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Federal Water Pollutiop Control Act 

 Public Law 92-500 



In 1965 Congress passed the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA). 

 This law was primarily designed to regulate discharges of pollutants from 

 point sources and provided for administration of detailed regulatory 

 rules at the state level. Since control of point source pollution alone 

 would not lead to the interim water quality goals (fishable and swimmable 

 water by 1983), Section 208 was included in the 1972 Congressional 

 amendments to the FWPCA. Section 208 establishes a procedure under which 

 states and regional agencies are required to establish regulatory pro- 

 grams to control non-point source pollution. The Environmental Protection 

 Agency (EPA) administers this law through the states and has encouraged 

 the 208 agencies to adopt plans which embody preventive or best manage- 

 ment practices (BMP's), utilizing both non-structural and structural 

 techniques for land management, rather than permit type controls. 



Definition of 208 regulatory controls for silvicultural practices is 

 still in the formative stages. Successful implementation and enforcement 

 of the final 208 program will provide the needed regulation of non-point 

 source water pollution from silvicultural activities. 



Certain silvicultural activities are described as potential point sources 

 of water pollution and are required to be permitted under the FWPCA, 

 through the federal and state Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems 

 (NPDES, MPDES). Such activities include "any discernable, confined and 

 discrete conveyance related to rock crushing, gravel washing, log sorting, 

 or log storage facilities from which pollutants are discharged into 

 navigable waters". 



