What Are County Runoff Relief Points?

County Mitigation Points are part of EPA’s mitigation framework designed to reduce pesticide runoff into waterways, especially in areas that are ecologically sensitive or have higher exposure risks. These points help determine whether additional mitigation steps are required when applying certain pesticides in specific counties.

They are not product-specific rules by themselves—they are county-level points that combine with the product’s label or bulletins mitigation requirements.

Why Do These Points Matter?

If a pesticide label requires runoff mitigation points, you must match or exceed that requirement using mitigation practices listed in the EPA mitigation menu—such as vegetative buffers, soil management practices, or erosion-control measures.

Based on the county you are applying in you are given 0-6 points depending on the runoff vulnerability.

• Higher county points → runoff less likely
• Lower county points → runoff more likely, requiring additional mitigations

This system gives applicators multiple flexible paths to remain compliant while reducing environmental risk.

Where Do These Points Come From?

The EPA assigns these values based on a combination of factors:

• Watershed vulnerability
• Soil erodibility
• Slope and terrain
• Local hydrology
• Ecological sensitivity

Source: EPA

This map shows the runoff vulnerability across all U.S. counties, color-coded from Very Low (dark orange) to High (dark teal). Counties with higher vulnerability require more mitigation points, while those with lower vulnerability may need fewer or no additional mitigation measures.

You can read the official EPA description here:
https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/mitigation-menu-measure-descriptions#pesticide-runoff

State-by-State County Maps

To make this easier for applicators and compliance managers, we have created a clickable map for every state showing the EPA-assigned runoff mitigation points.

👉 Visit our County Mitigation Maps Page to view your state:
County Relief Maps

Each state map clearly displays:

• County boundaries
• Assigned runoff mitigation points
• Color-coded sensitivity levels

How These Points Are Used in PULA Checks

When you run a field boundary through our PULA Check API, we automatically:

1. Identify which county the field intersects
2. Retrieve the correct county mitigation score
3. Compare it to the label’s required runoff mitigation points
4. Return the required mitigation actions (if any)

This removes guesswork and reduces compliance risk for retailers, agronomists, and applicators.

Summary

County Mitigation Points are a key piece of the EPA’s plan for reducing pesticide runoff impacts. They help determine when and how mitigation actions must be implemented—and using our state-level maps and API automation makes the entire process dramatically easier.

If you work in pesticide application, agronomy, or regulatory compliance, knowing your county’s point value is essential.