{"id":4680,"date":"2009-12-21T07:23:00","date_gmt":"2009-12-21T15:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blitransfer.wpengine.com\/?p=4680"},"modified":"2017-06-21T14:22:14","modified_gmt":"2017-06-21T19:22:14","slug":"22000-lakes-poor-fair-condition-epa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelivingideas.com\/2009\/12\/21\/22000-lakes-poor-fair-condition-epa\/","title":{"rendered":"22,000 US Lakes in Poor or Fair Condition According to EPA"},"content":{"rendered":"

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft study finding 44% of US lakes over ten acres are in fair or poor condition<\/a> amounting to 22,000 lakes.\u00a0 This study follows earlier news this year that 20,000 US beaches <\/a>have been closed due to pollution.\u00a0 Just like beaches, “degraded lakeshore habitat” is one of the “most significant of the problems assessed”.<\/p>\n

Photo by moonjazz<\/a>\"44%<\/a>
44% of US lakes in poor or fair condition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sampling 1,028 lakes, the EPA has conducted its first ever survey of ecological and water quality using a “nationally consistent approach”.\u00a0 The Great Lakes and the Great Salt Lake were excluded from the study.\u00a0 The survey was conducted by taking one sample from the deepest part of each lake.<\/p>\n

The Environment News Service<\/a> identifies several factors causing adverse impacts to US lakes:<\/p>\n