Phosphorus in runoff from agricultural land is an important component of nonpoint-source pollution and can accelerate eutrophication of lakes and streams. Long-term land application of P as fertilizer and animal wastes has resulted in elevated levels of soil P in many locations in the USA. Problems with soils high in P are often aggravated by the proximity of many of these areas to P-sensitive water bodies, such as the Great Lakes, Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, Lake Okeechobee, and the Everglades. This paper provides a brief overview of the issues and options related to management of agricultural P that were discussed at a special symposium titled, “Agricultural Phosphorus and Eutrophication,” held at the November 1996 American Society of Agronomy annual meetings. Topics discussed at the symposium and reviewed here included the role of P in eutrophication; identification of P-sensitive water bodies; P transport mechanisms; chemical forms and fate of P; identification of P source areas; modeling of P transport; water quality criteria; and management of soil and manure P, off-farm P inputs, and P transport processes.