Protecting the Clean Water Act: 37 Years of Progress

Date Published: 
Thu, 01/01/2009

Water Advocacy Coalition. 2009.


Protecting the Clean Water Act: 37 Years of Progress" is a fact sheet written in defense of the Clean Water Act’s accomplishments. Many of the achievements are common knowledge: The preservation of wetlands and increased national water quality.

But this fact sheet includes more obscure advances too. Before the law passed only one logging state had done anything to address that industry’s impact upon waterways. Today every state with “significant commercial forestry activities” has enacted policies to protect their water supplies from the industry. Every state with coastal beaches now matches EPA standards for water cleanliness and water quality standards are in place for every body of water in the nation. The Water Advocacy Coalition also includes a bulleted list of regional clean water victories, including resurgent fish populations.

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