IV.

Impact

The Clean Water Act remains one of the most successful pieces of environmental legislation in the history of the United States. According to the EPA, the number of U.S. rivers and lakes that are safe for fishing and swimming has risen by more than 70 percent since the early 1970s. The Great Lakes, numerous urban harbors, and even the Cuyahoga River have been revitalized.

Yet challenges and controversy surround the CWA. Some environmental groups contend that roughly one out of three rivers and lakes in the United States remains inhospitable to swimmers, native fish, and other wildlife. These organizations believe the government should take a stronger stand against nonpoint pollution and take more vigorous action to protect the nation's dwindling wetlands. On the other hand, many farmers claim that new efforts to sharply limit the use of pesticides and fertilizers or to regulate the disposal of animal waste would make it more difficult and expensive to produce the nation's food supply. In addition, many U.S. industries argue that tightening water pollution discharge standards would yield minimal improvements in water quality at an unreasonably high cost to businesses.