Rural Community Assistance Partnership

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EPA software helps reduce water pollution as part of president’s Climate Action Plan

Posted Tue, 2013/08/06 - 3:58pm by RCAP

National stormwater calculator helps manage stormwater runoff

WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released July 24 the National Stormwater Calculator, an innovative addition to the administration’s virtual climate resilience toolkit. EPA’s new calculator will help property owners, developers, landscapers, and urban planners make informed land-use decisions to protect local waterways from pollution caused by stormwater runoff.

AP: Fracking fuels water fights in nation's dry spots

Posted Tue, 2013/06/18 - 8:38am by RCAP

A June 17 Associated Press article reports that "fracking presents new strains on water supplies in some drought-stricken areas of the U.S."

The article states:

While fracking typically consumes less water than farming or residential uses, the exploration method is increasing competition for the precious resource, driving up the price of water and burdening already depleted aquifers and rivers in certain drought-stricken stretches.

NYTimes: Farm Subsidies Leading to More Water Use

Posted Mon, 2013/06/17 - 9:09am by RCAP

A June 6 article in The New York Times reports that millions of dollars in federal subsidies to help farmers buy better irrigation systems to conserve water is having the exact opposite effect. New studies show many farmers are misusing the money and are using even more water, the newspaper reports. This is affecting aquifers.

Read the article