It is also interesting to note that these studies took a broad, regional approach to water quality problems and acknowledged the role of not just industrial sources, but nonpoint sources as well. In this respect, the work was particularly far-sighted. Unfortunately, the institutions necessary to implement regional approaches did not exist at that time. 13 Current water quality regulation, as exemplified by the TMDL program, is returning to watershed-level, multi-source analysis of water quality impairments. In the intervening years, however, water quality regulation took a more intermediate set of steps, focusing on direct quantity restrictions imposed on.
