A Love Letter to Watersheds
Why seeing the system as a whole matters for both water policy and well-being
Welcome to June! I've just completed my first year since leaving my tenured faculty position, and so far, it feels like the right decision! I’ve been teaching a few classes online, doing some consulting work, and figuring out what’s next. I like to say that I’m in my “not all who wander are lost” phase. The slower pace of this past year has given me space to start working on a few projects I hope to share in the coming months, probably closer to the Fall, but exciting things are happening!
Outside of “work,” my daughter will be graduating from preschool soon (I’m not crying, you’re crying), so summer break & more family time is just around the corner, and I’m trying to hold on to these very fleeting moments. Whoever said time is like trying to hold on to sand while it slips through your fingers was spot on!
My family always gets excited for June and all the water-filled adventures it brings. As I plan for our time at the lake, river, and ocean (how lucky are we to have access to all three!), it has me thinking more about water management and water economics.
In another life, I probably would have been a water economist. I absolutely love reading and engaging in the topic, but I just never had the proper exposure early in my training to declare myself a true expert in this field. Let this be your reminder that it’s OK to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses.
Even though I’m not an “expert,” I know enough to know that managing water issues can be really challenging, for so many reasons. For example, to highlight the nuance in this field, please note that when I say “water” in this post, I’m specifically referring to surface water (e.g., rivers, lakes, streams, oceans).
Of course, surface water is often connected to groundwater, and that opens another can of worms entirely, but would make for a great post for another day. Still, I’d like to point out that groundwater is a fascinating topic due to the widespread lack of property rights. Groundwater is truly the wild west when it comes to environmental issues. If you want to learn more, check out some of the latest news on GRACE, the system that monitors groundwater and soil moisture worldwide. There are endless tangents to explore here, but I’ll try to stay focused on surface water now.
Trouble In Our Waterways
When talking about surface water issues, we typically consider two key factors: quantity and quality. Basically, do we have enough of it, and is it clean enough to drink, swim in, or fish from? And while the Clean Water Act has led to some real successes in making our waterways more “fishable and swimmable,” water quantity and quality are still pressing issues across much of the country.
On the quantity side, some parts of the country are running dangerously low. The Colorado River and the Rio Grande, for example, have been stretched thin for years due to overallocation, population growth, climate change, and other factors. Even in regions that seem water-rich, like the Northeast, surface water supplies are under pressure from drought, development, and invasive species that act like water hogs (looking at you, phragmites and tamarisk).
Then there’s quality, which is about what’s in the water, and unfortunately, a lot of it isn’t great. Pollution from agriculture and urban runoff is still a major concern, especially nitrogen and phosphorus loading, which can lead to algae blooms and fish kills. PFAS chemicals (aka “forever chemicals”) are showing up in more and more waterways, and older contaminants like lead, mercury, and industrial waste still pose risks. A recent study even found that eating just one freshwater fish from certain U.S. lakes or rivers can be like drinking a month’s worth of PFAS-contaminated water. (Full disclosure, after reading Hannah Ritchie’s book, I was hesitant to include this headline-grabbing statistic, but I did anyway, should you want to explore that study more.)
To understand some of the policy discussion below, it’s helpful to know how we define the different sources of this pollution. Most of it falls into one of two categories: point source or nonpoint source pollution. Point source pollution originates from a single, identifiable location, such as a pipe or discharge outlet, and is therefore much easier to monitor and regulate. Nonpoint source pollution, by contrast, comes from diffuse sources like farm fields, roads, and lawns, making it much harder to trace and manage.
Ironically, despite nonpoint sources being the leading cause of water quality problems, about 90-95% of federal funding still goes toward controlling point source pollution. We could absolutely go down another rabbit hole of why that is (and it’s a good one!), but we’ll keep things light for today.
So, what does all this talk about quantity and quality mean for our waterways? Studies over the last few years estimate that upwards of 50% of waterways have been officially declared impaired, meaning they don’t meet water quality standards for their intended use, whether that’s drinking, swimming, or supporting aquatic life.
Whether it’s a lack of clean water or excessive contaminants, the U.S. is facing significant water challenges at all geographic scales, and these issues ripple through entire watersheds, affecting ecosystems, recreation, agriculture, and public health.
I’m in love with watershed-level management, and I don’t care who knows!
Now, this is just my personal opinion, but I think that some of the water challenges are compounded by the fact that water policy can only be adequately addressed when we consider the system as a whole, such as at the watershed level, because few water sources rarely exist in isolation. A watershed is simply the area of land where all the water drains to a common outlet, like a river, lake, or bay. Basically, looking at the watershed level helps us recognize that what happens upstream affects everything downstream.
I often think back to a lecture I used to give in my environmental economics class on watershed management. I’d always share one of my favorite success stories from the days when the EPA offered Targeted Watershed Grants. This example was in a small, often overlooked area called Torreon Wash, New Mexico, which received over $1 million to address both water quantity and quality issues. The project addressed erosion caused by overgrazing and unpaved roads, removed invasive species that were depleting local water supplies, cleaned up trash, and provided community education.
These kinds of small-scale efforts, in places that don’t often make headlines, can have a big impact, especially when they feed into major systems like the Rio Grande.
You can certainly try to tackle water issues locally. For example, I’m on our local town’s Conservation Commission, which sets rules for how land near wetlands and watercourses can be used and reviews development proposals within 200 feet of these areas to assess potential environmental impacts. And, of course, if all the other towns and states take similar actions, then we may have a positive impact on our local waterways. However, it really is better to address this at the watershed level.
This is why I was so excited when the EPA, under the Obama administration, introduced the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in 2015. At its core, WOTUS was about drawing the line on which waters the federal government could protect under the Clean Water Act. Supporters argued that WOTUS was especially promising for waterways impacted by nonpoint source pollution, as it aimed to extend protections to upstream streams, wetlands, and intermittent waters, areas that play a vital role in filtering runoff before it reaches larger water bodies. Critics viewed it as federal overreach, fearing it would restrict land use and impose additional burdens on farmers and developers through increased regulation. It became incredibly politicized during the first Trump administration, when the rule was rolled back and a lot of educational resources about it were taken offline.
We won’t get into all the legal twists and turns here, but WOTUS effectively illustrates the complexity of managing water when the systems we’re trying to protect don’t align with political boundaries.
For obvious reasons, I certainly don’t think we’ll see any watershed policy under Trump & Co. While we may not be able to tackle this at the federal level right now, perhaps we can try to work together independently. One way to do this is to learn about your watershed!
How’s My Wateway is a cool website where you can find information about your specific watershed and different waterways in your area, check their conditions (whether they are impaired or not), and locate areas where pollutant discharges are permitted. Simply enter your address and zoom in. I played around with this a ton over the past week and enjoyed the interactive map. Note: I’m not sure how long this page will be available, as it’s a federal webpage, so please check it out soon!
From My Watershed to Yours
Regularly interacting in my own watershed is how I got inspired to write this post.
We love spending time at our local river, the Salmon River, which eventually flows into the Connecticut River. Being at the Salmon River always reminds me that my actions affect everyone downstream, but also that the water where we splash around is shaped by the many tributaries that feed the river, like Dickinson Stream, Blackledge River, Jeremy River, and Fawn Brook. See, I know my watershed :).
Being around a body of water always makes me a little philosophical, but I think we could all benefit from viewing life through a watershed perspective. To do so would humble us, remind us that we’re just a small part of something much larger, but also that our choices can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see or understand.
So, with that, I hope all your summers are filled with splashes, laughter, and moments that remind you just how connected we all are, upstream and down.
Dr. McD
Get Involved
If you have the bandwidth and/or passion for water action, here are a few ways to get involved:
Educate yourself and others! Read up on watershed management.
Writers like John Fleck have covered the Colorado River and Rio Grande in depth, and their work is a great place to start if you're curious about how water policy plays out on the ground. I recently bought his latest book, Science Be Dammed, and I’m looking forward to reading it!Find your watershed.
Use the EPA’s MyWaterway tool to locate your watershed, check local water conditions, and see where discharges are allowed.Look for local “Friends of” groups or watershed organizations.
Many of these groups host cleanups or share helpful tips, like Nine Mile Creek in Minnesota.
Join a local board or commission.
Many towns have conservation commissions or inland wetlands boards. You may need to register with a political party to be eligible, but it’s a great way to make a real difference in local land and water decisions and connect with neighbors who share similar concerns.Support organizations doing the work.
or consider this list of international organizations.
Groups like The Nature Conservancy,