Most Americans enjoy drinking a cold glass of water or taking a relaxing swim in a lake. But, will Americans continue to enjoy these activities if water quality is continuously compromised by agriculture? Throughout the United States, growers are trying to meet yield goals so that they can feed, cloth, and fuel a growing population. However, to achieve yield goals, growers are applying more nutrients than necessary. The excess nutrients that are not used by the crop are running off into water sources. In addition to overapplying nutrients, growers are also using unsustainable tillage practices that are resulting in erosion and increased sediment deposits in water sources. Currently, there are federally funded programs that incentivize growers to implement sustainable practices to reduce nutrient runoff and erosion, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). It provides growers with financial assistance to implement practices such as cover cropping, installing filter strips, and reducing tillage. However, EQIP is currently being funded at a level that is limiting the program’s success. As the Secretary of Agriculture, I recommend doubling the amount of authorized EQIP funding so that more growers can implement sustainable practices that decrease the negative impact that agriculture has on water…show more content… However, many growers also apply nutrients that are not necessary for sustainable crop production. This results in the crop being unable to utilize all the nutrients. The nutrients that are not absorbed by the crop are subject to moving throughout the field and eventually resulting in runoff. This runoff enters a body of water and pollutes it. In addition to applying excess nutrients, growers are also utilizing intensive tillage practices. Intensive tillage results in leaving soil exposed to the elements, increasing the likelihood of erosion and therefore movement of
