55 Percent of US Rivers and Streams in Poor Condition: EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the results of the first comprehensive survey on the health of streams and rivers across the country stating that 55 percent of the nation's water bodies are in a poor condition, according to a press release.

Office of Water Acting Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner said, "We must continue to invest in protecting and restoring our nation's streams and rivers as they are vital sources of our drinking water, provide many recreational opportunities, and play a critical role in the economy." 

The National River and Stream Assessment that was conducted in 2008-2009 is a part of the EPA's effort to supervise waterways in the U.S.. and collect scientific data on the situation of the nation's water resources.  Data was collected from more 2,000 sites across the country and analyzed to evaluate the extent to which aquatic life is supported by rivers and streams.

Based on the assessment they noticed that 27 percent of the nation's rivers and streams had high levels of nitrogen and 40 percent of them had excessive levels of phosphorous. The increase of both nitrogen and phosphorous known as nutrient pollutants causes increase in algae that harms the quality of water along with oxygen deprivation, which harms the aquatic life.

Decreased vegetation and human disturbance cause streams and rivers to be more vulnerable to flooding, erosion, and pollution. Nearly 9 percent of the streams and rivers had high levels of bacteria, making them unsafe for swimming and other recreation. More than 13,000 miles of rivers have fish with mercury levels that may be unsafe for human consumption.

EPA hopes that this survey will help in improving the quality of  the rivers and streams and in turn save the aquatic life.