Drought

Peter Brou
12/11/2014

Environmental Science and Policy

Section 1.
Since the beginning of time, drought has affected societies all over the world.
While many civilizations managed to survive, some may not have been so lucky;
according to a new study published in the current issue of Science, a long period of dry
climate, punctuated by three intense droughts, led to the end of the Maya society
(Lovgren). The United States has also suffered from drought in its 238 years of
existence. Most notably was the Dustbowl of the 1930s, the 1950s drought, and the
drought of 1987-1989. Since 2012 the Southwest region of the United States has been
experiencing a drought that could rival these infamous droughts in our nations history;
2013, was recorded has the driest year in Californias history.
The National Weather Service, who provides climate, weather forecasts and
data, defines drought as a deficiency in precipitation over an extended period, usually
a season or more, resulting in a water shortage causing adverse impacts on vegetation,
animals, and/or people (Fact Sheet). While drought is a natural occurrence,
humanities use of resources such as water can play a large role in the severity and
duration of a drought. There are three types of drought, which can make it difficult for
scientists to classify them; these types are meteorological drought, hydrological
drought, and agricultural drought. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center,
meteorological drought is the basis of the degree of dryness (in comparison to normal
or average amount) and the duration of the dry period (Types). Because some areas
are more dry than others, meteorological drought must be assessed region to region
instead of a one flat indicator. Hydrological drought is associated with the effects of

periods of precipitation (including snowfall) shortfalls on surface of subsurface water

supply ( I.E., stream flow, reservoir and lake levels, groundwater) (Types). Agricultural
drought takes parts of the other types of drought and links them to agriculture. Rainfall,
groundwater levels, weather conditions, and many more characteristics that affect soil
moisture, which is needed in order to grow healthy crops. These different types of
droughts can coincide with one another equally, or one can have a larger impact than
the others. Droughts are categorized as abnormally dry, moderate, severe, extreme,
and exceptional. Currently the West is facing all of these categories, with parts of
California seeing exceptional drought.

While the drought has hit the Southwest region of the United States the worst, it
can have impacts on people from all over the country; not only climate impacts but
economic impacts as well. With so many different factors that can contribute to drought,
it is a very difficult to predict the length and severity of one before it actually happens.
Unlike droughts of the past, the current drought in the Southwest also can be attributed
to human influence, which adds a whole new problem associated with our high levels of
greenhouse gas emissions. According to studies by Toby Ault, a Cornell based climate
researcher and author, If greenhouse gas emission trends continue, the odds of a
mega drought hitting some parts of the Southwest is a 50-50 proposition (Kahn). A

mega drought is a drought lasting more than twenty years. That is why it is important
that we lower our greenhouse gas emissions, manage our waters better, and have the
government continue to help do what they can so that we can try to mitigate the impacts
of this drought, which may last for many more years.

Section 2
With an understanding of what a drought is, we can look at who is affected by a
drought and how they are impacted. The Southwest United States is a hotspot for
agriculture which supports the most productive agricultural economy in the United
States. It occupies a quarter of the land area and pumps billions of dollars into the
economy every year (Pacific Southwest). All of these crops need large amounts of
water so that they can grow and the farmers can make a profit. But drought makes it
difficult for the farmers to get the amounts of water they need. In a meteorological
drought, a lack of rainfall will make farmers depend heavily on using their irrigation
systems to make sure their crops are getting enough water. But the irrigation systems
need water from sources like groundwater or reservoirs, which are already used by
millions of people the Southwest and are being depleted at an incredible rate. For some
farmers Costs have soared to $1,100 per acre-foot from about $140 a year ago in the
Fresno-based Westlands Water District (Vekshin). The cost to water the crops will put a
hurting on the farmers profits so they will have to sell their crops to consumers at a
higher price to cover the costs of the water. This will have an impact on the way
Americans all over the country eat; we will either have to pay higher prices or we must
change our eating habits. Prices of food are not the only issue facing farming during a
drought; 428,000 acres, or 5 percent, of irrigated cropland is going out of production in

the Central Valley, Central Coast and Southern California due to the drought (Impact
Study). With these crop losses and increased costs for irrigation, food prices are very
likely to rise. Many of these farms cannot keep up with the rising costs so they must
close or let go of employees; the loss of 17,100 seasonal and part-time jobs related
to agriculture represents 3.8 percent of farm unemployment (Impact Study).
Agriculture is not the only thing that is impact by drought; the tourism
industry is greatly affected by drought. Water based recreation such as fishing and
skiing are obvious activities that would be impacted during a drought, but drought
can affect other areas of tourism such as decreased visitations, cancellations in hotel

stays, or a reduction in booked holidays. These could stem from negative perceptions of
dryness, fire bans, or wildfires burning nearby vacation destinations (even if these are in
actually not in the vicinity) (Thomas, et. al.). Similar to farm workers, drought will lead to
many employees in the tourism industry to lose their jobs.
Dry conditions caused by drought can also affect wildfire. Fire season in the
Southwest is getting longer and more intense due to the dry conditions, meaning more
area will likely burn than before. While wildfire has the potential to damage homes and
property or even take lives, wildfire threatens animals and their habitats the most. Unlike
humans who can leave their homes when a fire occurs and still live normal lives,
animals have a much more difficult time. If an animals home is destroyed in a wildfire
and they are still alive they will be forced to try to find a new place to live. While it may
seem as easy for an animal to move as a human, it is not. unlike humans who can eat
just about anything they want from a wide array of restaurants or stores and live
anywhere they want within their means, many animals eat only one certain type of food
and can only live in certain types of habitat. This means that they will have to compete

with other wildlife in the area for both food and shelter. Many more animals could die as
a result of having to share their food and shelter. Wildfire is not the only thing that can
harm wildlife. Drought alone, can cause habitat loss or destruction to wildlife and fish
habitats. Endangered species like the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse and the
Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, which are only found in the Southwest could possibly
become extinct if drought and wildfire destroyed their habitats and food source.
All of the impacts of drought can have a large impact on the health and safety of
humans. With a decrease in agricultural production, food prices will most likely increase.
If a family is already struggling to afford healthy food, this increase will make it even
more difficult for them to get the basic nutrients they need. Families can either go
hungry or eat more processed foods, which are high in sugars and artificial ingredients
that can cause diabetes and cancer. Air quality is also impacted because of drought. Air
quality also becomes much worse in a drought due to smog from the heat and smoke
from wildfires. This can have huge health consequences for people, especially if they
have asthma or other respiratory problems. Water, which is essential to all life can also
harm humans in during a drought.

(Englum)

While water sources are being depleted from both groundwater and reservoirs, causing
shortages and illnesses related to dehydration, water systems can also become
polluted. Particulates in smoke from wildfires and runoff that gets into the watershed
because riparian vegetation has been destroyed, can get into the water supply and find
its way into drinking water which can cause a wide array of illnesses for humans.
Wildlife also is affected by poor water quality, which usually leads to death for those
animals. Animal borne disease such as west nile and lyme disease also threaten
humans in a drought. these diseases tend to thrive in hotter temperatures and when
mixed in with the increase of stagnant water associated with drought, can lead to an
increase in the disease.
Section 3
Of the states in the Southwest that are suffering from drought, California is

working the hardest to try and control its current situation. So much so that Governor
Jerry Brown issued a plan to fine state residents up to $500 if they wash their cars
without a nozzle on their hoses or over water their yards. The California government is
setting a good example for water use by not watering the grass in front of many
government building. Fining residents for wasting water is a good idea which will make
people wary of using what limited water is available on aesthetics when it needs to be
used instead for more important things such as drinking. It does not seem fair that
residents of the Southwest have to alter their ways of life but with what little water there
is, it is necessary that they do. The Southwest is home to some of the largest cities in
the country and while not everyone will do their part to conserve water, if even half of
the population does it will greatly help the crisis. State and national government
agencies like the EPA also provide plenty of information on how to conserve water on
their websites and through the media.
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), set up by the United States
Department of Agriculture has made the Livestock Forage Disaster Program a
permanent program for farmers and ranchers.The Livestock Forage Disaster Program
helps farmers and ranchers who have lost grazing land due to drought and wildfire by
giving them compensation; which cover up losses all the way back to 2011. A farmer is
eligible for assistance if they live in a county that that has experienced severe to
exceptional drought and can provide the proper evidence and data showing that they
have lost grazing land for their livestock. Under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program,
payments for drought are equal to 60 percent of the monthly feed cost for up to five
months(Disaster Assistance). For wildfire which can be exacerbated by drought, the

Livestock Forage Disaster Program provides payments that are equal to 50 percent of
the monthly feed cost for the number of days the producer is prohibited from grazing the
managed rangeland(Disaster Assistance). The Livestock Indemnity Program, which is
also set up under the Agricultural Act of 2014, compensates ranchers for deaths of their
livestock due to detrimental weather conditions and from animals that have been
reintroduced back into the wild. Livestock owners must be able to provide proper data to
show that their livestock died due to these reasons. Under the Livestock Indemnity
Program, farmers can receive up to 75 percent of the market value for their livestock.
While these compensations do not completely cover the monetary or even emotional
loss of the livestock, it does help the ranchers greatly.
The USDA also provides technical and financial support to farmers through their
Natural Resource Conservation Service. Some of the financial support programs that
the USDa offers are the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The Conservation Stewardship
Program helps farmers with the conservation of dwindling resources that are used on
their farms. The CSP works to improve the conservation efforts already used by farmers
and also implement new conservation methods By working with the USDA to conserve
resources, farmers earn compensation. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program
provides financial, but also technical assistance in helping farmers implement more
conservation methods on their land that will protect resources, with water being the the
most important. Most of the ways to conserve are relatively simple, like adding water
troughs on land to divert cattle from using streams and rivers. By doing so, not only will
the farmer help conserve the resource but they will also be paid for doing so.

While the previous agricultural policies are for short term relief, the US
Department of Agriculture also has long term drought plans put into place as well; with
the majority of the programs working on protection natural resources.The Emergency
Watershed Program has been created by congress to help in times of natural disaster,
such as drought,flooding, or fire. The Emergency Watershed Program helps provide
assistance in repairing areas where drought have destroyed vegetation that protects the
watershed. If the vegetation has been destroyed the watershed is more likely to become
polluted by agricultural runoff and other contaminants. If the watershed becomes
contaminated, it can lead to many health issues in both people and wildlife.
In 2004, the Western Governors Association published a report speaking of the
need for an interagency group that can help provide information and tools to mitigate
drought. In 2006, the National Integrated Drought Information System, or NIDIS, was
signed into law, and was reauthorized in 2014. NIDIS brings together many different
agencies hoping to help educate and mitigate the effect of drought. Among those
working together is the National Drought Mitigation Center which is based out of the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. One of the main goals that the National Integrated
Drought Information System accomplished was the development of the U.S. Drought
Portal. The U.S. Drought Portal was created based on the need to assimilate and
quality control drought data, models, risk information, and impacts, and to create a point
of entry for archiving and disseminating data(Integrated). This information is available
to the public, but the best way for the NIDIS to reach the public is through their
implementation team. The implementation team is made up of officials from the federal
government, local government, and climate scientists. The implementation teams top

priority is public education. Among this category, NIDIS hopes to set up formal
education on drought that can be used in school settings, improve public awareness of
vulnerabilities to drought, and set up public relations for the public and government.
Another priority of the National Integrated Drought Information System is combining the
forecasting and monitoring requirements. Currently twenty-two federal programs share
responsibilities for drought monitoring, prediction, and research (Integrated). By
integrating these groups data, better monitoring techniques, ways of predicting drought,
and drought research can create an overall better idea of how to identify drought and
from there, how to mitigate the effects.
In the West, the Bureau of Reclamation has been responsible for the creation of
hundreds of dams, including the Hoover Dam, the tallest and most well know concrete
dam in the United States. The Bureau of Reclamation also helps protect the waterways
they helped create with their Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act, which
became a law in 1991, and has since been amended. During a drought, the Bureau of
Reclamation has the authority to take part in activities that will help minimize the
damages that have been caused by drought. These activities can include the
construction of temporary facilities; except for wells which can be constructed for
permanent use, management, and conservation efforts. The Bureau of Reclamation
also can help assist with water purchases from buyer to seller. The Bureau of
Reclamation does not only aim to help out people in times of water shortages but
animals as well.The Bureau of Reclamation can make water from Federal Reclamation
projects and nonproject water available on a nonreimbursable basis for the purposes of
protecting or restoring fish and wildlife resources (Title I).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who owns many of the dams in the United
States and also maintains many of our waterways, also helps with water issues through
the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 and the Flood Control Act of 1944. The Army Corps of
Engineers can build wells for farmers living in the Southwest, at the farmers expense.
The Army Corps of Engineers also distributes bottle water and transports water to areas
in need. Along with the same monitoring systems and tools that many of the other
organizations use, the Army Corps of Engineers has developed its own remote data
sensing network to manage its reservoirs (Integrated). Both the Army Corps of
Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation are greatly helping supply water to people in
desperate need.

(Gutzmer)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in charge of making sure that our
water is safe to drink. The EPA also suggests that we adopt better water habits so that

we can use what water we can get more efficiently. One way to do this, is switching to
WaterSense labeled products. These products include toilets, showers, and sinks that
are guaranteed to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing
performance(WaterSense). Toilets typically waste the most water in a home, so by
changing to a WaterSense toilet, you will greatly reduce your at home water
consumption.
Section 4
The National Integrated Drought Information System has done a great job in the
creation of the U.S. Drought Portal. On the Drought Portal, weekly drought summaries
are provided so the public can track the impacts of the drought and see how many
people and how much land is being affected week to week. Along with that it provides
state to state date and proper planning and education. With a continued push for public
education the National Integrated Drought Information System is likely to reach more
people and let them know how to prepare for drought and what they can do lessen the
harmful effects.
While the strict water usage policies in California seem like a good idea, they are
not yet producing the intended results. as Joan Maher, who works for the Santa Clara
Valley Water District told the San Jose Mercury News, The bottom line is that we are
just not getting the results we would like to see for water reduction (Rogers). Only a few
cities in the California are actually writing fines, making this law more or less
pointless.Instead of being fined for wasting, most of the reports of wasting water end in
a warning. Warnings can be effective in getting a point across, but at the same time it
also shows people how much they can get away with. if you look at it like you were

pulled over for speeding and got a warning instead of a ticket, you are more likely to
speed later down the road because you know that you may get away with it again. If
people are required to pay the fine for wasting water, they will be far less likely to
continue to practice wasteful habits. Some marijuana growers in California are also
illegally taking water to keep up their production. Growing marijuana requires large
amounts of water, which means that in order to meet their demand they must steal
water from reservoirs and wells. This is understandably hard to police but still more
needs to be done to protect these water sources.
2014 Drought and California Agriculture Summary

Drought Impact

Loss Quantity

Water Supply
Surface Water Reduction

6.6 million acre-feet

Groundwater Pumping Increase

5.1 million acre-feet

Net Water Shortage

1.6 million acre-feet

Statewide Costs
Crop Revenue Loss

$810 million

Additional Pumping Cost

$454 million

Livestock and Dairy Revenue Loss

$203 million

Total Direct Losses

$1.5 billion

Total Economic Cost

$2.2 billion

Total Job Losses

17,100

(Howitt et al.)
With over one billions dollars in total agricultural loss, it is imperative that the US
Department of Agricultures Natural Resource Conservation Service work with farmers
to try to conserve what little water is available. These losses are already significant but
without the implementation of conservation and mitigation programs like the
Conservation Stewardship Program they could be much worse. Having the USDA help

cover some of the finances for conservation efforts makes it much easier for farmers to
move towards better, more sustainable farming techniques. Implementing more
effective irrigation systems and rotating crops are just a few ways things that the USDA
helps with, which allows for farmers to use their water more efficiently.
The Bureau of Reclamation has requested over fifty million dollars to use for
drought relief and conservation projects in 2015. With this money, they will be able to
continue to supply water to people in need. The water projects that both the Bureau of
Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers are currently involved in are necessary
for survival in the West.
Reducing our countrys greenhouse gas emissions will may also help alleviate
some of the impacts of drought. While these fixes will not be immediate, reducing our
emissions may help for future droughts. Having President Obama and the Chinese
government meet and agree to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 is a positive
that may help us survive our next drought.
Section 5
Much like any other natural disaster, ending a drought is in the hands of mother
nature. Using the Palmer Hydrological Drought Index will help us determine how much
precipitation is needed for a drought to end. From there we can do our best to try to
mitigate some of the impacts of drought to make it easier on ourselves. While parts of
California have recently begin to get some rain, it isnt enough yet to get us out of the
drought. We need to look at both short and long term actions when facing drought. For
the short term, we need to continue provide drought relief to those in desperate need.
All humans have the right to water and given our current situation in the West, that right

is diminishing quickly. The conservation efforts by the Department of Agriculture are key
to helping conserve water. California agriculture is very important to our country, but
relies on a lot of water. By making farming techniques more efficient we have more
water drinking and hygiene, which may help alleviate some of the health implications
that happen due to drought. Public education is also a crucial element needed in the
short term for drought control. we need to continue to teach the public ways to conserve
water and energy at home; many of these at home techniques are inexpensive and
easy to complete and will actually save you money. EPAs WaterSense labeled products
for example, will use less water, be more efficient, and save you money. But along with
showing just how easy it is to conserve, water fines must be enforced so that smart
water use and conservation become much more attractive options.
For long term actions, we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to make
sure that a drought of this severity does not happen again. Drought will happen
regardless of humans or not, but our excessive use of greenhouse gases has helped
make it a severe drought. We need to continue to improve our watershed and make
sure that we can keep as many pollutants out of our water as we can.
Unless we want to turn out like the Mayan civilization, we must do what we can to
win our battle against drought. It will always be there, and if we arent willing to change
the way we use our resources and continue to emit high levels of greenhouse gases we
may not win the next time a drought of this caliber happens.

Works Cited
"Agriculture in the Pacific Southwest." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 10
Dec. 2014.
Disaster Assistance. N.p.: USDA, n.d. United States Department of Agriculture, Feb. 2014. Web.
10 Dec. 2014.
"Drought Impact Study: California Agriculture Faces Greatest Water Loss Ever Seen :: UC
Davis News & Information." UC Davis News & Information. University of California,
Davis, 12 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
"Drought Public Fact Sheet." What Is Drought? (n.d.): n. pag. Drought Public Fact Sheet.
National Weather Service, May 2008. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Englum, Lynn. ""Climate Change Is the Biggest Global Health Threat of the 21st Century""
Blogs. World Wildlife Fund, 14 June 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Gutzmer, Denise. "September 2014 Drought and Impact Summary." September 2014 Drought
and Impact Summary. National Drought Mitigation Center, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
Howitt, Richard, Josu Medelln-Azuara, Duncan MacEwan, Jay Lund, and Daniel Sumner.
Economic Analysis of the 2014 Drought for (n.d.): n. pag. Center for Watershed Sciences,
23 July 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
Kahn, Brian. "Climate Change Ups Odds of a Southwest Megadrought | Climate Central."
Climate Change Ups Odds of a Southwest Megadrought | Climate Central. Climate
Central, 29 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Lovgren, Stefan. "Climate Change Killed off Maya Civilization, Study Says." National
Geographic. National Geographic Society, 13 Mar. 2003. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

"The National Integrated Drought Information System Implementation Plan." The National
Integrated Drought Information System Implementation Plan (n.d.): n. pag. National
Integrated Drought Information System, June 2007. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
Rogers, Paul. "California Drought: 'Water Cops' Being Hired by Bay Area Agencies to Root out
Water Waste." San Jose Mercury News. San Jose Mercury News, 21 July 2014. Web. 11
Dec. 2014.
Thomas, Deborah S. K., et al. "A Comprehensive Framework For Tourism And Recreation
Drought Vulnerability Reduction."Environmental Research Letters 8.4 (2013): 1. Publisher
Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
"Title I - Drought Assistance." Title I - Drought Assistance. United States Bureau of
Reclamation, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
"Types of Drought." Types of Drought. National Drought Mitigation Center, n.d. Web. 09 Dec.
2014.
Vekshin, Alison. "California Water Prices Soar for Farmers as Drought Grows." Bloomberg.com.
Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
"What Is WaterSense?" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Peter Brou
4/27/2015
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
Richard Bangs, Author of River Gods and experienced river guide, has a deep
admiration for rivers; Wild rivers are earth's renegades, defying gravity, dancing to their
own tunes, resisting the authority of humans, always chipping away, and eventually
always winning(Bangs and Kallen,1985). Throughout history, we are told stories of
peoples interactions with rivers; Moses floating down the river in a basket as a baby, or
Huckleberry Finn floating down the Mississippi River to find freedom. We are constantly
hearing stories of the importance rivers have on us not only metaphorically, but also
literally. People all over the world use rivers as a source for drinking, food, cultural
traditions, and recreation. The United States is home to 3.5 million miles of rivers
(Rivers & Stream). All 3.5 million miles do not flow freely however, more than 75,000
large dams across the country have modified at least 600,000 miles, or about 17%, of
American rivers(About). With development in the United States happening so rapidly,
there was a need for protecting our wild rivers. In 1968 the National Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act was created to keep United States rivers in their pristine condition. Looking at
the act that protects some of the most remote and beautiful rivers can be divided into
two parts: the rivers that are protected and the agencies that work to protect them and
keep them wild and scenic.
In order to look at the rivers that are protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act we must first define what makes a river wild and scenic. There are three

classifications of rivers under the act; wild, scenic, and recreational river areas. Wild
rivers are rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments and generally
inaccessible except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and
waters unpolluted. These represent vestiges of primitive America(About). Scenic
rivers also do not have impoundments but have shorelines or watersheds still largely
primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by
roads(About). Recreational rivers are rivers that may have had some impoundment
and has easy access to the rivers. The three classifications help protect a variety of
rivers in our country that could be harmed. As of today the National System protects
12,709 miles of 208 rivers in 39 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico(About).
Now that we understand the different classifications of rivers we can look further
into what the act does. When a river, or a segment of a river, becomes protected under
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the government is no longer allowed to build or permit
the building of hydroelectric dams that would divert the streamflow (friends of the
river). This prohibition covers a quarter of a mile corridor around the river to ensure that
the river will not be affected. The act not only covers the quarter of a mile area around
the river but also aims to stop water projects upstream, or downstream of designated
segments that may unreasonably diminish the outstanding values for which the river
was designated (friends of the river). Private land near rivers do not have to follow the
rules set up by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, but they are strongly encouraged to by
government agencies and nonprofits.
Because the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is a nationwide protection act,
multiple agencies work together to ensure that their designated rivers are still being

protected. While there are many state level organizations that help protecting rivers,
four national agencies also help protect and manage rivers. Those four agencies are the
Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
and the U.S. Forest Service. These larger agencies offer partnerships with smaller,
usually nonprofit organizations to help promote and conserve these rivers.
In order for a river to become protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,
studies must be conducted by the agencies involved in the act; meaning mostly by the
four large federal organizations. There are two steps in studies. the first study is to test
the rivers eligibility, and to make sure it offers at least one of the values deemed
necessary for protection. those values are outstandingly remarkable scenic,
recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values
(Designating Rivers). If the river does have these values, it is given temporary
protection. The next step is for an in depth look into the pros and cons of having a river
designated wild and scenic. If the studies show that a river is suitable, congress is sent
a recommendation and the temporary protection continues until congress moves
forward with the recommendation (friends of the river).
While the over 12,000 miles of river that the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
protect seems like a lot, it actually only protects one-quarter of one percent of rivers in
the United States (About). Over 40 years ago the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was
created because of the effects development had our nations rivers. Creating the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has helped guarantee that future generations will
get an opportunity to fully experience parts of wild and scenic rivers. Wild and scenic
rivers are great teaching tools; they can teach you about how nature, ecology, and even

yourself. With increased research and studies, more rivers can hopefully become
protected from development and we can enjoy them in their natural glory. Damming of
rivers has allowed our nation to grow quickly, but it has come with a cost. Everyone
should have the opportunity to experience a wild river, without anything inhibiting or
interfering with its beauty and flow. While he is not famous, Brad Arrowsmith, who owns
land next to the Niobrara National Scenic River perfectly sums up why the National Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act is such an important act for environmental protection;
Boundaries don't protect rivers, people do(Quotations).

Works Cited
"About the WSR Act." About the WSR Act. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, n.d. Web.
28 Apr. 2015.
Bangs, Richard, and Christian Kallen. Rivergods: Exploring the World's Great Wild Rivers. San
Francisco: Sierra Club, 1985. Print.
"Designating Rivers." American Rivers. American Rivers, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
"National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act - Friends of the River." National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act Friends of the River. Friends of the River, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
"River and Environmental Quotations." River and Environmental Quotations. National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
"Rivers & Streams." Rivers & Streams. United States Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.
Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Re: Letter of Recommendation for Peter Brou

I would like to give my strongest possible recommendation to Peter Brou in support

of his application for this position. Peter was a top performer in my upper-level
Environmental Regulation course offered during the spring, 2015 semester at the
University of South Florida. This course presented a broad survey of several federal
and local level environmental regulations in the United States, concentrating on the
historical context of the regulation, agencies responsible for enforcement, and the
general impacts of the regulation on overarching environmental policy. Peter
showed a superior command of all topics and concepts discussed throughout the
semester, and consistently scored at the top of his class on all assignments and
exams.
In the time that I have got to know Peter, he has indeed shown impressive
analytical, critical thinking, and research skills. He brought with him to every class
diverse background-knowledge on topics of environmental health, conservation, and
sustainability. His multi-disciplinary approach to learning has undoubtedly
contributed to the keen and unique perspectives he shared during in-class
discussions and assignments. For instance, Peter choose for his final paper to write
on the history and relevance of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Rather than simply
providing a simple summary of the subject, like most of his peers did, Peter critically
reviewed the historical context of the law and demonstrated the application of its
many components on modern conservation efforts. His evaluation of this critical
piece of legislation and the professional writing style in which he presented the
material was a true tour de force. His attentiveness to this assignment, as well as
many others throughout the semester proves his commitment to not only meeting
required deadlines, but also, and more importantly, his desire to fully understand
complex and interrelated situations.
I also had the great pleasure of working with Peter outside of the classroom. Peter
selflessly volunteered several hours over the weekend working to revitalize a
community garden in order to get it ready for hosting interactive art and gardening

classes for young children. Peters performance in both his academic life and
extracurricular activity has indicated that he is indeed supremely motivated,
intellectually curious, and very conscientious. In addition, Peter is a truly
exceptional individual and a real pleasure to be around. I am exceedingly confident
that Peter would be an excellent choice for this position. He has shown repeatedly
his commitment and passion to the concepts of further education, idea sharing, and
environmental health and sustainability.
Respectfully,

Joseph England
[email protected]

Peter Brou
Live Oak Organics
6/24/2015
Internship Summary
I have now been working with Jonathan DeLura at Live Oak Organics for about
six weeks and have learned far more than I thought I would. I wanted to intern at a
place that was a little off the beaten path in terms of environmental internships and I
knew that working on a farm would be a lot of work, but did not expect it to be as
challenging as it truly is.
The first thing that I have learned about running a farm is that how difficult it is to
actually make a living farming. Jonathan has only lived in Florida for a few years and
has had somewhat of a difficult time growing under Floridas harsh conditions. This
spring brought a lot of rain to the farm which then brought huge numbers of caterpillars
and grasshoppers. Both of these bugs love to eat the leaves of many of the crops that
grow at the farm. Because of these pests and some diseases, a large number of
Jonathans crops were destroyed and not able to be sold at market. This aspect of the
farm showed me that no matter how hard you work, there will be obstacles that are

unavoidable and you can either roll with the punches and keep going or give up. Even
though he took big losses, Jonathan decided to keep going and used alternative crops
that will hopefully flourish a little bit better in our climate.
The work that I have to do on the farm is extremely challenging everyday. One
someday I could spend a few hours leveling beds with a pitchfork, or building trellis
supports for pole beans. Everyday at the farm means I get the opportunity to do a job
ive never done before. Most of them are not very difficult but some some are; the worst
being rolling drip tape. No matter how hard I try I cannot roll the drip tape up evenly so
that it can be unrolled again easily for the next rotation of crops. Many farms throw away
their drip tape after theyve been used, however Jonathan likes to reuse his so he
doesnt waste any tape and he can save money. However may difficult it is, rolling drip
tape has taught me about persistence and not giving up. It takes me an incredibly long
time to roll up the tape and I get very frustrated, but I try my hardest to not let it get to
me.I just take a deep breathe and continue to push on and finish my task.
I find that when getting stressed out or frustrated at the farm, just taking a deep
breath helps me out greatly. Many of the tasks I have to do are quite tedious and mixed
in with the extreme heat can really wear you down. By doing this and drinking some
water, I feel like I can compose myself and am able to complete the tasks at hand.
Besides the physical aspect of the job, I have learned quite a bit about the
science behind the farm and how to grow things. When many of the crops were
destroyed by disease, I learned what killed them and how to prevent other pests from
harming the crops. When I got to sow peanuts I learned why we use inoculate on them
and that when they grow the flowers grow down into the ground before they are ready to

sprout.
Interning on a farm is definitely not for everyone. Long hours out in the sun doing
back breaking work seems like a punishment, but seeing your hard pay off and grow
into something that you can eat or sell is an absolutely amazing feeling. I have learned
a lot about how to keep at task that are very tedious which will help me in many
situations in the future, whether at work or in my personal life. I know that I can take on
any of the tasks asked of me without supervision and will accomplish them in a timely
manner I leave work sore, sunburnt, and tired but I wouldnt change it for anything.