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As progress has been made in recent years in identifying and controlling point sources of water pollution in the United States, more emphasis has been placed on controlling nonpoint sources of water pollution, including agricultural sources. Section 319 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 (CZARA) provide federal guidance and assistance in the development and implementation of state and local nonpoint pollution control programs. Agricultural producers have concerns that requirements emanating from these programs may be prohibitively expensive and ultimately ineffective in controlling agriculture's contribution to water pollution. Environmental interests are concerned that proposed requirements will not be sufficient to reduce pollution emissions and will lack effective enforcement provisions. Agricultural economists have the opportunity to contribute to the ensuing policy debate by providing insight as to the costs and benefits of effective implementation of alternative nonpoint pollution control strategies in agriculture.

To better understand the implementation of federal and state nonpoint source policies in southern agriculture, the Southern Regional Information Exchange Group (SRIEG-10) for Natural Resource Economics held a workshop in Atlanta, Georgia on May 21, 1998. The morning program addressed the federal perspective on policy implementation and future research needs. Presentations on the current status and future direction of nonpoint source programs under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) included discussions of funding, research needs, and the role of agricultural economists. The afternoon program focused on three regional and state issues - the hypoxia problem in the Gulf of Mexico, nutrient and animal waste problems in the Neuse River of North Carolina, and development of state water quality policy in Florida. This publication is a compilation of the formal papers resulting from presentations at the workshop.