Nonpoint Sources

Heavy rainfall in Louisiana rinses a variety of pollutants off the land, sending them into our canals, bayous, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. This "nonpoint source pollution"comes from scattered or diffuse sources and is not discharged from a single concentrated "point source" such as a pipe outlet. Nonpoint source pollutants are rinsed off streets and parking lots, and washed from crop fields, livestock pens, construction sites, and from lands on which some type of forestry operation is being conducted. Some of this pollution makes its way to our salt marshes, beaches, oyster beds, bays and other coastal waters. There pollutants can accumulate, threatening organisms ranging from shrimp, oysters, and redfish, to pelicans, bald eagles, ... and people.

	Agriculture When crop and animal production operations are carried out without paying attention to protecting our soil and water resources, a variety of problems can result. The main nonpoint source pollutant from agriculture is sediment. Others include excessive nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus), pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), disease-causing organisms such as fecal coliform bacteria, and oxygen-demanding organic matter. Other negative impacts might include loss of wildlife habitat due to land clearing. The presence and severity of these problems depend on the type of operation, site characteristics, weather conditions during the operations, and the practices employed. We can't control the weather, but we can try to use the best practices that we have available for managing the land and its resources.
	Forestry When forestry operations are carried out without paying attention to protecting our soil and water resources, a variety of problems can result. The main nonpoint source pollutant from forestry is sediment. Others include excessive nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus), forest chemicals (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), and organic debris. Other negative impacts include disruption of natural drainage and increased irregularity of streamflows, and increased water temperatures. The presence and severity of these problems depend on site characteristics, weather conditions during the operations, and the forestry practices employed. We can't control the weather, but we can try to use the best practices that we have available for managing the land and its resources.
	Hydromodification When development projects that modify hydrology are carried out without paying attention to protecting our soil and water resources, a variety of problems can result. The main nonpoint source pollution problem from hydromodification projects is sediment and turbidity. Others include excessive nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus), chemicals, oils and lubricants, and organic debris. Other negative impacts relate to the general disruption of natural drainage, including increased irregularity of stream flows, and elevated water temperatures. The presence and severity of these problems depend on site characteristics, weather conditions during the operations, and the actual practices employed. We can't control the weather, but we can try to use the best practices that we have available for managing the land and its resources.
	Marinas When marina siting, design, construction and operation; and recreational boat operation, and maintenance activities are carried out without paying attention to protecting our soil and water resources, a variety of problems can result. The primary nonpoint pollutants resulting from these activities are toxicity in the water column (low dissolved oxygen levels and/or high levels of metals), increased pollutant levels in aquatic organisms, increased pollutant levels in sediments (mainly metals and petroleum hydrocarbons), increased levels of pathogen indicators (fecal coliform), disruption of sediment and habitat, and shoaling and shoreline erosion.
	Urban When carrying out development and land management activities in the cities, suburbs, and on roads in between, measures need to be taken for protecting our soil and water resources, or a variety of problems can result. Nonpoint source pollutants carried by urban runoff include sediment, heavy metals, sewage discharges, detergents, solvents, oxygen-demanding organic matter, bacteria, excess nutrients, pesticides, oils and lubricants. Other negative impacts might include disruptions of preexisting drainage patterns and loss of wildlife habitat due to land clearing. The presence and severity of these problems depend on site characteristics, weather conditions during the activities, and practices employed. We can't control the weather, but we can try to use the best practices that we have available for managing the land and its resources.