With countless chemicals pouring throughout rivers, thousands of
pounds of trash, sewage systems leading directly to rivers and streams, the water
becomes completely unsanitary and unhealthy to drink. In terms of consequences for
the future, all of these consequences would only further in severity, resulting in the
complete expenditure of drinking water and utter loss of aquatic life in the river
ecosystems. Hopefully this problem is combated soon so that these horrible possibilities
never come to reality. As you can see from the images above the consequences of
negligent river and stream care can result in filthy, uninhabitable bodies of water. If we
continue to go the way we are going now then all of our bodies of water will end up like
this, meaning no fresh water. All living things rely upon fresh water sources like rivers
and streams. If those go away it could lead to mass extinctions and would ultimately
result in the slow, but sure demise of the human population. t
6. Proposed solution(s) to the problem
1. There are multiple solutions to various issues surrounding river pollution. A few things
we can do as citizens is pressure our towns to clean out catch stormwater basins
regularly (River). In doing so, a system of constantly cleaning out these basins will
ensure that the cleaning process becomes ingrained into society. In order to implement
this, we could campaign for a law that would create regulations for regular checkups.
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Citizens can also avoid putting toxic substances down the drain (River). Obviously, by
not putting toxic substances in river systems at all the majority of river pollution
becomes depleted, so by possibly handing out flyers, a public awareness would be
created and would reduce this issue. A lesser known problem here in the states is
industrial discharge. We can persuade the government to apply pressure for prompt
permitting, conservative discharge limits (River) through various campaigning, as well
as possible petitions, gathering enough votes to force the government to implement
these limits. Utilizing these discharge limits specifies what can be released, where it can
be released, and how much of it, with strict legal standings to back it up. Another thing
we can do is report dumping and participate in and help organize clean ups (River).
7. Counter Argument
(Upper)
With all of these solutions readily available, hurdles still exist in the way of solving
r iver pollution. According to an article in USA Today, the water crisis rank[s] as the
third highest concern (Hjelmgaard), but in America, according to a Gallup poll, the top
problem was recorded as dissatisfaction with the government (Government). The graph
above is an evaluation of rivers and lakes in the New York state, analyzing the water
quality across the region. According to these charts, 46% of the rivers are at least good,
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meaning there can still be more done to improve them. However, the most glaring
statistic is the 47% of unassessed river water in the state. Almost half of New Yorks
river water has not been checked for quality, raising concerns as to whether or not the
river water is polluted to a dangerous level. This demonstrates how although the
problem of water pollution globally ranks extremely high, people in individual countries,
and in this case regions, are focused on other things, government and funding in
particular. This seems to be the main issue when it comes to a lot of other crucial
situations: money is whats being focused on. In American (including Iowan) culture,
there has never been an emphasis on protecting and maintaining the environment, but
making money and living with wealth has been; consequently, it is understandable why
many people would never give a second glance at throwing a bit of trash into a river.
However, nothing justifies these irresponsible actions, and some form of action must be
taken place in order to correct these actions. Without anyone leading the charge and
taking the initiative, the major problem of river pollution will never get solved.










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Works Cited
"According to a New Study by Scientists at Duke and
Baylor Water Pollution from Surface Coal Mining Has Degraded
More than 22 Percent of Streams and Rivers in Southern West Virginia to the
Point They May Now Qualify as Impaired under State Criteria."
Scientific Earth Conscientious. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
"America's Top 10 Most-Polluted Waterways | Mother Jones." Subscribe to S RSS.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014
"Causes and Effects of Water Pollution | Go Green Academy." Go Green Academy RSS.
N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
"Government Itself Still Cited as Top U.S. Problem."
Government Itself Still Cited as Top U.S. Problem. Gallup, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014
"Green Tyne." The Effects of River Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
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"Human Impacts." Human Impacts. ICPDR, Feb. 2006. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
"River Pollution & Solutions." River Pollution & Solutions. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
"Upper Hudson River Watershed." Department of Environmental Conservation.
New York State, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Discover & Explore." National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. N.p., n.d.
Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Hjelmgaard, Kim. "10 Greatest Threats Facing the World in 2014." USA Today. Gannett,
16 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton,
Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Fish - Second Edition."Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr.
2014.