• Increased research on the effects of contami- 

 nants and their interaction on wildlife to pro- 

 tect the resource, whether as species, popula- 

 tions, or entire ecological communities. 



• Increased research on the full impact on fish 

 and wildlife resources and their habitat of 

 water and related land resource projects con- 

 ducted under Federal auspices or permits. 



• Increased research on determining the envi- 

 ronmental issues of critical importance to 

 strengthen the capability of the Service to 

 provide ecological information needed in 

 connection with accelerated development of 

 energy resources. 



• Increased research on understanding the life 

 histories of endangered species and factors 

 that threaten the Nation's endangered flora 

 and fauna and their ecosystems. 



• Increased research on migratory birds, espe- 

 cially marine and coastal species, to identify 

 both their species characteristics and those 

 populations needing special protection or 

 management considerations. 



• Increased research on marine mammals such 

 as the sea otter, polar bear, walrus, manatee, 

 and dugong in relationship to their biological 

 and management needs, distribution abun- 



dance, population status, and ecological rela- 

 tionships. 



• Increased research on the evaluation of wild- 

 life-caused damages and hazards and on the 

 development of more humane, selective, ef- 

 fective, and safe animal damage control tech- 

 niques. 



• Increased research on the diseases of free- 

 ranging populations of anadromous fish spec- 

 ies, on the effects of environmental changes 

 caused by man on these populations, and on 

 the development of hatchery fish more capa- 

 ble of surviving in natural environments. 



• Increased research on the Great Lakes and 

 the determination of the effects of environ- 

 mental contaminants on their fisheries. 



• Increased research on the efficacy and safety 

 of fish pesticides and drugs in order to reach 

 full compliance with Public Law 92-516. 



• A vital area of research which is now not 

 adequately supported but could involve basic 

 research and needs increased funding is re- 

 search to determine the fundamental habitat 

 requirements and population dynamics of a 

 wide range of nongame fish and wildlife that 

 is not now threatened or endangered. 



OFFICE OF WATER RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 



The Office of Water Research and Technology 

 (OWRT) makes no attempt to define basic re- 

 search. Its mission requires only that research be 

 problem-oriented. Basic research may be support- 

 ed if it has potential to contribute to the solution of 

 a water-related problem. 



Examples of Basic Research 



Listed below are the 10 most significant projects 

 involving basic research (intramural and/or extra- 

 mural) OWRT has carried out in the past 10 years: 



Limestone Barriers to Neutralize Acidic 

 Streams 



In Pennsylvania, a project at the Pennsylvania 

 State University has developed techniques for us- 

 ing crushed limestone to neutralize acidic waste 

 streams. The research is applicable to both in- 

 dustrial waste discharges and to streams made ac- 

 idic by mine drainage. The investigators responsi- 

 ble have been honored by the American Society of 



134 INTERIOR 



Civil Engineers for this accomplishment. 



Irrigation of Citrus Fruit With Waste Water 



The Florida citrus processing industry has found 

 a solution to its waste water problems through a 

 project conducted by the Florida Institute. This 

 project demonstrated that the waste water can be 

 used to irrigate citrus groves if certain precautions 

 in the design and operation of the irrigation system 

 are taken. The practice not only provides a quick 

 and economical solution to the industry's waste 

 water problem, but it can save millions of gallons 

 of fresh water normally used for irrigation. 



Application of Sewage Sludge to Farmland 



Disposal of sewage sludge is a problem of great 

 concern to urban areas. While the material is po- 

 tentially valuable as a fertilizer and soil condition- 

 er, its use is accompanied by the possibility of seri- 

 ous pollution hazards. In New York, a project in 

 progress will measure and evaluate the environ- 

 mental effects of applying liquid sludge to fields 

 and farmland. It will also test the validity for up- 



