According to Ken Kirk, executive director of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), which is part of the coalition, the purpose of the letter was to encourage reductions in nutrient runoff from farmlands into the nation’s lakes, rivers and estuaries.

The letter addressed the relationship between water quality and agricultural practices and policies, and how the development of Farm Bill during the 112th Congress can help reduce the impact on water quality through conservation practices of farms and ranchers.

In addition to the NACWA, the coalition includes organizations such as the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, American Water Works Assn., Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, Water Environment Federation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Sierra Club, Northeast Midwest Institute, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Working Group, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the National Audubon Society, among others. More than 140 groups signed the letter to Congress.