What is Nutrient Pollution?

Nutrient pollution issues impacting our water quality have repercussions throughout the entire river ecosystem and in turn, directly affect our community’s health and wellness.

Nutrient pollution is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water. When too much nitrogen and phosphorus enter the environment – usually from a wide range of human activities – water can become polluted. Nutrient pollution has impacted many streams, rivers, lakes, bays, and coastal waters across the nation for several decades resulting in serious environmental and human health issues, and impacting the economy.

The effects of nutrient pollution — coupled with reduced water flows from climate change, longer summers, and warmer water and air temperatures — reach far beyond the bounds of the river channel.

Learn more about the causes and affects of nutrient pollution.

Effects of Nutrient Pollution

The effects of nutrient pollution include negative repercussions for human health, the environment, and our economy.

Elevated concentrations of nitrates in our drinking water, documented in several locations across Teton County, are the strongest indicator of human contamination. The drinking water in the Hoback Junction area has reached the point where it is unfit for human consumption.

Elevated nutrient concentrations in our groundwater are also producing harmful algae blooms that smother aquatic habitats and negatively impact our prized native fisheries. The continued lack of oversight will only lead to increased drinking water treatment costs, tourism losses, and declining real estate values.

Public Health Effects

Public Health issues for Teton County include impaired drinking water and E. coli in Fish & Flat Creek.

Impaired Drinking Water

The Teton Conservation District found elevated nitrates in parts of Hog Island, Snake River trailer park, parts of Kelly, Pub Place which is directly above Melody Ranch homes, and Old West Cabins in South Park. Hoback Junctions groundwater already exceeds the EPA’s maximum allowable nitrate concentration.

Studies have shown increased risks of colon, kidney, and stomach cancer among people with higher ingestion of water nitrate. Concentrations above 4 ppm indicate contamination.

The U.S. drinking water standard for nitrate of 10 mg/L nitrate (as nitrogen) was first set in 1962 in order to protect against infant methemoglobinemia (Blue-baby syndrome). Other health effects were not considered.

Drinking Water Contamination

E. coli in Fish Creek & Flat Creek

Fish Creek and Flat Creek now have public health warnings posted because bacteria levels from E. coli are present at high levels from wildlife, domestic animals and human waste.

Drinking, accidentally swallowing, or swimming in water affected by a harmful algal bloom can cause serious health problems including:

Rashes
Stomach or liver illnesses
Respiratory problems
Neurological effects

Learn More about E. coli in Teton County

Environmental Effects

Nutrient pollution fuels the growth of harmful algal blooms which have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water causes algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. Excess algae, called algal blooms, result in a myriad of negative impacts.

Affects of Excess Algae

Excess algae growth causes harm to water quality, food resources and habitats.

Over consumption of oxygen in the water during the process of decomposition which can cause illnesses and even death in fish and other aquatic life by
Blocking out sunlight and clogging fish gills.
Negatively impact aquatic insect populations by smothering habitat.

Toxic Algal Blooms

Elevated toxins and bacterial growth that can make people sick if they come into contact with polluted water, consume tainted fish, or drink contaminated water.

Economic Effects

Drinking water costs, tourism income, and real estate values can all be negatively effected by water quality.

Drinking Water Costs

Nitrates and algal blooms in drinking water sources can drastically increase treatment costs. It can also cost billions of dollars to clean up polluted water bodies. Every dollar spent on protecting sources of drinking water saves in water treatment costs.

Tourism Losses

The tourism industry loses close to $1 billion each year, mostly through losses in fishing and boating activities, as a result of water bodies that have been affected by nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms.

Real Estate

Clean water can raise the value of a nearby home by up to 25 percent. Waterfront property values can decline because of the unpleasant sight and odor of algal blooms.

FINAL REPORT: Investigation of Elevated Nitrates in the Hoback Junction Area Teton County, Wyoming

Based on the results of the data review, it appears that the major known source of nitrates in groundwater is related to the density of domestic septic systems in the...

List of Clean Water Act Section 404 Nationwide Permits

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires authorization from the Army Corps of Engineers for discharge of dredged or fill material into all waters of the U.S., including wetlands.

Comments on Snake River Mobile Home Park Permit No.WY0095320

August 19, 2024 Comments submitted on behalf of Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) in response to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s (WDEQ) notice inviting comments on the pollution...

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What is Nutrient Pollution?