The year 1972 was a turning point for water in the United States. People began to grasp that sewage-filled bays, massive fish kills and flaming rivers were not inevitable costs of progress—but avoidable consequences of weak or non-existent pollution controls. The year saw some of the most significant environmental laws in American history, including Clean Water Act. 

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Funded by a grant from the Pulitzer Center’s nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative, student journalists from the University of Florida spent the first half of 2022 investigating statewide water quality to mark this anniversary. 

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They found hindrances such as poor or uneven water-quality monitoring that make it difficult for scientists and the public to pinpoint causes of pollution—and for lawmakers to regulate it. They also found bright spots where science and nature-based solutions are making headway to clean up water and bring back aquatic life. Public and political will can make a difference, scientists and policymakers say. “This is the world that we give to the next generation, and we want it to be a healthy world,” Florida International University biologist John Kominoski told environmental journalist and graduating senior Marlowe Starling. “So let’s do it.”

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Source: WATERSHED landing page