in this case, the bypassing of waste treatment facili-
ties led to raw sewage being dumped into streams.
Some cities acknowledged the problem but did not
have the money to construct larger treatment facili-
ties to deal with the issue.
One form of nonpoint pollution did begin to be
addressed during the 1980’s. Several states and local
governments required that construction sites con-
trol runoff from the sites. This simple measure re-
duced the flow of dirt, organics, and chemicals into
water courses.
Underground Water Initial efforts at dealing with
water pollution had focused on surface water, but ef-
forts would also focus on underground water. Un-
derground aquifers provide sources of water for
drinking, irrigation, and industrial use in many parts
of the country.
Tests of the wells of individuals and some cities be-
gan to reveal that pollution was also a problem for
this water source. Chemicals from underground gas-
oline storage tanks, hazardous waste sites, or even
municipal landfills was found to migrate gradually
through the soil at the site into nearby wells and
aquifers.
Awareness of this problem dated to the 1970’s,
but it became an increasing concern in some re-
gions during the 1980’s that was coupled, in some
cases, to fears about overuse of aquifers. The misuse
and overuse of aquifers reduced water supplies that
were not replaceable, leading to worries about the
sustainability of water supplies in areas such as the
Great Plains.
Impact The United States continued to make some
improvements in achieving cleaner water during
the 1980’s. A lax regulatory climate as well as in-
creasingly costly methods for securing improvement
slowed the progress in managing water pollution.
People became more aware of the impact of non-
point water pollution during the decade, although
little was done to deal with the issue. In addition, lit-
tle monitoring of water quality was done, so it was
difficult to measure progress accurately. Water pol-
lution remained an often ignored issue at the end of
the decade.
Further Reading
Freedman, Barry D.Regulation in the Reagan-
Bush Era: The Eruption of Presidential Influence.
Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1995.
An analysis of the Reagan-Bush environmental
record.
Peirce, J. Jeffrey, Ruth F. Weiner, and P. Aarne
Vesilind.Environmental Pollution and Control. 4th
ed. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998. Sev-
eral chapters deal with the nature and treatment
of water pollution.
Rogers, Peter.America’s Water: Federal Role and Respon-
sibilities. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1999. A
good analysis of the role of the federal govern-
ment in ensuring water quality.
Rosenbaum, Walter A.Environmental Politics and Pol-
icy. 7th ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2008. Pro-
vides a broad political context for an analysis of
water pollution issues.
John M. TheilmannSee also Air pollution; Environmental movement;
Reagan, Ronald; Watt, James G.Watson, Tom
Identification American professional golfer
Born September 4, 1949; Kansas City, Missouri
Watson was the best golf professional in the world from
1980 to 1983, winning five major championships.
Tom Watson is recognized by golf historians as one
of the great champions of the modern era, having
won eight of golf’s major championships from 1975
to 1982. From 1980 through 1983, he won five major
championships, including the British Open (1980,
1982, and 1983), the Masters (1981), and the United
States Open (1982). Watson’s victory in the 1982
United States Open at Pebble Beach is symbolic of
his golf legacy. He battled champion Jack Nicklaus
throughout the final round and made an unex-
pected birdie, holing a chip shot from heavy rough
just off the seventeenth green. He also defeated
Nicklaus in one-on-one competition at the 1977 Brit-
ish Open and the 1977 Masters. Therefore, Watson
became recognized both for his eight major champi-
onships and as the man who beat Jack Nicklaus more
dramatically than anyone else.
The year 1980 was notable for Watson, because he
became the professional tour’s first player to win
over one-half million dollars in one season, winning
seven total tournaments. At the 1980 British Open,
he finished four shots ahead of his nearest competi-1032 Watson, Tom The Eighties in America