The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $1,432,000 to the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to support implementation of Nevada’s Nonpoint Source State Management Plan.
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is caused by rainfall moving over the ground, leading to runoff which picks up natural and man-made pollutants as it flows.
NPS pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many different sources.
“Nonpoint sources continue to be a leading cause of water quality impairment which can be particularly challenging to manage since it cannot be traced to a specific source,” said NDEP Nonpoint Source Pollution Program Manager Jon Paul Kiel: “Grants from EPA, leveraged with local funding sources, support the implementation of NDEP’s Nonpoint Source State Management Plan to reduce these sources of pollution.”
“These grants will do much to advance our shared goal of protecting water resources in Nevada,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Combined with state matching funds, EPA’s awards will help implement the best practices needed to reduce runoff-related pollution and improve water quality.”
Nevada will focus these resources on priority watersheds, environmental education, and providing for enhanced coordination to identify the most effective methods to address NPS pollution. The State is currently reviewing proposals for projects with emphasis on the Las Vegas Wash, Carson River Basin, Lake Tahoe Basin, and Truckee River watersheds, and programs to reduce nonpoint sources of pollution, which is the leading cause of water quality impairments in the state (2022 319(h) Grant Funding Opportunity).
Nonpoint source pollution can impact lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Controlling nonpoint source pollution is especially important due to the harmful effects that the pollutants have on drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries, and wildlife.
These grants are part of EPA's 2022 Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant Program. Congress enacted Section 319 of the Clean Water Act in 1987 to control nonpoint sources of water pollution. For examples of how EPA Region 9 States have used Clean Water Act Section 319 grant funds to improve water quality visit EPA’s Success Stories about Restoring Water Bodies Impaired by Nonpoint Source Pollution webpage.
For more information on watershed projects, visit EPA’s Nonpoint Source (NPS) Watershed Projects : Interactive Map and Reporting webpage.
For more information on polluted runoff, visit EPA’s Nonpoint Source Pollution webpage.
