Laserfiche WebLink
<br />, <br />I <br /> <br />. <br />, <br />j <br />! <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Water Quality <br /> <br />The environmental benefits of clean water are welllcnown. Recreation, fish and <br />wildlife, and water supply interests are all concerned about the quality of the <br />, water they depend on< As with flood loss reduction, there is more' than one way to <br />improve water quality. For example, the cost of treating public drinking water can . <br />. besignifi~tly reduced by cOntrolling Watershed development to keep runoff as " <br />clean as possible. New York: City saved over $8 billion in new treatment facilities <br />by managing the rivers that feed its reservoirs. <br /> <br />Opportunities <br /> <br />The following are examples of how people concerned with water quality can help <br />support flood loss reduction and vice versa: <br /> <br />· Watershed management-Best management practices can readily combine <br />water quantity and water quality objectives. A detention basin can store <br />peak flows and let the pollutants settle out at the same time. <br /> <br />· Wetlands protection-Wetlands naturally filter and store surface waters, <br />making them cleaner as well as reducing peak flows. Water leaving a <br />wetland is cleaner than the water that enters it. <br /> <br />· Community programs-Many organizations have public education <br />programs about protecting water quality. These programs can easily <br />includeinfonnation about flood hazards and the natural and beneficial <br />functions of floodplains. <br /> <br />Related interests <br /> <br />The following interests often have concerns that can be linked to protecting water <br />quality. They are discussed elsewhere in this chapter. <br /> <br />· Recreation <br />· Fish and wildlife <br />· Water supply <br />· Agriculture <br />. Education. <br /> <br />Advice and assistance <br /> <br />The following agencies and organizations can provide advice and/or assistance on <br />protecting water supply. They could also support flood loss reduction measures. <br /> <br />· State natural resource agencies <br />· U.S. and state environmental protection agencies <br />· Natural Resources Conservation Service <br />· Soil and Water Conservation District <br />· Community water departments and private water companies <br />· Farmers dependent upon irrigation. <br /> <br />31 <br />