German researchers have found that chemical fragrances in perfumes, shampoos, detergents, and sunscreens accumulates in the flesh of carp, perch, eels and other fish. The data was presented at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in San Francisco this week. Despite the alarming number of detections, Thomas Heberer of the Institute of Food Chemistry at the University of Berlin stated "It's not a real problem for human health."

Other researchers have greater concern. "We're discovering that there are a whole suite of compounds -- 25, 50, 100 -- all at low levels, but we don't know what the combined effects of those are," said Donald Wilkison of the United States Geological Survey. Caffeine is one of the most prominent contaminants, resulting in the designation, "the Starbucks effect."

Animal feedlots have also been implicated, as antibiotics and hormones have been found downstream of manure pits in North Carolina, Iowa, and Missouri. These drugs could facilitate the development of antibiotic- resistant bacteria, complicating the treatment of illness.

Another study has found that low levels of nitrates and nitrites can cause physical abnormalties and death in frogs. The levels of these nitrogen compounds tested were well below EPA drinking water standards and regularly found in agricultural areas in the U.S. Levels of nitrite considered safe for human drinking water killed over half of the Oregon spotted frog tadpoles tested after 15 days of exposure.

Carl T. Hall, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, March 28, 2000; Chris Bowman, SACRAMENTO BEE, March 28, 2000; AP, January 5, 2000; ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS, January 5, 2000

These techniques, however, come with a hitch -- high environmental impacts. Childs plows deep into the ground, leaving topsoil highly vulnerable to erosion. The corn is heavily doused with fertilizers and pesticides. Childs uses 400 pounds per acre of nitrogen, three times the average corn application in Iowa. He relies on genetically modified varieties. Unlike most corn farmers, Childs does not rotate his corn with soybeans or any other crops. Dave Lubben of the Practical Farmers of Iowa says Childs "is like an athlete on steroids."

Many agribusiness interests, on the other hand, have raced to embrace Childs. He has won tens of thousands of dollars in corporate prize money and gifts. Dealers provide him with free equipment. Childs recently praised a plow made by Wiese Corporation in a trade magazine, and sales jumped. Mike Lickteig, co-president of the company says that they now "make sure he gets whatever he needs from us for free." Furthermore, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) placed Childs on the front page of its January 28 paper.

Despite these praises, increasing corn production will not help farmers. The current glut of corn has helped drive prices down to near record lows this past year. The high yields also necessitate high input costs. Childs spends $650 an acre on fertilizer, pesticides, seed and fuel, twice as much as the Iowa average.

Dennis Keeney, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, contests in the WSJ article that Childs is not a good role model for other farmers. Keeney suggests cutting costs and diversifying production as better methods for farmers to raise profitability.

Scott Kilman, WALL STREET JOURNAL, January 28, 2000; Ag Week, March 27, 2000

North Carolina water quality standards consider a healthy stream to have dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of 5.0 mg/l. A well-documented 1995 spill on the New River caused DO levels to drop to less than 1.0 mg/l. Turbidity levels, which have a standard of below 50 units, jumped to 92.8 units. Ammonium, which can cause death and injury to fish at 40 mg/l, reached 46.2 mg/l. Furthermore, the concentration of chlorophyll a, an indicator of algae blooms, exceeded 300 ug/l, while a bloom is considered a nuisance when over 40 ug/l.

The introduction of microbial contamination is another concern. North Carolina scientists have found that many of the pathogenic microbes in swine and poultry waste are able to infect people. These contaminants can also settle to the bottom of water bodies, only to be resuspended when sediments are disturbed.

Though most pronounced after lagoon spills, industrial operations can impact water quality even under normal operation. A comparison of a relatively pristine basin with a livestock intensive basin found that the livestock basin had twice the biochemical oxygen demand, 10 times the total phosphorous, and 250 times the fecal coliform. These contaminants are believed to reach the river after heavy rainfalls. Seepage from lagoons also impacts water quality. A 1995 North Carolina State study found that 55 percent of lagoons demonstrated moderate to severe seepage losses.

The industrial livestock facilities are creating nutrient imbalances that cannot be solved through improved management practices. A study of the Cape Fear Watershed found that over 90 percent of the animal feed came from other regions, some as far away as the Midwest. This influx of nutrients is not balanced by an export of meat, and local ecosystems do not have the ability to absorb the excess.

Michael A. Mallin, AMERICAN SCIENTIST, January-February 2000

A recent study published in the journal Fisheries has found that the carcasses of salmon return large volumes of organic material to the headwaters of watersheds, feeding insects, bears, plants, and baby salmon. But the depletion of salmon habitat has reduced this flux to five percent of the historical biomass, depleting these nutrient- deficient ecosystems of a large source of nutrients.

Historically, salmon management has been based on the maximum harvest that allows enough fish to return and replenish native streams. This calculation ignores the value of the nutrients in the upbound salmon, thereby depleting the headwaters of its natural nutrient fix. ``We have essentially starved our freshwater systems,'' said Bob Bilby, a fisheries scientist with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle.

The researchers utilized equipment that identifies the isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous, and thus can track the source. Leaves, plants, and grizzly bear bones all showed high levels of nutrients coming from the ocean. Twenty-two different types of animals were observed eating salmon carcasses on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Jeff Cederholm, a fisheries scientist with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, said that salmon "are a keystone species. All the other wildlife or plant communities have, in some way, some dependency.''

Young salmon are particularly dependent on the food provided by the carcasses of their elders. Because streams in the Northwest are generally low in nutrients, salmon appear to have evolved to return to their birthplace, providing nutrients to the next generation. The extra food allows the young salmon to grow stronger before their ocean migration, which in turn increases the chance of the fish returning back to the river.

Jeff Barnard, AP, January 5, 2000

Two years ago, Don Sweeney, a Corps economist in charge of the study, announced that initial conclusions did not justify expanding the locks until at least 2020. Shortly after the announcement, Sweeney was replaced. A few months later, Corps officials reported that lock expansions are immediately justified. Last month, Sweeney filed a detailed request for an investigation with a federal whistleblower agency, alleging that the Corps illegally manipulated data in order to justify construction. Sweeney released memos and emails that documented that the goal of Corps leaders was to grow the Mississippi Valley Division by $100 million a year for five years, and that study managers were encouraged not to take 'no' for an answer. The Office of Special Counsel has found that Dr. Sweeney's allegations appear to be well founded, and that there is "substantial likelihood" that Corps officials violated regulations and wasted millions of dollars in their studies of the Mississippi River Navigation Expansion.

Many documents and articles on this story are available at Environmental Defense's Web Site at: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/programs/ecosystems/mississippi/inde x.html . For an assessment of the relationship between Mississippi River navigation and "Feeding the World" see http://www.iatp.org/iatp/resources/rezDetail.cfm?Rez_ID=19

Michael Grunwald, WASHINGTON POST, February 13, 2000; Michael Grunwald, WASHINGTON POST, February 15, 2000; Scott Faber, MISSISSIPPI MONITOR, March 2000

LIST-SERVE ON THE HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has initiated a list- serve for people interested in obtaining information on forwarding the human right to water. The list will include information on water trade, privatization, pricing, and full cost accounting. Those that are interested can send a message to Mark Ritchie at mritchie@iatp.org.

ADOPT-A-WATERSHED LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE The Leadership Institute is designed to help educators and community leaders build sustainable, successful service learning, community- based, watereshed education programs that improve student achievement. Participants receive intensive training, follow-up support, curriculum training, instructional supplies, and a stipend. Contact Adopt-A- Watershed, phone: (530) 628-5334, email: aaw@Adopt-A-Watershed.org, Web: http://www.Adopt-A-Watershed.org

Friends of the Rivers of California has released a report on dam removal titled "Rivers Reborn - Removing Dams and Restoring Rivers in California." The 20-page report identifies the two-dozen dams around the state that have been considered for removal or decommissioning. The report is available on Friends of the Rivers' web site at http://www.friendsoftheriver.org.

The River Network is seeking a Project Negotiator for its River Conservancy program. The Project Negotiator, based in Portland, Oregon, will be responsible for initiating and completing land acquisition projects, primarily on the Willamette River. This will involve every phase from identifying an opportunity to negotiating a purchase to closing the sale to a managing agency. Substantial travel is required for this position, primarily within Oregon. Extensive (4+ years) experience in conservation land acquisition is required. Experience in negotiations, natural resource assessment, fund-raising and real estate are pluses. To apply, please send letter and resume to "Project Negotiator, River Conservancy, 520 SW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97204." Fax number: 503-241-9256.

"Markets for the New Millenium: How Can Water Quality Trading Work for You?", May 18-19, Chicago, IL. A number of successful projects and programs have demonstrated how trading can be applied to achieve the goals of the federal Clean Water Act and implement state water pollution control programs.The conference will address several key questions that face those interested in this innovative tool for cost- effective water quality improvements. Full details on the conference are available at http://www.deq.state.mi.us/swq/trading/conference.htm .