Overview of the EPA Savannah River Watershed Project

Abstract

At the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the emphasis of environmental protection program is shifting towards an integrated, holistic management approach in order to cohesively address the many diverse environmental threats to the water, air, and land. Administrator Carol Browner has identified this approach as one of her seven “guiding principles” for the Agency (U.S. EPA, 1994). The approach, termed “ecosystem protection”, emphasizes the achievement and measurement of environmental results and builds on a water quality protection approach that has been established in Region IV since 1991. This water quality protection approach is being applied in the Savannah River basin to reduce environmental and human health risk through improved water quality and resources protection. This presentation illustrates the watershed protection approach in the Savannah River basin, describes the desired results, and presents the actions completed to date.