556 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



water unsightly and blankets the bottom and its 

 population of orgaaisms with layers of putrescible 

 particles. 



Industrial wastes vary in character with the 

 nature of the industrial process in which they 

 originate. Organic wastes, such as those from food 

 processing, sugar refining, or pulp and paper mak- 

 ing, are similar to sewage in their ability to 

 diminish oxygen resources. In most cases, how- 

 ever, the oxygen demand per imit volume is 

 greater than that of sewage and the pollution 

 effects more drastic. Various chemical plants, 

 metal industries, and oil field operations have 

 wastes with high inorganic content. Discharges 

 of such wastes cause damaging pollution if they 

 make aquatic environments uninhabitable for 

 desirable organisms, or if the receiving water 

 becomes less suitable for any human usage. Once 

 in the water, some wastes of this kind are 

 dissipated appreciably only by dilution. 



Sediment loads, which have their origin princi- 

 pally in soil losses from the land, enter the Gulf, 

 its estuaries, lagoons, and contiguous lakes in 

 some degree through every tributary stream. 

 Data on sediment loads are available only for the 

 principal contributors. The annual load of the 

 Mississippi River alone is some five hundred 

 million tons (Matthes 1951), and the load from 

 all sources may bring the total to a billion tons 

 or more. Aside from the losses of valuable soil 

 resources, deposition of sediment loads along the 

 coastal zone has raised serious problems in 

 development and maintenance of navigation 

 channels and harbor installations and has 

 destroyed valuable shellfish growing areas. 



WATER POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCIES, 

 PROGRAMS, AND LAWS 



Under provisions of the Water Pollution Con- 

 trol Act (Public Law No. 845, 80th Congress), 

 the Division of Water Pollution Control of the 

 Public Health Service participates, along with 

 the States, in water pollution control activities; 

 however, the primary rights and responsibilities 

 in controlling water pollution rest with the 

 States. 



For the purposes set forth in the act, the 

 country has been divided into major river drainage 

 basins, and 9 field offices have been established 

 to permit close, effective cooperation with State 

 water pollution control agencies. Three such 



drainage basins have frontage on the Gulf of 

 Mexico. A river basin office in Atlanta, Georgia, 

 is concerned with water pollution activities in 

 Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Another in 

 Little Rock, Arkansas, has corresponding functions 

 in Louisiana and Texas. 



The ultimate aim of the cooperative activities 

 is to abate and prevent water pollution in the 

 United States. One step toward accomplishing 

 this is the development of comprehensive programs 

 for eliminating or reducing pollution. Basic in 

 such development is recognition that a number of 

 interests such as public health, wildlife and con- 

 servation, industry, municipalities, and agri- 

 culture have a stake in formulation of the pro- 

 gram, its execution, and its cost. Each program 

 will apply to an entire watercourse, or signif- 

 icant part as a unit, and will set down the pattern 

 of remedial and preventive measures that will 

 permit full utilization of the water resources for 

 all present and potential water uses. 



Evaluation of the present problem in each major 

 drainage basin on the basis of presently available 

 information has been completed. Reports on three 

 of these areas contain data of significance with 

 respect to the Gulf.' 



The Water Pollution Control Act authorized 

 the appropriation of fvmds for grants-in-aid to 

 official .State water- pollution control agencies to 

 be expended by them in the conduct of investiga- 

 tions, research, surveys, and studies related to the 

 prevention and control of water pollution caused 

 by industrial wastes. Each of the Gulf States 

 now has an active program along these lines. 

 Encouragement of cooperative activities bj' the 

 States and in the enactment of uniform State 

 laws relating to water pollution, the collection and 

 dissemination of information on the subject, pro- 

 vision of technical assistance with specific prob- 

 lems, and participation in the formulation of 

 water-quality objectives are other phases of the 

 overall program. 



Pollution control activities of the individual 

 Gulf States are related to and largely dictated by 

 provisions, powers, and duties set forth in their 

 existing legislation. Pertinent facts for each State 

 follow. 



' Summary Reports on Water Pollution: (1) Western Oulf Drainage 

 Basin. (2) Southwest-Lower Mississippi Drainage Basin, and (3) Southeast 

 Drainage Basin 1951. 



