To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the National Wildlife Federation asked you to share your ‘fishable’ photos and your stories about why clean water and fishing matter to you and your family. We had a wonderful response – a testament to the joy of being on the water. Here we celebrate our fishable waters by sharing with you just a few of the highlights.

You can peruse all of the NWF “fish-tales” photos here

Our celebration also spawned a few more in-depth and inspiring fish tales: Montana Sushi Girl, Fishing the Nottoway: A Clean Water Blessing, Hunters and Anglers Favor Restoring Clean Water Act Protections for Wetlands and Streams, and The Clean Water Act: Up Close and Personal.

The River Runs Through It

“Fish On!” shared this classic “River Runs Through It” fish pic capturing the serenity of fishing Alaska’s Russian River…

and his nice Russian River “Sockeye Salmon” catch! He inspires us with his call: “Let’s keep our waters clean and streams and rivers protected with a strong Clean Water Act so my son’s children can also enjoy the bounty our fresh water resources have to offer!”

Bass are Big in the Heartland!

Kristi Pupak, 23, grew up outside of Milwaukee and moved to Jamestown, Kentucky to work at a national fish hatchery. Working to educate others about how natural environments function, fishing has been the one constant in her life that has kept her balanced. “I’m passionate about fish, their habitat, behavior, and how to catch them. I’ve had this obsession all my life.” Fishing in Wisconsin waters for most of her life, and as a recent resident of Kentucky, has taught her a few things about different fishing techniques. A visit to Wisconsin this past summer led to an 18” largemouth bass caught in Washington County.

G-lyn’s neice caught this largemouth bass while fishing by herself at her uncle’s farm in Oklahoma. It was the biggest freshwater fish she had ever caught and she was so excited. She called her dad out to help her take it off the hook and got some great pictures. She would not have been able to have this experience without the clean water necessary for fish to thrive.

Fishing the Waccamaw, River to Bay

Thanks to the Waccamaw Riverkeeper for these Waccamaw fish tales from river to bay. “Fishing from the Bank” by Bill Gobbel shows an angler fishing from the banks of the Waccamaw River near Conway, South Carolina for redbreast to take home to the family. Redbreast is a local favorite.

Downstream, the Waccamaw flows into Winyah Bay near Georgetown, South Carolina, where Jay Preslar captured a mighty big tarpon in his “Tarpon Tales” photo. Tarpon fishing in Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina’s Grand Strand is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Keeping our water clean and healthy supports healthy fish populations, fun recreation and a healthy economy.

Fishable Waters for the Kids!

Fishing is great fun for kids, and we need to “hook ‘em” young so that they learn to love the waters and protect them for generations to come!

“K fishing” shows the West Branch of Perkiomen Creek in southeast PA — the first place this handsome man ever fished! It’s certainly not fit for boating at this point, but there’s no question that it’s an important water worth protecting, just like the even smaller streams that feed it and the nearby wetlands that keep pollution from getting into it.

And, from “Swamp Doc”…you gotta love it: Little Hank immersed in the fishing experience from head to toe!

So, Happy 40^th Birthday, Clean Water Act! Here’s to 40 more years of clean water and great fish tales!

Brown Trout. Flickr photo by Tony Warelius

Among other things, like the sublime experience of nature’s solitude and the ability to slow down and collect my thoughts miles away from the frenetic pace of daily life, I realized there was something else that was escaping my awareness during my fishing experience. It was perhaps the most important ingredient that makes my passionate hobby all possible and I was constantly looking at it but never really seeing it-clean water and healthy aquatic habitats. Sure, I could read water and determine the most likely places where the fish would be, but mostly I was looking through the water and past it, as if it was somehow separate from the fish it supported. And, ironically, at that point I had already spent a significant amount of time in a professional career advocating for national policy changes that would clean up this country’s threatened water resources. So it took some time to appreciate much larger considerations about the sport of fishing, its important connection to the world of public policy in which I was deeply and personally immersed, and the most important pillar upon which all aquatic species rely: the Clean Water Act.

Clean Water Act Successes

So as we celebrate the 40^th anniversary of this historic federal environmental law this week, I’m thankful it didn’t take me until my golden years to connect all the dots. Since its enactment in 1972, the Clean Water Act has resuscitated thousands of waterways across the country; in many cases bringing them back from their deathbeds. Prior to 1972, many of our rivers and streams were little more than open sewers, receptacles for untreated chemical and biological pollutants that suffocated and defiled them to such a degree that they held little to no life.

The beautiful Snake River in Wyoming. Flickr photo by Bala Sivakumar

The speed at which the Act aided in the recovery of the nation’s waterways was breathtaking. You’d have to look long and hard to find another national law that triggered these types of sweeping changes in such a short period of time. For the first time in the country’s history, strict limits were placed on the direct discharge of pollutants from factories and sewage plants into our waterways. As importantly, the Act created mechanisms to control the destructive impacts of explosive and poorly planned land development that destroyed wetlands and streams and sent massive loads of sediment and nutrient pollution into waterways choking out critical fish spawning habitat, depleting oxygen content to lethal levels for many aquatic species, and threatening the nation’s public drinking water supplies. Beyond that, the Act was also truly visionary.

Before it was fully understood in public policy circles and among many in the scientific community that addressing pollution concerns in rivers and streams required a comprehensive and holistic approach, the Act provided opportunities to control all sources of pollution at a watershed level. This is an experiment that is now unfolding in the Chesapeake Bay and possibly the only approach that will save one of this country’s most treasured great waters.  Decades of implementation of the Act’s key provisions has lead to new and innovative approaches and smarter thinking about ways to address water pollution and has spurred a national discourse about the economic benefits of clean water.

Study after study now reveals what most of us intuitively knew for many years, clean water plays a vital role in economic health, a lesson that could not be timelier in these days of dire fiscal challenges.  For these reasons the Clean Water Act, forty years later, continues to be a shining example of brilliant public policy that protects people, communities, wildlife, and the economy. And when I find fish these days, I’m thinking about a lot more than just catching them.

If you care about clean water and would like future generations to have fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters, take action and help restore clean water today! Also, please participate in our social media actions TODAY.

My Dad and I were fishing the Nottoway River in Virginia a few years ago, a river I grew up on and now protect as a Riverkeeper. We had fished all morning and caught a few fish, but were about one fish short of having enough for the whole family. We could not fish any longer as my Dad and I both had obligations that afternoon.

Disappointed, we were not going to have enough fish to eat later that night, I said: “Well, we came close to getting enough to eat, but I guess we’ll have to let these go barring a miracle from above.”

An osprey clutches its prey. Flickr photo by Bill Weaver.

Just as I was reaching into the live well to grab the first fish to throw back, there was a large splash beside the boat only four feet away. My dad, startled, said “WOW, what was that?!” I looked and there was a nice eating-size largemouth bass floating beside us. We then heard this big SWOOSH SWOOSH sound and looked up to see an osprey (which you don’t see often on my rivers) gaining altitude straight over our heads. I looked at my dad in disbelief and said, “That osprey just nearly dropped that fish right in the boat.” We dipped up the fish and it was still fresh and in one piece; it was the perfect fish to fill out our catch so we could feed the family.

“Well,” my Dad said, “there is your miracle from above.”

I now have a tattoo on my arm (my only tattoo) of an osprey, and the local Nottoway Indians call me Fish Hawk and say that the Great Spirit blessed us with that fish that day for looking after the river that bears their name, the River we call Nottoway.

Help Protect Clean Water!

Join hunters, anglers, and conservationists in celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act! Speak out for clean water on Facebook and Twitter, and take action now to restore Clean Water Act protections for wetlands, lakes, and streams!

Jeff Turner was born and raised in the Southampton County area and has lived there all his life. Turner has camped and fished on the Blackwater & Nottoway Rivers all his life. Jeff works with state and local agencies to protect and enhance the watershed and is often sought out by these agencies for his intimate knowledge of the rivers. He currently sits on the Virginia Mercury Advisory Board, The Chowan Basin Flood Study Committee, the Albemarle Pamlico National Estuary Program (APNEP) CAC committee and the International Paper CAC committee. In 2008 Jeff he won national recognition by winning runner-up in the Volvo Hometown Hero’s Volvo For Life Award winning $25,000 for the Blackwater Nottoway Riverkeeper Program.

The Clean Water Act protects bodies of water across the country, like those in our National Parks. Yellowstone National Park photo by Flickr user Jeff Gunn.

This Thursday, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. This landmark act has ensured, and will continue to ensure, that America’s waters are fishable, swimmable, and drinkable. Since its inception, the Clean Water Act has logged numerous successes: it has prevented pollution by providing assistance to publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands.

**Help us celebrate this milestone and tell everyone how important clean water is to you!**

Facebook: This week change you profile picture to the image below and share it with your friends. Remind people that October, 18th we celebrate four decades of the Clean Water Act and the historic results this keystone legislation has achieved: healthier water to drink; cleaner streams, rivers and lakes in which to swim, fish and play; and dramatically lower rates of natural wetland loss.

Twitter: Tweet a message showing your support for clean water. Feel free to use some of the samples we have provided below or create your own.

* When tweeting be sure to use #CleanWaterAct.

Sample Tweets:

• For 40 years the #CleanWaterAct has protected America’s waters and ensured that they are fishable, drinkable, and swimmable. Thank you!
• 79% of Sportsmen favor restoring Clean Water Act protections http://bit.ly/Sj5ez9 #CleanWaterAct
• For 40 years, @EPAgov has worked to restore #CleanWater and protect the #CleanWaterAct. Let’s keep it that way.
• The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most extraordinary places in America. Let’s  protect the #CleanWaterAct
• The #CleanWaterAct, has doubled the water safe for swimming & fishing. Let’s keep working to #ProtectCleanWater
• 73% of Republicans favor restoring Clean Water Act protections to wetlands and waterways. http://bit.ly/Sj5ez9 #CleanWater
• Sportsmen – regardless of political party – favor restoring Clean Water Act protections to wetlands and waterways http://bit.ly/Sj5ez9
• The Great Lakes are the largest system of surface freshwater on earth, they deserve adequate protection. Protect the #CleanWaterAct
• The #CleanWaterAct is under assault from the biggest polluters around. @WhiteHouse, we’re with you to #ProtectCleanWater
• 117 million Americans whose drinking water is at risk count on @WhiteHouse @USACE_HQ and @EPAgov  to continue to protect the #CleanWaterAct

Hashtags:

• Always use #CleanWaterAct in your tweets. 
• Whenever possible make sure @MittRomney, @BarackObama or @WhiteHouse are included in your tweets.  Where appropriate use @EPAgov, @LisaPJackson, or @USACE_HQ (many local Army Corps Districts have their own Twitter handles)
• Other hash tags to consider using, in addition to #CleanWaterAct (space permitting): #ProtectCleanWater, #DrinkingWater, #CleanWater
• Please tweet this at least once: “For 40 years the #CleanWaterAct has protected America’s waters and ensured that they are fishable, drinkable, and swimmable. Thank you!“

*Follow us (@NWFCleanH2O) and other organizations working to protect America’s waters!*

If you care about clean water and would like future generations to have fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters, take action and help restore clean water today!

Fly fishing on Catawaba. Photo by Tony Robinson.

I’m never happier than when my waders are wet. Short of the smiles on my grand children’s faces there is nothing in the world that lights me up like the iridescent color of a brook trout brought to hand in a North Carolina mountain stream, the shimmer of water that cascades from a largemouth bass blowing up on a popping bug or a group of pintails descending on a spread of decoys.

Good Fishing and Clean Water Go Hand in Hand

These are the moments in life I live for. Over a period of half a century I have spent more time and money than I care to admit trying to make the places these animals live better for them and for sportsmen and wildlife enthusiasts who care about them. Working on wildlife issues has been a terrific journey that taught me that what is good for wildlife habitats is good for people and the American economy. The last half century has been good for wildlife and water quality. With pictures of rivers burning on TV, Congress took action and in a show of bipartisan support passed The Clean Water Act of 1972. Since that time water quality has dramatically improved in America and fishery and wildlife habitat followed suit.

Unfortunately, after driving clean water initiatives for forty years the Clean Water Act is under attack by polluters, developers and decision makers who are in their pocket. Over the last few years there has been an organized effort in Washington D.C. and in the courts to roll back clean water protections. These efforts are aimed at headwater streams and wetlands.

Bass fishing on Phelps Lake—one of the only three or four natural lakes in the state.

Sportsmen and women of North Carolina and nationwide support the Administration’s initiative to restore Clean Water Act protections for these vulnerable waters, and we urge the President to follow through and finalize this initiative. In this terribly fractious election year, it is worth noting that poll after poll shows that a strong majority of Americans support strong federal Clean Water Act protections in order to ensure clean water for all. In the September national sportsmens’ poll, 79 percent of likely voters of all political affiliations said that they favor restoring Clean Water Act protections to wetlands and waterways, including smaller creeks and streams.

Celebrate Clean Water: Share Your Fish Tales

The Clean Water Act turns 40 this October. Let’s celebrate clean water and good fishing by reminding our elected leaders that anglers, boaters, hunters, and wildlife advocates support clean water and healthy habitat for wildlife, for people, and for the economy.

*For a bit of fishing fun, join me in celebrating clean water by sharing your fish tale with us on-line*

G. Richard Mode serves as the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) Affiliate Representative to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and NWF Outreach Coordinator in North Carolina. He was the founding President of the local Table Rock Chapter for Trout Unlimited (TU) and served as the President and Chairman of the Board of National TU. Among his achievements he was honored as the 2007 Budweiser/National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Conservationist of the Year. For years, Richard’s goal has been to bring American hunters, anglers, and wildlife enthusiasts to the public policy decision table to protect the special places and wildlife resources in America.

Kayakers, SUPers and boaters join together for a Clean Water Act celebration on the Potomac River. NWF Photo by Jan Goldman-Carter.

Mike Bolinder, Anacostia Riverkeeper, speaks at the recent Clean Water Act rally on the Potomac River. NWF Photo by Jan Goldman-Carter.

Fast forward to 2012 and a beautiful September Saturday when ECC joined the National Wildlife Federation, Anacostia and Potomac Riverkeepers, and Water Keeper Alliance nationwide in honoring the 40^th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act–and recommitting ourselves to clean rivers and clean water for all—here along the Anacostia and nationwide.

Since Congress passed the Clean Water Act in October 1972, we have made incredible progress in cleaning up our rivers and streams. The Potomac River is our source for drinking water and many people are using the Anacostia and Potomac rivers to canoe, kayak and fish.

But we have much more work to do to restore the streams and wetlands that flow through the District of Columbia and on to the Chesapeake Bay.  Please join the Earth Conservation Corps, the National Wildlife Federation, and our local, regional, and national clean water partners in celebrating the 40^th birthday of the Clean Water Act and standing up for a strong Clean Water Act, and fishable swimmable waters for all.

Kellie Bolinder is Executive Director of Earth Conservation Corps. She has been working with the organization for over nine years. Earth Conservation Corps became the DC affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation in 2008, joining the network of 48 state and territorial affiliates across the country.

Climate Threat to America’s Future Can’t be Laughed Off

September 7 – Last night, President Obama delivered his nomination acceptance speech, saying he will “continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet because climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They’re a threat to our children’s future.”

Jeremy Symons, senior vice president for conservation and education of the National Wildlife Federation, issued this reaction:

“All candidates for office at every level of government should have a plan of action to tackle the vital conservation issues facing America, particularly climate change.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Signed Today

September 7 - At today’s signing of the revised Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in Washington, D.C., representatives from Great Lakes United and the National Wildlife Federation applauded the completion of the Agreement but cautioned the U.S. and Canadian governments that the hard work of implementing the Agreement is just beginning.

“If fully implemented, the agreement will benefit millions of people by restoring the health of the largest fresh water resource in the world,” said Andy Buchsbaum, director of the Great Lakes office of the National Wildlife Federation.

National Wildlife Federation to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

September 6 – The National Wildlife Federation is celebrating the upcoming 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act (on October 18) by launching its first “Fish Tale” event.  Anglers and fishing families are invited to share their fish photos and stories to highlight the importance of clean water.  Throughout September and early October, NWF will post guest blogs and many of these pictures and stories, underscoring the importance of clean water to good fishing through a dedicated flickr site. These messages will be shared with decision makers.

“The National Wildlife Federation played a key role in the intial passage of the Clean Water Act,” said Land Tawney, National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for sportsman leadership. “Today we continue mobilizing our members and affiliates to support and defend this bedrock conservation law. I could not be more proud of our efforts and countless other hunters and anglers from across the country that has made clean water a priority.”

NWF Says New Keystone XL Map Revisits Old Problems

September 5 – Today, TransCanada, the energy giant proposing to build the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline issued a new route map.

Joe Mendelson, National Wildlife Federation climate and energy policy director said,

“The reason TransCanada needs to keep rerouting the Keystone XL map is because it’s just a bad idea. Each new map amounts to a catalog of which property owners will suffer, and what habitat will be placed at risk.  The best approach is to ditch Keystone XL entirely and embrace clean energy solutions that don’t spill or explode.”

Montanans Voice Overwhelming Support for Restoring Bison

September 5 – As wildlife managers continue work on a statewide bison-management plan, a new survey underscores overwhelming public support for restoring a herd of wild, wide-ranging bison on public land in Montana. Additionally, Montana voters specifically support restoration to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in central Montana.

Sixty-eight percent of Montanans support restoration of wild bison on federal or state land, while just 26 percent are opposed, according to the survey commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation and Wildlife Conservation Society.

MRGO Must Go Coalition: Restore the Coast as Congress Mandated

September 5 – A coalition of community leaders, policy experts and coastal scientists released joint comments today on the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Report.  The report, which is being release four years beyond Congressional deadline, contains the Army Corps’ plan to restore a portion of more than 600,000 acres of coastal wetlands and waterways impacted by the MRGO shipping channel. The MRGO has been directly linked to intensifying the destruction of Hurricane Katrina by destroying the wetlands that once buffered the greater New Orleans area from storm surge.  The public comment period, ending September 6, is the last chance to comment on the Army Corps plan.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• KXLF: New poll shows support for re-introduction of MT bison
• Associated Press: TransCanada proposes new Neb. route for oil pipeline that company says avoids sensitive areas
• The Hill: New Keystone route proposed, but green groups unswayed
• UPI: TransCanada submits new Keystone XL pipeline route to Nebraska authorities
• The Atlantic: The False Promise of Back-to-School Commercials (OpEd)
• The Orange Leader: Report: Summer’s Signs of Things to Come
• The Canadian Wire: TransCanada submits new Keystone XL pipeline route to Nebraska authorities

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

In times of economic hardship, politicians who prioritize special interests over environmental protections are quick to overstate costs while understating the savings and numerous benefits associated with clean water and clean air. This longstanding and troubling misinformation campaign, often articulated through political sound bites and bumper sticker slogans, has been on the rise since the economic downturn in 2008 and the emergence of the Tea Party in 2009.  In the 112th Congress, a common theme often heard in the hallways on Capitol Hill references how “job-killing regulations” and “regulatory overreach” are stifling economic growth. However, these claims are rarely substantiated with empirical evidence. In most cases official estimates recognize immense savings rather than significant costs.

Clean Water Supports Jobs

Congressman Bishop joins Peter Scully, Regional Director for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens’ Campaign for the Environment, to call on the EPA to swiftly approve a “No Discharge Zone” (NDZ) designation for all New York waters in Long Island Sound.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, approximately 90.1 million U.S. residents fished, hunted, or watched wildlife in 2011. They spent over $145 billion pursuing their recreational activities, contributing millions of jobs in industries and businesses that support wildlife-related recreation.

The warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico host productive fisheries for a wide variety of shellfish and finfish. In many instances juvenile fish rely on coastal waters and habitat for survival, and new generations of fish are necessary to replenish the vibrant commercial fishing industry in coastal waters, including the waters off my district in Eastern Long Island. According to the most recent report issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2009 the US Seafood industry supported approximately 1 million full- and part-time jobs and generated $116 billion in sales impacts, $32 billion in income impacts and $48 billion in value added impacts.

Take my district for example – on Long Island the local economy is dependent on the environment.  Many of my constituents rely on clean water to earn a living, either through fishing, agriculture or the businesses who serve summer visitors attracted by Long Island’s world class beaches.

More Attacks on the Clean Water Act

Congressman Bishop joins (l-r) Brookhaven Town Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld, EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck, and NY State Assemblyman Steve Englebright.

The drumbeat of unwarranted elimination of Clean Water Act protections continues, even as the Clean Water Act celebrates its 40th Anniversary this October.  Over the past year-and-a-half, we have voted on dozens of measures to roll back or eliminate clean air and clean water protections that provide real economic benefits, real health benefits and allow for local participation in federal projects. Meanwhile, bipartisan efforts to address our most pressing environmental issues, like making long-overdue investments in our nation’s aging wastewater infrastructure, have not even been granted committee consideration.

Congress Should Protect Clean Water to Protect Our Economy and Our Future

Is there a pro-pollution agenda in the House of Representatives?  I wouldn’t put it in those terms.  I don’t think anyone is “pro-pollution.” But there is an unfortunate disconnect for many members of Congress regarding how best to create jobs in America.  Rolling back protections on clean air and clean water is not the solution, despite what the special interests may be whispering in your ear. In fact, investing in clean water and clean air creates jobs, improves the economy, lowers health care costs and preserves a greener tomorrow for our children and grandchildren.

Congressman Timothy Bishop (NY-D-1)

As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Bishop has worked to protect the Long Island Sound and other waterways, as well as to bring back federal funding to improve our infrastructure and put Long Islanders to work. He has been a champion of the Long Island Sound, defeating a plan to dump contaminated dredge spoil as well as leading the opposition against a plan to industrialize the Sound and promoting legislation to protect Long Island’s shoreline and beaches.