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Pollution of Lakes and Rivers

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

John Muir

Welcome to lake and river pollution! We are blessed in our country with lots of fresh water, but did you know it's not as clean as it should be? In this section you can learn about how to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful. For students there are fun links, a movie about pollution, and a clip about a talking toliet-enjoy! For teachers we have included a book list, lesson plans, and some links to great sites.

Lake and River Pollution

Our Lakes and Rivers are Threatened:

Nearly 40% of the rivers and streams in the U.S. are too polluted for fishing and swimming.
Thirty percent of the native freshwater fish species in North America are threatened, endangered, or of special concern.
More than 860 billion gallons of raw and partially treated sewage are dumped straight into our rivers and streams each year.
Agriculture is also to blame for the pollution of our rivers, pesticides and fertilizers are washed into our rivers by rain.
Nutrients are the number one problem for our lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.
These nutrients come from lawn fertilizers, animal wastes from farms, and failing septic systems.
Dirt is the worst pollutant for our rivers and streams. Dirt can clog fish gills, kill fish eggs and other small critters, and can prohibit photosynthesis is water plants.