Great Lakes Regional Water Program Impact Report

People use water – and lots of it. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the average American individual uses over 150 gallons of water a day, and can only survive five to seven days without it (in comparison to being able to survive about a month without food). Without water, many industries would cease to function. Approximately 62,600 gallons of water are needed to produce one ton of steel, 9.3 gallons to process one can of fruit or vegetables, and that favorite beer takes approximately 1,500 gallons to process (per barrel). The biggest threats to the nation's water supply and quality are water consumption that outstrips supply for prolonged time periods and contamination by excess sediments, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Significant sources of contaminants include animal waste from livestock and pets, commercial fertilizers from farm fields and lawns, and sediments from farm fields, construction site erosion, and rivers and streams with altered hydrology. The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), the Land Grant Universities, and many important partners have been instrumental in cleaning up our nation's waters for more than 30 years. Through national and regional collaborations on water quality programs and projects, these organizations are working to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of water quality programming nationwide. This report describes the CSREES National Water Program, the structure and goals of the Great Lakes Regional Water Program, and specific programming successes in the Great Lakes Region. Please see the National Water Program website www.usawaterquality.org and the Regional Program website www.uwex.edu/ces/regionalwaterquality for more information about what each program is doing to make sure that an abundant supply of clean, usable water is available for future generations.