State second in nation in protecting waterways

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Conservation Commission says the state ranks second in the nation for protecting its waterways from harmful nutrients.

New Environmental Protection Agency data indicates the state ranks second for phosphorous reduction and third for nitrogen reduction to streams. Those nutrients are major contributors to algae blooms in the state’s reservoirs that can challenge water treatment plants, kill fish and even pose a risk to human health.

It’s the sixth consecutive year Oklahoma has ranked in the top five states in the nation for nonpoint source pollution reductions. The state receives less than 2 percent of the EPA’s Clean Water Act funds but meets up to 30 percent of the agency’s national nonpoint source reduction goals.

The reductions were achieved through voluntary implementation of conservation practices by farmers and ranchers.