Before the 1960s, environmentalism focused on the preservation of natural areas and the conservation of resources. The "New Environmentalism" movement was a revival of the 1890s club called the Sierra Club.(1) Its membership continued to triple after the publication of Silent Spring in 1962. This was a publication written by Rachel Carson to alert the American public about the risks of using DDT (an insecticide used by farmers and homeowners).(1) Information about its harmful effects on people, animals and the environment has led to a national awareness movement, opinion public called on the federal government to take on more responsibility. The government soon responded by creating several laws to regulate environmental pollution and protect natural resources. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, and the Upper Mississippi River Management Act of 1986 were all acts founded because of the movement. This period also gave birth to the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts and the first Earth Day.(1) The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States that regulates water pollution. Their goals are to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters, eliminate the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985, and make all waters swimmable and fishable. The CWA is one of the most important laws protecting the quality of the Mississippi River. (1) In Arkansas, the movement has caused controversy over the construction of water dams and their destruction of natural habitats. The flood of 1927 made clear the need to take preventative measures to redirect excess water flow. As a result, the Arkansas River Project was conceived ... middle of paper ... all the laws emerged to regulate environmental pollution and protect natural resources. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, and the Upper Mississippi River Management Act of 1986.(1) The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States that regulates water pollution. Their goals are to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters, eliminate the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985, and make all waters swimmable and fishable. The CWA is one of the most important laws protecting the quality of the Mississippi River.(1)Work Cited(1)"EPA." Laws and regulations. Np, nd Web. December 11, 2013.(2)Johnson, Ben F. Arkansas in Modern America, 1930-1999. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas, 2000. Print.