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Has Surface Water Quality Improved Since the Clean Water Act?

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  • V. Kerry Smith
  • Carlos Valcarcel Wolloh

Abstract

On the fortieth anniversary of the Clean Water Act this paper reports the first quantitative assessment of the aggregate trends in water quality in the U.S. using a single standard over the years 1975 to 2011. The analysis suggests that fresh water lakes for the nation as a whole are about at the same quality levels as they were in 1975. In short, viewed in the aggregate, nothing has changed. An assessment of the factors influencing the aggregates also suggests that water quality appears to be affected by the business cycle. This result calls into question the simple descriptions of the change in environmental quality with economic growth that are associated with the Environmental Kuznets Curve.

Suggested Citation

  • V. Kerry Smith & Carlos Valcarcel Wolloh, 2012. "Has Surface Water Quality Improved Since the Clean Water Act?," NBER Working Papers 18192, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18192
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    Cited by:

    1. Grenestam, Erik & Nordin, Martin, 2018. "Estimating the impact of agri-environmental payments on nutrient runoff using a unique combination of data," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 388-398.
    2. Carolyn Fischer & Garth Heutel, 2013. "Environmental Macroeconomics: Environmental Policy, Business Cycles, and Directed Technical Change," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 5(1), pages 197-210, June.
    3. David A Keiser & Joseph S Shapiro, 2019. "Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(1), pages 349-396.
    4. Jayash Paudel & Christine L. Crago, 2021. "Environmental Externalities from Agriculture: Evidence from Water Quality in the United States," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 185-210, January.
    5. Garth Heutel & Christopher J. Ruhm, 2016. "Air Pollution and Procyclical Mortality," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(3), pages 667-706.
    6. Lopamudra Chakraborti, 2020. "Effects of Water Quality Monitoring on Plant-Level Pollution: Evidence from the Clean Water Act," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 96(3), pages 349-365.
    7. Catherine L. Kling & Raymond W. Arritt & Gray Calhoun & David A. Keiser, 2016. "Research Needs and Challenges in the FEW System: Coupling Economic Models with Agronomic, Hydrologic, and Bioenergy Models for Sustainable Food, Energy, and Water Systems," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 16-wp563, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    8. David A. Keiser & Joseph K. Shapiro, 2018. "Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 17-wp571, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    9. Catherine L. Kling & Raymond W. Arritt & Gray Calhoun & David A. Keiser, 2017. "Integrated Assessment Models of the Food, Energy, and Water Nexus: A Review and an Outline of Research Needs," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 143-163, October.
    10. Yu, Charng-Jian & Du, Xiaodong & Phaneuf, Daniel, 2021. "The Impact of the Clean Water Act on Farm Practices: The Case of U.S. Dairy CAFOs," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 46(3), September.
    11. Paudel, Jayash & Crago, Christine L., 2018. "Fertilizer Use and Water Quality in the United States," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274312, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Lopamudra Chakraborti, 2021. "Impact of upstream plant level pollution on downstream water quality: evidence from the clean water act," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 64(3), pages 517-535, February.
    13. Yu, Charng-Jiun & Du, Xiaodong & Phaneuf, Daniel J., 2018. "The Impact of Clean Water Act on Farm Practices: The Case of U.S. Dairy CAFOs," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274428, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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