Our natural resources There are many natural resources needed to survive, but none can be obtained without water. Water is the main source of life. However, most U.S. rivers and streams are polluted largely due to agriculture. While laws exist to protect rivers, they are often contaminated by runoff or illegal chemical disposal. The huge amount of runoff caused by agriculture is affecting the growth of bacteria in rivers and algae, which are blooming rapidly, endangering aquatic organisms. Water contamination is due to agriculture and will affect fish, plants, and human health (Maczulak 124-125). In “Water Quality Trends in the Nation's Rivers,” Smith argues that cleaning water is expensive and won't work because of "No Plagiarism." Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay on urbanization and agriculture (Smith), but researchers have found ways to reduce agricultural pollutants from bodies of water by using plants to remove most of the toxins (Walker). Because agriculture is affecting rivers by spreading disease as the water travels downstream, water pollution is harming aquatic life, plants and humans. “fescue arundinacea”(Zhao. Et al.) should be more widely used to reduce water toxins caused by agricultural pollutants. Furthermore, the United States is known for its agricultural industry and large consumption of resources, because the country there consumes so much there must be agencies to manage our resources. Unfortunately, there are agencies created to protect our natural resources, but many of these agricultural agencies focus on soil conservation rather than water. In an article titled Take a Closer Look at What's Affecting the Health of Our Rivers and Lakes it explains that in a survey conducted by the EPA "said that 40% of rivers and lakes in the United States are too polluted for swimming or fishing" (The Protection of Nature). Furthermore, most pollution today is due to agriculture and the high use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers for mass production of food. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) discusses polluted runoff and how it is “created by rain or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, ultimately depositing them into watersheds through lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and even our underground sources of drinking water.” Agriculture isn't just affecting rivers and lakes, it could also be impacting our groundwater, which ultimately means there is no safe water to drink. If any body of water comes into contact with a pollutant, it will travel with the water making all water unsafe (Center for Disease Control). The rapid spread of blue-green algae just last summer from Massachusetts to California was caused by farmers. The amount of algae is increasing due to the high amount of ammonia present in the water; threatening the life of aquatic organisms. Algae take oxygen from the water, killing any organism in its vicinity. Unfortunately, highly contaminated water not only affects fish but also plants. The high chemical content in water causes the PH level of the water to become acidic, which ultimately means that ions attach to H molecules, causing the PH level to drop. The acidity of the water will weaken the systemtree immune; consequently, making it more vulnerable to disease (Effects of Acid Rain). Plants and animals aren't the only ones affected by polluted water. Humans are also affected by toxic water full of bacteria, parasites and diseases due to eating plants. An article from the CDC states that “people who consume fruits or vegetables that have been exposed to contaminated water are at risk of developing a foodborne illness. Some of the bacteria that spread through water in the United States include E. coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Toxoplasma, norovirus, and hepatitis A virus” (Centers for Disease Control). Water contamination does not only affect fish or plants, but affects the entire ecosystem. Citizens run a huge risk by not protecting water, which can put their lives at risk. Only we have the power to prevent our water from disappearing. In 1972, the United States government established the Clean Water Act to regulate water pollution, but unfortunately the restrictions in this act only protected water from discharge. There are not many laws or regulations that prevent runoff into rivers and streams. However, there have been more regulations on rivers and lakes to prevent pollution due to large companies. To make the Clean Water Act clearer, the EPA created “The Clean Water Act ensures that waters protected under the Clean Water Act are more precisely defined, determined more predictably, and more easy for business and industry to understand”. (United States Environmental Protection Agency) . Making policies clear could help farmers improve their manure disposal techniques and better ways of farming. President Obama's administration has protected and implemented many policies to protect the environment, but in an article “Donald Trump could put climate change on course for a 'danger zone'' Davenport, expresses his concern about the new policies that President Trump could implement regarding the environment. The newly elected president has made many statements about global warming, caused by the high concentration of carbon in the air. Even though global warming has been tested and proven by researchers, Trump has stated that he does not believe in environmental issues and wants to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency. In an Ohio University study conducted by Hal Walker, it is stated that a water filtration system using plants worked better than other methods. This filtration system can remove ninety-five percent of the toxins in the water. This system uses “activated carbon” which traps organic molecules and can be used to clean up spills. If these plants were planted in rivers to help fight algae, this could reduce the presence of bacteria and other pathogens. This method should be implemented across the country to reduce and prevent algae growth. This method would help combat runoff from agriculture and extensive pesticide use. Preventing pollution of rivers and streams and the death of aquatic creatures should be a priority. Using this plan will help preserve the life of fish and other organisms. It would also prolong the time left in the world because without water there is no life. In an article "Water Quality Trends in the Nation's Rivers" by Richard Smith disagrees with the idea that water pollution should not be cleaned. Smith backs up his claim by saying it will be too expensive in the long run. The author suggests that i”.