Action Plan 20
,or Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia
in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Improving
Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin
'Mississippi River
Gulf of Mexico
Watershed Nutrient
Task Force
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ypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Sediment loads from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers empty into the Gulf of Mex
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Contents
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia 2
Framework for Action 8
Principles 8
Goals 9
Critical Needs 10
Progress and Reassessment 2001-2007 14
Trends in the Size of the Hypoxic Zone 14
Trends in Nitrogen and Phosphorus in the Basin 15
Progress on Actions in the 2007 Action Plan 17
Updating the Science 20
Conclusions from the Reassessment 21
Next Steps: Getting Results 28
Actions to Accelerate the Reduction of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 29
Actions to Advance the Science, Track Progress and Raise Awareness 42
Appendix eo
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Moving Forward
More than thirty years after the passage
of the Clean Water Act, a large area
of low oxygen or hypoxia, absent of most
marine life and threatening to inexorably
change the biology of the region, continues
to form in the Gulf of Mexico during periods
in the summer off the coasts of Louisiana
and Texas. The hypoxia is primarily caused
by excess nutrientsoriginating from the
great productivity of Middle American cities,
farms, and industrieswhich cause extensive
growths of algae that deplete the oxygen in
the water when they die, sink to the bottom,
and decompose. The condition is exacerbated
by the stratification of the water column
the result of warmer, low salinity surface
waters that isolate the organic-rich bottom
waters from the surface and prevent oxygen
exchange with the atmospherewhich
occurs where the Mississippi River meets the
Gulf of Mexico.
The watershed of the Mississippi River drains
41 percent of the contiguous United States
and includes waters from several major river
systems, including the Missouri/Platte River
Basin, the Ohio/Tennessee River Basin, and the
Arkansas/Red/White River Basin. The Mississippi
River Basin includes two functionally distinct
zones, each with its own potential to contribute
to the reduction of Gulf hypoxia. These zones
include the huge Mississippi watershed with
its tributary network, and at the lower end of
the river system, the deltaic zone that formerly
dispersed river water naturally throughout
Southeast Louisiana via a distributary (deltaic)
network. While the tributaries of the Mississippi
River are the sources of nutrient loading to
the river trunk, the distributaries within the
Mississippi Delta are critical to the final dispersal
of nutrients and sediments into the Gulf of
Mexico and the salinity of the estuaries and
coastal waters.
The distributary zone includes the entire area
influenced by river flow south of the Old River
Control Structures, where the Atchafalaya River
diverges from the lower Mississippi River and
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
on Gulf Hypoxia
the Red River merges with the Atchafalaya
(Figure 1). During the past two centuries
the hydrology of the distributary zone was
totally modified by the construction of flood
levees and closing of key distributaries for
flood control and navigation enhancement
programs. These structures isolated the river
from its delta, causing an ongoing catastrophic
collapse in the deltaic landscape, primarily
wetlands. The hydrologic changes that have
caused such damage to South Louisiana
also exacerbate Gulf hypoxia by jetting most
nutrient-rich river water and sediments directly
into the Gulf of Mexico, bypassing the deltaic
wetlands that require the nutrients and
sediments.
States and Tribes within the entire Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin and Federal agencies
are working together to take action to reduce
the size of the hypoxic zone, while protecting
and restoring the human and natural resources
of the Mississippi River Basin. In January 2001,
the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Figure 1. Deltaic plain of Louisiana showing
land built, maintained, and nourished over
thousands of years by many distributary
channels of the Mississippi River, including the
two that are currently active.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Nutrient Task Force issued the Action Plan for
Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia
in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The plan was
submitted in accordance with the Harmful
Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research Control
Act of 1998. The plan stimulated a great deal
of collaboration in understanding science and
planning; however, much work remains to be
done to implement it.
The Task Force has updated the initial plan
through a multiple-step reassessment. This
2008 Action Plan reflects the Task Force's efforts
to track progress, update the science, and
adapt actions to improve the effectiveness of
the efforts throughout the Basin. Building on
the 2007 Action Plan, this plan lays out specific
steps that need to be accomplished to reach
the goals. It also reiterates the long term goals
and continues the Task Force's commitment
to an adaptive management approach
to reduce the size and impact of the Gulf
hypoxic zone and improve water quality in the
Basin. This adaptive management approach
involves continual feedback between the
interpretation of new information and
improved management actions and is the key
to targeting actions within watersheds where
they will be most effective.
Six major policy themes provided direction
for the reassessment. These themes address
needed improvements to the 2007 Action Plan
within the adaptive management framework
and include:
1. Acknowledge the social, political and
economic changes and links to emerging
issues and policies. The vast drainage basin
of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin and
the adaptive management framework of the
Action Plan require that the Task Force analyze
the broad landscape and policy changes that
impact the hypoxic zone and water quality in
the Basin. These trends may include wetland
trends in both the upper and lower basin,
channelization of the Mississippi River and
how it affects the hydrology of the Mississippi
and Atchafalaya deltas, and the role of energy
and agriculture markets on land use in the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin.
2. Ensure greater specificity and
accountability and tie to funding
strategies. The Task Force must identify the
appropriate actions and engage State, Tribal,
and Federal agencies and stakeholders to
identify the appropriate funding strategies that
will be the most effective in ensuring timely
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
implementation to achieve measurable and
effective results.
3. Track program and environmental
progress. The Task Force needs to improve
communication, better understand the
results of its efforts, and improve tracking and
integration of results into improved design
and targeting of adaptive strategies in future
reassessments.
4. Adapt to new scientific findings.
The Task Force has been active in soliciting
and evaluating the latest scientific findings
through a series of symposia on relevant topics
and advice from a panel of experts under
the United States Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board.
5. Maximize opportunities for stakeholder
involvement. Given the cooperative and
voluntary nature of the Action Plan, the
Task Force must engage a wide range of
stakeholders and facilitate broad acceptance of
the plan in order to maximize opportunities for
stakeholders to pursue the identified actions.
6. Reexamine roles and responsibilities
of Task Force partners. A reassessment
of the roles and responsibilities assigned to
the Federal agencies, the States, Tribes, and
the Sub-Basin Committees in achieving the
goals of the Action Plan will improve future
implementation and action.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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itents
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia 2
jjjjiM Framework for Action 8
:^r Principles 8
Goals 9
Critical Needs 10
Progress and Reassessment 2001-2007 14
ie Size of tr >oxic Zone 14
Trends in e Basin 15
Progress on Actions in the 2007 Action Plan 17
idating the Science 20
le Reassessment 21
Next Steps: Getting Results
^M ^M ^^ ^M ^M ^^ ^M ^M ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
Actions to Accelerate the Reduction of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 29
Actions to Advance the Science, Track Progress and Raise Awareness 42
Appendix
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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8
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Framework for Action
Principles
Throughout the process of the reassessment,
the Task Force has reaffirmed these six
overarching principles as guidance to reach
the three major goals of this plan:
Encourage actions that are voluntary,
incentive-based, practical, and cost-effective;
Utilize existing programs, including existing
state and federal regulatory mechanisms;
Follow adaptive management;
Identify additional funding needs and
sources during the annual agency budget
processes;
Identify opportunities for, and potential
barriers to, innovative and market-based
solutions; and
Provide measurable outcomes as outlined
below in the three goals and eleven actions.
Bear Creek in Story County, Iowa is a United States Department of Agriculture National Demonstration Area for conservation buffers.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
The Task Force has revised and reaffirmed the three goals that conform to these principles and will
provide the overall measure of the results of the plan:
i
-" Subject to the availability of additional resources, we strive to reduce or [
make significant progress toward reducing the five-year running average areal extent of J
the Gulf of Mexico hypoxiczone to less than 5,000 square kilometers by the year 2015 '
through implementation of specific, practical, and cost-effective voluntary actions by all i
Federal agencies, States, and Tribes, and address all categories of sources and removals [
within the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin to reduce the annual discharge of nitrogen J
and phosphorus into the Gulf* '
i
To restore and protect the waters of the 31 States and Tribal lands
within the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin through implementation of nutrient and
sediment reduction actions to protect public health and aquatic life as well as reduce
negative impacts of water pollution on the Gulf of Mexico.
To improve the communities and economic conditions across the J
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin, in particular the agriculture, fisheries and recreation '
sectors, through improved public and private land management and a cooperative,
incentive-based approach. I
i
The Task Force understands the difficulty of meeting the 2015 goal so is therefore including a revision that takes into account the uncertainty J
of the task but attempts to maintain momentum and progress achieved to date. As such, at this time, the Task Force accepts the advice i
of EPA's Science Advisory Board on this topic.. .The 5,000 krrf target remains a reasonable endpoint for continued use in an adaptive J
management context; however, it may no longer be possible to achieve this goal by 2015... it is even more important to proceed in a directionally i
correct fashion to manage factors affecting hypoxia than to wait for greater precision in setting the goal for the size of the zone. Much can be J
learned by implementing management plans, documenting practices, and measuring their effects with appropriate monitoring programs." i
(EPA Science Advisory Board 2008,2). J
i
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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10
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Much planning and implementation is under
way at the local level, as well as through
federal and state programs, to address
scientific and management concerns and
to put the conservation practices and
management practices and technologies in
place to reduce nutrient loads. Progress is
being made; however, ongoing programs,
rather than new initiatives, are responsible for
most of the progress. Furthermore, progress is
often the result of collateral benefits resulting
from actions States and Federal agencies have
taken independently of the hypoxia Action
Plan to generally improve the state of the
science, restore local water quality, or improve
the efficiency of industrial and agricultural
activities. The Task Force members are
committed to continue, within these existing
programs, current activities that contribute to
meeting the goals of this plan, while increasing
the targeting within this reassessment to fill
gaps that are observed within the existing
programs.
However, while landowners, States and Federal
agencies have undertaken numerous nutrient
reduction activities, these activities have
not resulted in a reduction of the hypoxic
zone. Resources are insufficient to attain
the goals of the Action Plan, and the lack of
resources is the primary barrier to successful
implementation of the plan. Federal, state, and
local governments and non-governmental
organizations all have a role in the reduction
in the size of the hypoxic zone. To achieve
results, significant resources must be provided
and targeted toward implementing the
most effective nutrient reduction actions in
Mississippi River Basin states with the greatest
loadings of nitrogen and phosphorus to the
Gulf. The difference between the results that
might be achieved using existing programs
and resources and the results that would be
realized with additional legislative, regulatory,
or financial support is considerable. These
specific, critical needs are summarized later
in this document and will be defined more
precisely in the Annual Operating Plan that
accompanies this document. The Annual
Operating Plan will also describe the interim
steps, funding needs, and associated timeline
that will guide implementation of the eleven
actions listed in the final section of this Action
Plan.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
11
Water Quality Credit Trading Program
The nutrient trading program administered by the Miami
Conservancy District for the Great Miami River Watershed in
Ohio allows National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) permitted dischargers to purchase credits from best
management practices installed by upstream nonpoint sources
(i.e., agricultural producers) to offset nutrient loadings. While no
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is in place yet, point sources
in the watershed are concerned that upstream nonpoint source
loadings will result in a stringent TMDL in future years. The point
sources are purchasing reductions upstream in order to improve
water quality enough to lessen the stringency of or eliminate
the need for a TMDL. The program also employs trade ratios
to encourage early investing. The trades are administered in a
reverse auction format, where nonpoint sources submit bids for
the amount they will accept in order to implement practices.
Currently, there are 28 projects and more than 112 tons
(244,606 Ibs.) of nutrient reduction is targeted over the terms
of the projects. Funded best management practices include
conservation tillage, conservation crop rotation, conservation
cover, milk house/cow lot treatment, pasture seeding/prescribed
grazing, sod establishment, hayland, manure storage, grid
sampling/variable rate technology, and filter strips.
Bottomland hardwood forests improve water quality by filtering and flushing nutrients and by
reducing sediment before it reaches open water.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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13
itents
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia 2
Framework for Action 8
les 8
Goals 9
Critical Needs 10
Progress and Reassessment 2001-2007 14
Trends in the Size of the Hypoxic Zone 14
Trends in e Basin 15
Progress on Actions in the 2007 Action Plan 17
idating the Science 20
le Reassessment 21
Next Steps: Getting Results 28
Actions to Accelerate the Reduction of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 29
Actions to Advance the Science, Track Progress and Raise Awareness 42
Appendix
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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14
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Progress and Reassessment 2001-2007
Figure 2. Size of Gulf
Hypoxic Zone
GULF OF MEXICO
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SUltam
9i'0'
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
15
Trends in Nitrogen and
Phosphorus in the Basin
With a twenty-year average (1985-2005)
annual stream flow of over 20,000 cubic
meters per second, the Mississippi River carries
large amounts of sediments and nutrients
from its watershed, resulting in large nutrient
loads* delivered to the Gulf of Mexico at the
river terminus. Nutrient loads vary greatly and
are positively related to streamflow. According
to the United States Geological Survey (USGS),
between 1985 and 2005, nutrient loads ranged
from lows of 810,000 metric tons of nitrogen
and 80,700 metric tons of phosphorus to
highs of 2,210,000 and 180,000 metric tons
of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively
(Figure 3).
It is especially important to understand the
sources of these nutrient loads that flow
into the Gulf of Mexico. Analysis of five-year
averages, from 2001-2005, of nutrient loads
from the various sub-basins indicates that
of the nitrogen load delivered to the Gulf of
Mexico came from the Ohio/Tennessee and
*Load (often called flux) is the amount (mass) of a chemical in a river
that passes a given point over a given period of time. It is calculated
by multiplying the average streamflow (discharge) of the river by the
average concentration of that chemical in the river over that time period.
OJ ,O
en t
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
'inn ruin
A A
180,000
160,000
140,000 -
1985
2005
- Total N
- Total P
Data courtesy USGS
Open-File Report 2007-1080.
Figure3. Nutrient Loads
in the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin
(1985-2005)
73
S 3
=J en
.g o
c Z
o
u S
o
Upper
Mississippi
Lower
Mississippi
Major Mississippi River Sub-basins
Data courtesy USGS Open-File Report 2007-1080.
Figure 4. Nitrogen Loads
to the Gulf by Sub-basin
(2001-2005 average
percentage)
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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16
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Figures. Phosphorus
Loads to the Gulf by
Sub-basin (2001-2005
average percentage)
c
o S
'
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
Figure 6. Mississippi River
Basin Nitrogen Load by
Sub-basin
15%
10%
0%
Upper
Mississippi
Ohio/
Tennessee
Arkansas/
Red
Lower
Mississippi
Major Mississippi River Sub-basins
Data courtesy USGS Open-File Report 2007-1080.
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
Upper
Mississippi
Lower
Mississippi
Major Mississippi River Sub-basins
| Average nitrogen load (2001-2005) Data courtesy USGS
| Long-term average nitrogen load (1981-2005) Open-File Report 2007-1080.
Upper Mississippi River Sub-basins (Figure
4), which contributed 41% and 39% of the
load, respectively. Similar analysis shows that
from 2001-2005, the Ohio/Tennessee and
Upper Mississippi River Sub-basins were the
greatest contributors of phosphorus loads to
the Gulf of Mexico as well, contributing 38%
and 26%, respectively (Figure 5). The Missouri/
Platte, Lower Mississippi, and Arkansas/Red
Sub-basins contributed 20%, 10%, and 6%,
respectively.
Figures 6 and 7 show both the long term
average and the most recent 5-year average
(for which data is available) nitrogen and
phosphorus loads for each sub-basin in the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin.
Overall, total annual loads to the Gulf from
2001-2005 show a 21% decline in nitrogen
load and a 12% increase in phosphorus
load when compared to the average from
the 1980-1996 period. However, during the
spring period (April, May, and June) most of
the reduction in total nitrogen load was from
nitrogen forms other than nitrate, an important
form fueling the primary production that leads
to hypoxia development in the spring.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
17
Progress on Actions in the
2001 Action Plan
Of the eleven actions identified in the 2007
Action Plan, several have made significant
progress:
The States established Sub-Basin
Committees for the Upper Mississippi Basin,
the Ohio Basin and the Lower Mississippi
Basin. These committees have worked to
coordinate actions in the sub-basin states.
The Sub-Basin Committees have opened
the discussion to include many stakeholders
not represented on the Task Force, including
additional basin states, state agencies,
and interested parties and organizations.
(Action 2 of 2001 Action Plan)
The Task Force issued an integrated
monitoring, modeling and research strategy
(MMR workgroup report), for the Basin
and Gulf to guide the development of
the nutrient reduction strategies as well
as future scientific research. The MMR
workgroup report was a driver for research
strategies of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA)
Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems
and Hypoxia Assessment Program,
o
I
o
70,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
Upper
Mississippi
Major Mississippi River Sub-basins
Average phosphorus load (2001-2005)
Data courtesy USGS
Long-term average phosphorus load (1981 -2005) Open-File Report 2007-1080.
Figure 7. Mississippi River Basin
Phosphorus Load by Sub-basin
which supported studies advancing
understanding of causes and impacts of the
hypoxic zone. (Action 3 of2001 Action Plan)
After detailed planning and building
on the recommendations of the MMR
workgroup report, NOAA conducted
additional monitoring of the hypoxic zone
on a seasonal and annual basis, though this
has not "greatly expanded" the long-term
monitoring program, as many important
needs persist (see next section). (Action 4 of
2001 Action Plan)
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Mif
In the Fall of 2007, USDA enrolled farmland in Minnesota as the one millionth
acre in its nationwide Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
CREP is a community-based, results-oriented effort that focuses on local
participation and leadership and addresses high-priority conservation issues of
both local and national significance, such as impacts to water supplies, loss of
critical habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife species, soil erosion, and
reduced habitat for fish populations.
As a component of USDA's Conservation Reserve Program administered by the
Farm Service Agency, CREP is a voluntary land retirement program that helps
agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion,
restore wildlife habitat and safeguard ground and surface water. Partnering
with tribal, state and federal governments and private groups, USDA establishes
contracts with agricultural producers to retire highly erodible and other
sensitive cropland and pastureland. During the 10- to 15-year contract period,
participants convert enrolled land to grass, trees, wetlands, wildlife cover and
other conservation uses. CREP supports increased conservation practices such
as filter strips and forested buffers, which help protect streams, lakes and rivers
from sedimentation and agricultural runoff.
Farmers in local communities deserve much of the credit for CREP's
overwhelming success. Without their commitment to CREP, this innovative
program would not have reached this milestone.
Higher resolution spatial data were added
to large watershed-scale models to help
identify smaller watersheds for focused
nutrient reduction efforts. (Action 5of2001
Action Plan)
The Ohio and the Lower Mississippi Sub-
Basins began development of nutrient
reduction strategies at the sub-basin level,
incorporating specific issues and proposals
from the states within those basins. (Action
6 of2001 Action Plan)
Increased assistance to agricultural
producers through U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) programs for voluntary
actions resulted in an additional 1.4 million
acres of wetlands restored, enhanced, or
created and an additional 2.3 million acres
of conservation buffers installed within in
the Basin during fiscal years 2000-2006.
(Action 9 of2001 Action Plan)
Increased assistance to agricultural
producers through USDA programs for
the voluntary implementation of best
management practices, which are effective
in addressing loss of nutrients to water
bodies, has resulted in conservation tillage/
residue management practices applied to
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
19
20.8 million acres and nutrient management
applied to 18.3 million acres in the Basin
during fiscal years 2000-2006. A total of 42.8
million acres of conservation tillage, nutrient
management, wetland, and conservation
tillage practices were applied, not counting
additional areas impacted by wetland and
buffer practices. (Action 10 of2001 Action
Plan)
The Task Force completed a major
reassessment of the science and actions
to support the Action Plan principle of
adaptive management. (Action 11 of2001
Action Plan)
However, some of the actions called for in the
2001 plan have not been initiated, authorized
or completed:
An integrated federal budget that would
have supported voluntary actions to reduce
nutrient pollution in the Basin and thereby
the size of the hypoxiczone in the Gulf was
never finalized. (Action 1 of2001 Action Plan)
The long-term monitoring program for
the hypoxic zone has not been "greatly
expanded," and uncertainties remain in
the ability to characterize the spatial and
temporal dynamics of hypoxia and the
biological, chemical, and physical properties
that contribute to it. (Action 4 of2001 Action
Plan)
Water quality monitoring in the Basin has
not significantly increased and in some
cases long term stations included in the
USGS network have been discontinued.
(Action 5 of2001 Action Plan)
Although some work has begun on the
development of nutrient strategies at the
sub-basin level, much work still needs to be
accomplished. (Action 6 of2001 Action Plan)
Congress did not authorize and fund a
reconnaissance-level study for the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and
partners to specifically assess the potential
for nutrient reductions in federal (EPA, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),
USACE) river and farmland management,
refuge management, and navigation
projects. Without specific Congressional
language, work could not commence.
(Action 7 of2001 Action Plan)
Nutrients reach rivers in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya
River Basin through urban stormdrains.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf'Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
With a commitment greater than $12.5
million since 2001, NOAA has continued
to provide the scientific foundation on
Gulf of Mexico ecosystem dynamics upon
which management of the hypoxic zone is
based. As part of this commitment, annual
monitoring of the hypoxic zone provides
the benchmark for which progress on
Action Plan goals is measured. Utilizing an
ecosystem-based approach, NOAA research
studies have led to enhanced predictive
models capable of examining a multitude
of interacting factors on the size of the
hypoxic zone, and provide information
on how hypoxia affects commercially and
ecologically important species in the region.
These models are integrating oceanographic
physical data and coastal biogeochemistry
to improve quantification of the duration,
timing, and extent of the hypoxic zone,
and their relationship to causative factors
such as nutrients and stratification. These
model predictions of complex processes will
continue to allow for the comprehensive
assessment of alternative management
strategies to mitigate hypoxia in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Additional analysis of detailed nutrient
pollution contributions from multiple
sectors, including point sources and non-
agricultural contributions, needs to be
undertaken. (Action 8 of2001 Action Plan)
the
The Task Force undertook a major
reassessment of the state of the science for the
causes, effects, and management actions for
reducing Gulf hypoxia.
In the fall of 2006, the Task Force agencies
and the Sub-Basin Committees completed
a series of four scientific symposia on the
science surrounding Gulf hypoxia and
nutrient sources, fate, and transport in the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin.
The Task Force completed a major
technical report, A Science Strategy to
Support Management Decisions Related to
Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and
Excess Nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin
(MMR workgroup report), published in
2004. The report describes a framework
for monitoring, modeling, and research
activities to support management decisions
related to achieving the three major goals
of the 2007 Action Plan. It describes the
scientific information needed to support
management actions and defines the
scope, interrelation, and framework of
the activities needed to provide that
information. It also describes existing
programs and activities, identifies gaps and
limitations in those activities, and outlines
the actions and resources needed to
overcome the gaps and limitations.
The Task Force completed a second major
technical report, The Management Action
Review Team report, published in 2006.
The report is a compilation of information
on point sources in the Mississippi River
Basin and available programs that assist
landowners, municipalities, and others
in the Basin to reduce nutrient loadings.
It also shows how such programs could
more effectively address nutrient reduction
if they were aligned and integrated with
the Action Plan. The Management Action
ReviewTeam report represents the first time
the Task Force has compiled a snapshot
of programmatic information, and thus
it can be used as a resource for future
reassessments.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
21
In August 2006, the Task Force asked
EPA's Science Advisory Board to provide
independent advice on scientific advances
since 2000 that might have increased
understanding and options in three general
areas:
* Characterization of the causes of
hypoxia. The physical, biological, and
chemical processes that affect the
development, persistence, and extent
of hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of
Mexico.
2 Characterization of nutrient fate,
transport, and sources. Nutrient
loadings, fate, transport, and sources
in the Mississippi River that affect Gulf
hypoxia.
9 Scientific basis for goals and
management options. The scientific
basis for, and recommended revisions
to, the goals proposed in the 2007
Action Plan; as well as the scientific
basis for the efficacy of recommended
management actions to reduce
nutrient load from point and nonpoint
sources.
Conclusions from the
Reassessment
Taken together, the state-of-the-science
symposia, MMR workgroup report,
Management Action Review Team report,
and Science Advisory Board findings have
advanced our understanding of hypoxia in the
Northern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the factors
contributing to it. Based on the complete
reassessment of the science, the Task Force has
agreed on the following main points which
inform the actions in this plan:
It is extremely important to accelerate
actions that manage factors affecting
hypoxia rather than waiting while science
develops greater precision in revising the
appropriate size goal for the hypoxic zone.
The 5,000 square kilometer size of the
hypoxic zone, the Coastal Goal set by the
2007 Action Plan, remains a reasonable
goal in an adaptive management context;
however, it may not be possible to achieve
this goal by 2015. The hypoxic zone,
measured in July 2007, was the third largest
measured.
Contour farming, conservation tillage, and conservation
buffers protect soil and improve water quality on this farm
in Woodbury County in northwest Iowa.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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22
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
While nutrients from the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin, coupled with
temperature- and salinity-induced
stratification, are indicated as the primary
causes of hypoxia in the Northern Gulf
of Mexico, other factors contribute to
increased amounts of nutrients delivered to
the Gulf, including:
Historic landscape changes in the
drainage basin, primarily losses of
freshwater wetlands, and increases in
artificially drained areas that diminish
the capacity of the river basin to
remove nutrients,
Channelization and impoundments
of the Mississippi River throughout
the Basin and the delta and the loss of
coastal wetlands, and
Changes in the hydrologic regime of
the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers
and the timing of freshwater inputs
that are critical to the stratification
which is necessary for hypoxia.
The diversion of a large amount of
freshwater from the Mississippi River
through the Atchafalaya has profoundly
modified the spatial distribution of
freshwater inputs, nutrient loadings,
and stratification on the Louisiana-
Texas continental shelf.
Hypoxia has negative impacts on marine
resources. Research on the deleterious
effects of hypoxia on living resources in the
Gulf suggests the occurrence of long term,
ecological changes in species diversity,
and possibly a regime shift (a large-scale,
often rapid, reorganization of the entire
ecosystem's food-web that is difficult and
often impossible to reverse).
Phosphorus also contributes to hypoxia.
New information has emerged that
more precisely demonstrates the role of
phosphorus in determining the size of
the hypoxic zone, requiring strategies that
address both nitrogen and phosphorus.
Significant reductions in nitrogen and
phosphorus are needed. To achieve the
Coastal Goal for the size of the hypoxic zone
and improve water quality in the Basin, a
dual nutrient strategy targeting at least a
45% reduction in riverine total nitrogen
load and in riverine total phosphorus load,
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
23
measured against the average load over the
1980-1996 time period, may be necessary.
Total annual loads to the Gulf from
2001-2005 show a 21% decline in nitrogen
load and a 12% increase in phosphorus
load when compared to averages from
the 1980-1996 period. However, during
the spring period (April, May, and June)
most of the reduction in total nitrogen
load was from nitrogen forms other than
nitrate, an important form fueling the
primary production that leads to hypoxia
development in the spring.
Considerations of seasonality and nitrogen
composition should be emphasized in
nutrient reduction strategies. Recent
scientific findings have affirmed that spring
(April, May, and June) nitrate load from
the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin to
the Gulf is highly correlated with hypoxic
zone size. From 2001-2005, nitrate load to
the Gulf during the spring period may not
have changed significantly when compared
to averages from the 1980-1996 period,
despite a 21% decline in total annual
nitrogen load and a 12% increase in total
annual phosphorus load.
New estimates of point and nonpoint source
contributions are available. Point sources
represented 22% of nitrogen and 34% of
phosphorus loads, resulting in a higher
percentage of the total load to the Gulf
from point sources than estimated in 1999.
Estimates of the point source load would
be at the upper end of the range, as they
assume delivery to the Gulf without any in-
stream losses. Nonpoint sources, including
atmospheric deposition, represented 78%
of nitrogen and 66% of phosphorus loads;
accordingly, these numbers would be at the
lower end of the range.
Anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus
contributions have declined. Net
anthropogenic nitrogen inputs (NANI) and
net phosphorus inputs for the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin have declined in the
last decade because of more efficient use
of fertilizer (as evidenced by increasing corn
harvest and constant or declining fertilizer
application rates). From 1999-2005, NANI
calculations show 54% of nonpoint nitrogen
inputs in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River
Basin were from fertilizer, 37% from fixation,
and 9% from atmospheric deposition.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
Steamboats are a historical reminder that the Mississippi River is a major artery of the
nation's transportation system, sustaining commerce and economic growth.
Industrial Nutrient Discharge
Reductions
Recognizing the impacts of nutrient pollution on the
hypoxic zone in the Gulf, the Louisiana Department
of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) works with
industries and municipalities along the Mississippi
River to reduce nutrient discharges, consistent
with Action 8 of the 2007 Action Plan. Voluntary
programs, like the Louisiana Environmental
Leadership Pollution Prevention Program (LaELP)
engage professional, environmental, industrial,
and municipal associations to improve the quality
of the environment through pollution prevention,
community environmental outreach, and
environmental management.
Since 2000, the LaELP has recognized three
industrial businesses for significant nutrient
discharge reductions: IMC Phosphates (now Mosaic
Industries), BASF Corporation, and ExxonMobil.
Both BASF Corporation and IMC Phosphates have
been acknowledged with "Special Recognition
for Outstanding Nutrient Reductions," a category
created to highlight Louisiana's special concern
for hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and to
emphasize the need for nutrient reductions.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
25
Two IMC-Agrico plants were recognized for
implementing a comprehensive, long range by-
product management improvement campaign.
This provides inactive phosphogypsum stacks
with a synthetic liner and a clay/grass cover, and
has resulted in more than an 80% reduction, over
100 million Ibs., in average annual phosphorus
discharges. While the program was voluntary,
IMC-Agrico agreed to place the reductions in
permits to ensure long-term compliance.
BASF Corporation was recognized for developing
a biological treatment system that converts
nitrates in wastewater that would otherwise
have been discharged to the Mississippi River
to atmospheric nitrogen and other non-
nutrient parameters. Specifically, a new process
was added that completed the denitrification
process using "anoxic treatment" and specific
bacteria that live in low oxygen environments
that break down nitrates. The result has been an
annual reduction of over 23 million Ibs. of nitrates
in BASF's permitted discharged wastewater
since implementation began in 1999. BASF has
transferred ownership of the process to the Water
Environment Research Foundation for wider use.
The ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery, the second
largest petroleum refinery in the nation, was
recognized by both the LaELP and the EPA's Gulf
Guardian Award for reducing annual nitrate
discharges from 4.1 million Ibs. in 1999 to 1.5
million Ibs. in 2003. ExxonMobil's management
team established a nitrate reduction objective
and supported it through a five-year effort that
included an extensive engineering analysis. As
a result of the analysis, process operations were
modified to run two ammonia strippers in parallel
and the refinery wastewater treatment facility
began operating under anoxic conditions. This
reduction effort was not only voluntary, but was
achieved without capital expenditure.
Recently, the Secretary of LDEQ reaffirmed
the Department's commitment to the many
objectives of the LaELP and the special nutrient
reduction effort in particular. As a result, the
LaELP will continue to recognize activities
and projects that demonstrate environmental
leadership including innovative pollution
prevention efforts implemented by its partners
to reduce point source nutrient discharges to the
Mississippi River.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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27
itents
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^m ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^m
Framework for Action 8
les 8
Goals 9
Critical Needs 10
Progress and Reassessment 2001-2007 14
ie Size of tr >oxic Zone 14
Trends in e Basin 15
Progress on Actions in the 2007 Action Plan 17
idating the Science 20
le Reassessment 21
Next Steps: Getting Results 28
Actions to Accelerate the Reduction of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 29
Actions to Advance the Science, Track Progress and Raise Awareness 42
Appendix
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
Atchafalaya River Delta.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
To reduce the size and impacts of the hypoxic
zone and improve water quality in the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin, landowners
and resource managers must reduce nitrogen
and phosphorus in the surface waters of the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin. Although
many other natural and seasonal factors
contribute to the formation of the hypoxic
zone, reducing nutrient loadings from the
various sources in the Basin addresses the
most critical and controllable cause of hypoxia.
No single action or strategy will achieve the
necessary reductions. The optimal approach
will take advantage of the full range and
variety of actions to reduce nutrient loss to
waters and increase nutrient retention and
removal.
The work of the Task Force will continue to
provide a basin-wide context for the continued
pursuit of both voluntary, incentive-based
efforts for nonpoint sources and existing
regulatory controls for point sources. Improved
coordination and, in most cases, continued
expansion of the outstanding private and
government supported efforts to reduce
losses of nutrients are central to the success
of this strategy. Throughout the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin much work is
underway to increase the efficiency of farming
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
practices, reduce point and nonpoint sources
of pollution, and restore wetlands and riparian
buffers. Landowners and managers primarily
are taking these actions to achieve local water
quality goals or implement conservation
practices and management practices.
Even though current activities of landowners
and managers will contribute to reducing the
size of the hypoxic zone and improving basin
water quality, they are not sufficient to meet
the goals of this plan. Current funding for the
necessary actions is insufficient. In addition,
emerging issues, such as biofuels, climate
change, changes in agricultural practices,
and new technologies for monitoring and
modeling will have significant effects on
the design and implementation of this plan.
The Task Force has identified the actions
listed below to encourage and advance the
continued implementation of cost-effective,
voluntary, incentive-based best management
practices and conservation practices at the
local and regional levelactions to both
reduce loss of nutrients into the water and
to reduce those loads once they exist. These
actions are intended to support and add
greater specificity to the actions begun under
the 2007 Action Plan.
Following each action are the reasons for
the action, the key players, and the process
for implementing the action. Because many
of these actions are beyond the scope of
existing state and federal water quality and
conservation efforts, they will achieve only
limited progress without additional financial
(and in some cases legislative) support.
Therefore, the plan also includes a description
of the "critical needs"additional funding
and analyses that are essential to achieve
significant reductions in the size of the hypoxic
zone. The Task Force is committed to meeting
these critical needs, wherever possible, and is
publishing a separate, more detailed Operating
Plan to guide the implementation of these
actions.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
31
Phosphorus Reduction
Phosphorus is the nutrient primarily responsible for the eutrophication of Minnesota's
surface waters. An overabundance of phosphorus results in excessive algal production in
Minnesota waters. In response to a dissolved oxygen TMDL on the Lower Minnesota River,
Minnesota developed the Statewide Phosphorus Report which quantifies the phosphorus
loading to Minnesota waters from various point and nonpoint sources. In 2005, Minnesota
developed a Phosphorus General Permit for forty point sources in the Minnesota River
Basin. Under the permit, the point sources have the option of trading to meet their water
quality-based effluent limits.
The Metropolitan Council owns and operates eight municipal wastewater treatment plants
in the Twin Cities metropolitan area of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Since 1990, the Council has
achieved dramatic reduction in phosphorus discharged from its plants to area receiving
waters. Since the peak of phosphorus discharge in 1995, the Council has achieved a 78%
reduction in phosphorus loads.
To understand the magnitude of such a reduction, it would be as if we went back to before
1900. At that time, the metropolitan area had a population of 500,000 people and it is
estimated that 1,860 Ibs/day of phosphorus was discharged to area rivers. Today, 2 million
more people live in this area, yet discharge only 1,670 Ibs/day.
Farmers use a line-transect method of determining the
percentage of ground covered by crop residues for soil
protection.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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32
Next Steps: Getting Results
and implement
reduction for within
ii ,/ i «/
of nitrogen
to the of the
and to the Gulf of Mexico,
Because the soils, hydrology, land use, and cropping practices
as well as the legal, legislative, and administrative framework
vary considerably across the 31 states in the Basin, the Task Force
recognizes that no single approach to nutrient reduction would
be effective in every state. All states already have programs to
reduce nutrient losses from both point and nonpoint sources.
However, while most states have plans within those programs
to reduce their water quality problems, those plans are often
focused on local or regional water quality. Existing plans may
need to be modified to incorporate nitrogen and phosphorus
reduction activities within the state to reduce loadings to the
Gulf, while continuing to protect and restore local water quality.
These strategies will provide a road map for each state, a more
detailed basis for budget development and implementation, and
a vehicle for coordination with other states in the Basin. Once
the state strategies are developed and adopted by the broad
reach of stakeholders throughout each state, and new funding
is provided, Federal and State agencies and many involved
stakeholders can accelerate their efforts to reduce nutrient
impacts on local waters and the Gulf.
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin States, Federal agencies
Sub-basin Committees, local stakeholder groups, and other
regional groups
State nutrient reduction strategies should be completed as
soon as possible but no later than 2013. Strategies should target
those watersheds with significant contributions of nitrogen and
phosphorus to the surface waters of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya
River Basin and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. Ongoing nutrient
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
pollution control efforts should continue,
while states, in collaboration with other states
in the Basin and Federal agencies, complete
the strategies and seek necessary funding.
Implementation of the state strategies should
be started as soon as practicable, but no
later than 2013. The development of state
nutrient reduction strategies as prescribed
by this plan is to be complementary to, and
shall in no way delay or interfere with the
progress of any existing or planned nutrient
reduction activities, or identification of priority
watersheds. To further advance progress,
the States should provide a list of activities
for incorporation into the Annual Operating
Plans, identifying planned nutrient reduction
activities and the corresponding availability
and needs for funding.
Implementation of the Action Plan will
require a significant level of commitment
from the Federal agencies and State and local
governments, and increased awareness and
action by the many varied stakeholders. Existing
relationships with key stakeholders should
be maintained and additional relationships
developed with other stakeholders to develop
and implement strategies to reduce nutrient
loads to the Gulf of Mexico and to water
bodies within the Basin. The States are uniquely
qualified to identify the key stakeholders within
their states who can influence opinion and
support needed changes in practices and
programs. State agencies have established
relationships with their constituents, whether
agricultural producers or regulated entities such
as wastewater facilities. This approach will allow
Federal and State agencies and stakeholders
in each state to focus on activities that will be
most effective in their area.
Federal agencies, working with the States
and the Sub-Basin Committees, will need to
establish incentives through the 319 program,
Farm Bill programs, or other federal funding
sources to provide additional resources for the
development and implementation of state-
level nutrient reduction strategies.
The States and Federal agencies must
coordinate efforts across organizations and
programs and use adaptive management to
modify the strategies as new information and
innovative solutions are acquired to identify
critical watersheds, assess current conditions,
and maximize potential nitrogen and
phosphorus reductions with the most cost-
effective approaches.
Since 2005, over $1 million
has been provided to landowners
in Arkansas for installation of
on-farm structures to reduce
sediment and nutrient runoff. These
projects have been implemented
in the Arkansas River and Bayou
Bartholomew/Beouf-Tensas basins.
Overwhelming public participation
and interest has created additional
opportunities for implementation
of nutrient reduction programs in
other Mississippi River tributary
watersheds.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
and
is i ~^j
Torg
and
basin-wide
Of CO/
ion
Federal agencies have significant programs and projects that
affect water quality in the Gulf and locally throughout the
Basin. In some cases a Federal agency may have direct lead
fora specific activity, such as management of water flow and
navigation on large, interstate rivers or management of fisheries.
In other cases federal programs help to set the parameters of
programs that are co-implemented or delegated to states, such
as technology standards for wastewater treatment or criteria
used as the basis for water quality standards. Broader federal
strategies are also needed to establish a context and approach
to guide and coordinate the actions of these other partners.
These strategies could include programs to identify effective
nutrient reduction approaches, including streamlining regulatory
requirements, utilizing innovative funding mechanisms, and
implementing best management practices. For example, a
federal strategy for restoration of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya
River Basin's natural assimilative system would facilitate and help
coordinate federal and state actions to implement the plan.
These federal, basin-level strategies will help set a framework
for individual state action and support collaborative efforts for
program planning and implementation.
Federal agencies, Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin States
Sub-basin Committees, other regional groups
Federal strategies for programs and projects with the greatest
impact on nutrient levels within the Basin should be identified
by June 2008 and completed by 2009. As part of the strategy,
Federal agencies will identify opportunities to align existing
programs with hypoxia efforts. For example, the USAGE should
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
35
look for opportunities to reduce nutrient
loadings related to Corps projects and
programs, ensure that environmental and
related documents specifically address the
hypoxia impact, and take advantage of
environmental projects to create wetlands and
reconnect backwater and riparian zone areas
to absorb nutrients. Efforts should be made to
better engage the research and development
expertise in the Corps with regard to reducing
nutrient loadings related to Corps civil works
projects. Another example is for EPA to provide
direct financial and technical support to its
state partners in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya
River Basin as they develop a scientific basis to
assist in the adoption of state numeric nutrient
standards. These cooperative efforts not only
will serve to assist the states in protecting
in-state water quality, but also may result in
reduced nutrient loadings to the Gulf. More
detail on each agency's effort is documented
in the Annual Operating Plan.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL
NEEDS?
The opportunity may exist through the
implementation of the 2007 Farm Bill for
additional conservation technical assistance,
including rapid watershed assessments to help
prioritize use of limited financial assistance
for producers, establishing a Regional Water
Enhancement Program to provide funding to
support development and implementation
of water quality plans at the watershed scale,
providing funding to support conservation
innovation addressing nutrient reductions,
and additional funding for working lands
(Environmental Quality Incentive Program)
and wetland restoration, creation, and
enhancement (Conservation Reserve Program/
Wetlands Reserve Program/Conservation
Technical Assistance).
Ongoing analysis of the impacts of emerging
issues on water quality, such as the increased
production of biofuels, will also be critical
to ensure that the nitrogen and phosphorus
strategies will continue to improve water
quality in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River
Basin and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.
Additionally, an interagency coordination
strategy to leverage USDA, EPA, USAGE, and
other funding mechanisms to eliminate
financial barriers for private landowners
implementing conservation practices to
address nutrient runoff from neighboring
properties will aid in the implementation of
these federal strategies.
Managing sediment sustains economic activity and can
contribute to ecosystem restoration and protection.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
While and
reduction and continuing current
i i */ «/
to of f/ie Gulf and
and
and programs.
For programs whose primary intent is not to mitigate hypoxia,
such as wildlife habitat enhancement, conservation practices,
navigation controls, or wastewater discharge permits,
incorporating considerations of additional benefits into
implementation decisions can result in the "win-win" outcome
of adding increased nutrient retention and capture benefits
to these programs, and consequently improving water quality
downstream and in the Gulf.
The guiding principle of this plan is that when establishing
priorities for watershed restoration, States, Tribes, and Federal
agencies within the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin will
consider the potential for benefits to the Gulf of Mexico. This
principle is especially important in the context of changes in
agricultural markets such as the increased demand for corn
for ethanol production that could have a substantial effect on
nutrients delivered to the Gulf. Many federal, state, and tribal
programs offer the opportunity to enhance nutrient reductions,
whether large water infrastructure projects or day-to-day
decisions on zoning, permitting, and land use planning. However,
most state, tribal, and federal projects usually only address local
water quality concerns. Support for approaches that protect local
water quality, including drinking water sources, can be leveraged
to increase support for mitigating Gulf hypoxia. There is frequently
strong public support for protecting drinking water sources.
Public awareness and support for local water quality benefits can
increase support for actions that ultimately reduce Gulf hypoxia.
These entities should consider this guiding principle, ensuring
that these projects, including land and river management
strategies, and flood control and navigation projects throughout
the Basin, examine their effect on Gulf hypoxia as well as look for
opportunities to increase the ability to reduce nutrients which
harm local waters, including drinking water sources, and the Gulf,
through design and operation changes.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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USAGE, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI),
EPA, USDA, Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin
States
Sub-basin Committees
Each Federal agency and State will identify
opportunities for implementing cost-effective
nutrient reduction through existing programs.
Two examples of how to do this are given
below, although there are many other
programs at each participating Federal agency
that will need to be included.
One example of this is the manner in
which USDA plans to address concerns
about the effect that increased biofuels
production will have on nutrient loads to
the Gulf. Management of agricultural lands
in the Mississippi River Basin is not static, but
invariably changes in response to changes
in the demand for agricultural commodities.
USDA provides technical and financial
assistance to farmers and ranchers to help
them address environmental concerns
associated with agriculture production.
The technical foundation for this assistance
is the development and application of
conservation practice standards through
several conservation programs that address
a wide variety of environmental issues in
addition to water quality. These programs are
designed to help maintain the sustainability
of agricultural lands regardless of their use.
Given the need for further reductions in
nutrient loads to the Gulf, in the delivery of its
programs within the Mississippi Basin, USDA
will place additional emphasis on conservation
practices with high potential for reducing
nutrient loadings. These conservation practices
include nutrient management, cover crops,
the siting of wetlands, and on-farm drainage
water management. This approach permits
agriculture production to adjust to meet
the changing needs of the market while
maintaining the sustainability of the resource
base and minimizing environmental effects.
USDA will encourage the increased use of its
nutrient management standard to minimize
nutrient loss from fields to help alleviate the
impact of increased biofuels production
on nutrient loads to the Gulf. The nutrient
management standard requires farmers to
account for all plant-available nutrient sources
immediately available or rendered available
throughout the crop production cycle
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
When heavy rains occur, unprotected farm fields can yield topsoil,
as well as farm fertilizers and other potential pollutants.
and to apply only the amount of nutrients
needed to maintain nutrient balances.
Nutrient applications needed to maintain
nutrient balances are based on realistic yield
expectations and attempt to maximize
profitable production. The use of cellulosic
feedstocks, such as crop residues, perennial
grasses, and trees for biofuels production will
require utilization of different conservation
systems and conservation practice standards,
such as the one for residue management.
USDA will continue to adjust current standards
and develop additional standards, where
needed, to permit cellulosic feedstocks to be
produced and utilized in a sustainable manner.
Another example is the massive coastal
protection/restoration program being
undertaken by the State of Louisiana, the
federal government, and various stakeholder
groups. The most critical element of this
program involves retaining river sediment
and river-borne nutrients within the coastal
marshes to the greatest degree possible by
redistributing river water throughout the
delta before it reaches the Gulf of Mexico.
Diverting river water into the deltaic system
on a large scale could provide an important
sink for some of the excess nutrients that
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
39
cause hypoxia through plant uptake, bacterial
processing, and sedimentation. In addition,
increasing the number of outlets for river
water could significantly increase mixing in the
coastal ocean and reduce salinity stratification
and the setup conditions for hypoxia. There
is substantial evidence that such a program
would save wetlands now in jeopardy and
increase productivity and sequestration of
both nutrients and carbon.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL
NEEDS?
Identify barriers to aligning existing
programs, projects, and initiatives with
needs of hypoxia.
Continue funding as defined by current
budget requests for actions identified in the
Annual Operating Plan.
While this apparent "win-win" strategy is
complex and expensive, authorization and
funding for Louisiana's critical river diversion
program has garnered broad public support.
There are, however, serious environmental
concerns about releasing huge volumes of
nutrient-rich river water into the estuarine
zone instead of into the nearshore ocean
where it goes today. Thus, river diversions
could be postponed until nutrient levels are
significantly reduced upstream, although
such postponement could undermine the
restoration of what has come to be known as
"America's Wetland."
A riparian buffer provides shelter and other
habitat for wildlife along Bear Creek in
central Iowa.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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41
itents
Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia
^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^m ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^H ^m ^m ^m
Framework for Action 8
les 8
Goals 9
Critical Needs 10
Progress and Reassessment 2001-2007 14
ie Size of tr >oxic Zone 14
Trends in e Basin 15
Progress on Actions in the 2007 Action Plan 17
idating the Science 20
le Reassessment 21
Next Steps: Getting Results 28
^M ^M ^^ ^M ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
Actions to Accelerate the Reduction of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 29
Actions to Advance the Science, Track Progress and Raise Awareness 42
Appendix
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
Actions to Advance the Science, Track
Progress and Raise Awareness
The Task Force identified other actions to
achieve its goals and improve awareness of
the efforts to address hypoxia in the Gulf
of Mexico. These actions will improve the
effectiveness of nutrient reduction and track
and report on the results of the effort. The
actions emphasize the crosscutting nature of
the problem and recognize the diversity of
activities that must be undertaken to achieve
the goals and the need to track and respond
to progress.
These additional actions advance the adaptive
management approach and periodically
reassesses the state of the science, keep track
of progress of both environmental measures
and programmatic actions, and seek to
continually engage involved stakeholders
in order to maximize results. Since the 2007
Action Plan, researchers have advanced the
understanding of nutrient transport and fate
in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin and
the consequences on Mississippi/Atchafalaya
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
43
River Basin water quality and the Northern
Gulf of Mexico's hypoxiczone. States and
Federal agencies will seek to further advance
science in the priority needs recommended
in the MMR workgroup and Science Advisory
Board reports. Furthermore, effective
implementation of this Action Plan will require
monitoring and tracking progress. Finally, the
2008 Action Plan is the result of several years
of study and discussion by the members of
the Task Force and many concerned officials,
organizations, and citizens who participated
in the deliberations. Given the cooperative
and voluntary nature of the 2008 Action Plan,
its implementation will be dependent upon
broad acceptance and a willingness to pursue
the identified actions. The engagement of
stakeholders will continue to be a priority.
The following actions implement the principle
of adaptive management for this strategy.
This aerial photo shows the channelization of the Mississippi River and the loss of coastal wetlands.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
and and
and for
f/ie
*_,/ if x
and or a//
and op
to f/ie of t/ie /?/Ver
Understanding the most efficient and cost-effective conservation
practices and management practices to reduce nutrient loads
is central to the success of nutrient reduction strategies. Federal
and State agencies and other partners need to be able to
identify effective management practices and technologies,
including conservation practices and wastewater treatment at
the local scale, and large scale federal approaches to enhance
the biological removal of nutrients. We also need to incorporate
changing contexts in conservation practices and management
practices and accurately assess the economic costs and benefits
of different approaches.
USDA (Agricultural Resource Service, Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service, NRCS, Farm Service Agency),
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin States, USAGE
EPA, USGS
1 Continue to develop field and farm scale management
practices that conserve nutrients for the wide range of
agricultural production systems within the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin;
2 Quantify the effectiveness of conservation practices within
local watersheds that are representative of the wide range
of soils, climates, and farming systems within the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin;
3 Review, update, or develop USDA NRCS national and state
conservation practice standards for the practices most
effective in conserving nutrients;
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
S Assist State Extension, USDA personnel
and agricultural consultants in delivering
nutrient-conserving practices to farmers
and ranchers within the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin; and
S Further analyze nutrient pollution
contributions from point sources and non-
agricultural sectors, including a full analysis
of costs; target cost-effective actions to
reduce nutrient loads from point sources as
warranted.
Obtain resources necessary to quantify at
the watershed scale the efficacy of newly
evolving nutrient control strategies proven
effective at plot and field scales to ensure
that these strategies produce equivalent
benefits at the landscape scale.
Obtain resources necessary to use the
Conservation Effects Assessment Project
(CEAP) Watershed Network to monitor and
assess how changes in agricultural practices
driven by future market and other forces
may affect efforts outlined above to reduce
nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the
Gulf of Mexico. Progress toward reducing
nutrient loads from agricultural lands could
be assessed annually.
Obtain resources and priority for the
development and implementation of
strategies to use National Resources
Inventory (NRI)/CEAP for monitoring
progress in reducing nutrient loads from
agricultural land management activities, to
provide 5-10 year estimates with trends.
It will be difficult to achieve the necessary
nutrient reductions utilizing current
technologies and with current cropping
practices in the Corn Belt. New scientific
findings and technology development will
likely be needed.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
the of the
on the human and
in the and
Gulf of Mexico, the of actions to
and the
Researchers have greatly expanded our understanding of
the effects of hypoxia. However much uncertainty remains,
specifically concerning the indirect biological and socioeconomic
effects of hypoxia and excess nutrients throughout the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin and on the Gulf.
As State and Federal agencies, and other partners make progress
reducing nutrient loads within the Basin, we need to better
understand the changes that are occurring, their effects on the
ecosystem and its economic resources, the costs and benefits
of seeking additional reductions in loads throughout the Basin,
and the additional effects that reductions in nitrogen and
phosphorus may have on the economic and social welfare of the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin.
Research into the impacts of the hypoxic zone on living
resources is authorized through the Harmful Algal Bloom and
Hypoxia Research and Control Act. Within the Gulf ecosystem
there is evidence that an ecological regime shift, associated
with the expansion of hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico,
has occurred. Effects of the hypoxic zone on fisheries and
ecologically important species are often likely to be indirect
and difficult to measure. Spatially-explicit ecosystem models are
needed to quantify these indirect effects and their consequences
on fisheries and ecologically important populations. Economic
analysis of these impacts will improve resource assessments and
help to better quantify the socioeconomic benefits of nutrient
reduction achievements in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin.
USDA, NOAA, USAGE, EPA
DOI, Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin States
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
47
HOW DO WE DO THIS?
1 Conduct an economic assessment of
alternative options for reducing nutrient
loads;
2 Identify and assess the ancillary
environmental effects of the alternative
options for reducing nutrient loads;
3 Improve quantification of the indirect
effects of hypoxia on living resources,
especially those related to interactions with
additional stressors (e.g., fishing and climate
change), to inform model development
and management strategies;
4 Quantify the socioeconomic effects of
hypoxia on coastal communities along the
Northern Gulf of Mexico, especially impacts
to commercial and recreational fisheries;
5 Quantify the socioeconomic effects on
basin states from implementation of
practices that will be required to meet the
nutrient reduction goals of the Action Plan;
and
Track progress to support future science
assessments.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL
NEEDS?
Continued resource allocation for a USDA
Hypoxia Economic Analysis to assess
the socioeconomic and bioeconomic
implications of varying nutrient
management scenarios.
Expansion of resources for ecological
impact studies on commercially and
ecologically important species, such
as those funded by NOAA's Northern
Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Hypoxia
Assessment Program, to advance model
capabilities that predict the impacts of
hypoxia.
Coordination and expansion of faunal
monitoring surveys, such as SEAMAP, with
increased resource allocations for fishery-
independent data on commercially and
ecologically important fish and shellfish
species.
Quantified nutrient loading thresholds
and corresponding ecological responses
to determine the magnitude of ecological
system resiliency (i.e., point of regime
change) within the northern Gulf.
Hypoxia is one of many ecological stressors that can affect
Gulf fisheries and consequently fishing communities.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
and to
by and on GulfHypoxia
and
and
Currently many agencies are independently collecting,
storing, and reporting information on progress and activities.
The Task Force has committed to ensure that data collection
methodologies are better described to aid reporting and ensure
data comparability. In particular, some significant sources are not
consistently collected or reported, leading to misunderstandings
of their contributions to the total load to the Basin and Gulf.
EPA, USGS, NOAA
USAGE, Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin States, Sub-basin
Committees, Upper Mississippi River Basin Association, Lower
Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Ohio River Valley
Sanitation Commission, Gulf Alliance
Define information needs and design a strategy to satisfy
those needs in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary manner
that brings scientists and resource managers together from a
range of disciplines and perspectives, including from Gulf and
Basin perspectives;
Gather and disseminate needed scientific information in a
manner that is cost-effective, takes advantage of all existing
activities, and explains the practical value of synergies gained
from actions taken to address both local water quality and the
quality of receiving waters;
Provide information gathered from monitoring, modeling,
and research related to Gulf hypoxia, Basin water
quality, and social and economic factors in a form and a
timeframe that feed directly into complementary scientific
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
4§
interpretations, management planning, and
implementation; and
4 Share, among scientists and managers, all
information relevant to improving research
and management decision-making,
including those decisions that are directed
primarily at other issues indirectly related
to hypoxia, but also contribute to achieving
the goals of the Action Plan.
Current activities are unlikely to resolve serious
inconsistencies or provide additional data
from unmonitored sources. Additional work
is needed to define processes for acquiring,
documenting, storing, and accessing
data. Particularly, we need to develop and
implement programs to measure nitrogen and
phosphorus discharges from non-agricultural
sources for which data are not currently
collected, such as municipal water treatment
systems, and industrial, urban wet-weather,
and air deposition sources. We also need to
develop and implement strategies for using
NRI/CEAP to monitor progress regarding
reducing nutrient loads from agricultural land
management activities. We need to design
and implement a coordinated, ongoing state
and federal sustainable monitoring program as
recommended in the MMR workgroup report
for the hypoxic zone and for the fresh waters
of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin that
would allow comprehensive temporal and
spatial data acquisition to assess progress.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
on the to nitrogen
by an on and
There remain serious gaps in our ability to track and evaluate
the effectiveness of programs and management efforts and
their interactions in reducing the hypoxic zone. More attention
should be paid and resources expended on improving the
understanding of which efforts are the most effective, and how
effective they are, so we can better design and target future
actions.
EPA
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Coordinating
Committee, USDA(NRCS)
Identify existing methods that can quantify the results of the
existing suite of best management practices and conservation
practices, and adapt or modify these methods to quantify best
management practices and conservation practices used in the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin that will impact hypoxia;
Coordinate with NRCS to collect state and federal
implementation data; and
Use data to annually evaluate the effectiveness of programs
and management efforts.
Consistent data that is standardized across programs.
Authority and staff, financial or in-kind support.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
51
The sediment plume from the Mississippi River is clearly delineated in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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52
Next Steps: Getting Results
Continue to
in the and MMK w
and of nitrogen
in the of the
to the accuracy
and of management
for
,_x
Gaps still exist in the science surrounding source, fate and
transport of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin. Eliminating these gaps is essential to
the creation and implementation of effective nutrient reduction
strategies.
USGS
USDA, EPA, USAGE, Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin States
Evaluate and rank the scientific uncertainties and monitoring
needs identified in the MMR workgroup report, the Science
Advisory Board report, and other information;
Develop and implement a long term research and monitoring
strategy under the MMR Workgroup of the Coordinating
Committee with greater emphasis on the spatial and
temporal characteristics of nutrient source, fate, and transport
in watersheds throughout the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River
Basin;
Reduce uncertainties associated with predictive models
allowing for improved adaptive management capabilities;
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
53
4 Integrate monitoring, modeling, and
experimental results to understand the
impacts of management actions on the
spatial and temporal characteristics of
nutrients in watersheds throughout the
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin; and
5 Track progress to support future science
assessments.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL
NEEDS?
Supplement existing monitoring efforts
including emphasis for additional
monitoring on smaller rivers and streams
to enable an understanding of the sources
of nutrients, processes that affect nutrient
loading, and ways to reduce nutrient
loading.
Further analysis of nutrient pollution
contributions from point sources and non-
agricultural sectors, including a full analysis
of costs.
A USGS employee servicing equipment at a USGS gaging station on
the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
Continue to
and and the
to
of the Goal,
Researchers have greatly expanded our understanding of the
physical dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico and the causes of
hypoxia, providing additional evidence that supports the strategy
to reduce the size of the hypoxic zone by reducing nutrient
loading to the Gulf. However, improved characterization of
nutrient load and hypoxic zone properties is needed to further
refine management strategies. As State and Federal agencies
and other partners make progress at reducing nutrient loads,
improved precision in understanding the effects of a dual
nutrient strategy for the hypoxic zone is needed to best inform
quantitative load reduction goals that will be required to reach
the Coastal Goal. Improvements in hypoxic zone monitoring are
needed to better characterize its magnitude and the processes
that lead to its development, maintenance, and distribution as
well as its impacts. Greater temporal and spatial coverage in
monitoring efforts are needed to account for variability and pre-
cruise storm events, define boundaries, characterize seasonality,
and support modeling efforts. Improvements are needed in
the accuracy of models forecasting the quantitative association
between biological, chemical, and physical processes, and
hypoxia development, magnitude, and extent.
NOAA
EPA
1 Evaluate and rank the scientific uncertainties and monitoring
needs identified in the MMR workgroup report, the Science
Advisory Board report, the White Paper to Improve Monitoring
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
55
of the Gulf of Mexico HypoxicZone in Support
of the Hypoxia Task Force's Coastal Goal, and
other information;
2 Develop and implement a long term
research and monitoring strategy under
the MMR workgroup of the Coordinating
Committee with greater emphasis on the
spatial and temporal extent of the hypoxic
zone;
3 Reduce uncertainties associated with
predictive models allowing for improved
adaptive management capabilities;
4 Integrate monitoring, modeling, and
experimental results to understand the
impacts of nutrient management actions
on the spatial and temporal characteristics
of the hypoxic zone; and
5 Track progress to support future science
assessments.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL
NEEDS
Understanding of nutrient cycling
and transformations with emphasis
on quantifying the lag time between
reductions in nutrient loadings and
reductions in the extent of the hypoxic
zone.
A long-term and sustainable hypoxic
zone monitoring program, with adequate
spatial and temporal coverage. Critical
components of this need include:
Increasing the number of shelf-wide
monitoring surveys beyond the current
one per summer with increased
number of sampling stations and
greater area surveyed;
Additional in situ platform-based
continuous monitoring devices
(observing systems);
Mechanism to transition monitoring
from a research to an operational
framework; and
Improved predictive modeling
capabilities.
Research vessels support monitoring and assessment of
hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
communications to
and the
of the Task Force.
There are many stakeholders invested in the effort to reduce
hypoxia. While the Task Force has effectively communicated with
its member states and agencies, national recognition of the issue
and widespread implementation of management practicestwo
critical aspects to the ultimate resolution of Gulf hypoxiawill
require increased cooperation and understanding from other
stakeholders throughout the country. Regular, effective, and
strategic communications, through public meetings, annual
reports, and other communication mechanisms will be important
components of outreach efforts to expand public awareness.
EPA
Create and maintain a Web site for accessing current
information on Task Force activities, status of actions, and all
associated monitoring, modeling, and research plans and
products;
Identify and promote existing communication tools for
outreach and education that are deemed most effective in
reducing nutrients; and
Develop and distribute annual report for the general public
and Task Force describing the condition of the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin and Gulf hypoxic zone, actions
accomplished, and objectives for the next year.
USDA (NRCS), USAGE, Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin States
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
57
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL
NEEDS?
A Strategic Communications Plan that outlines
a process and focuses on effective outreach
to both the general public and specific
stakeholders. The Communications Plan will
focus on:
Creating and maintaining a Web site for
accessing current information on Task
Force activities, status of actions, and all
associated monitoring, modeling, and
research plans and products.
Identifying and promoting existing
communication tools for outreach and
education that are deemed most effective
in reducing nutrients.
Developing and distributing an annual
report for the general public and Task Force
describing the condition of the Mississippi/
Atchafalaya River Basin, Gulf hypoxic zone,
actions accomplished, and objectives for
the next year.
Developing and distributing
communications materials for the general
public.
The Task Force Communications Plan can be
assembled using existing staff resources. Under
current levels of funding, communications
efforts will remain status quo and relatively
limited and will not meet the goal of
expanding public awareness of Gulf Hypoxia
and the publication of the Action Plan. To reach
a broader audience, several activities outlined
by the Task Force can be strengthened with
a relatively modest increase in funding by
engaging communications/media specialists
and increasing publication of communications
pieces and outreach materials to communicate
the ongoing efforts of the Task Force.
An employee of Trees
Forever helps students
plant a tree that is part of
a demonstration riparian
buffer in west central
Iowa. Trees Forever is
helping establish more
than 100 such demo sites
across Iowa.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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58
Next Steps: Getting Results
In (2013)
bod the of the
in throughout the
and the economic and
in use and
in of the goals of this Action
Plan, and
the
to to
or, this
The Task Force has always been committed to adaptive
management as we continue to implement strategies to reduce
hypoxia. Because of the tremendous scientific attention drawn
by the Gulf and Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin, as well as
the rapidly changing practices surrounding biofuels, changing
climate, and national economics, the Task Force believes that a
significant reassessment is necessary every five years.
EPA
1 Determine reassessment strategy in FY2009;
2 Identify quantitative measures of in-basin nutrient reductions
that exhibit progress toward both the Within Basin and
Coastal goals. Measures will be developed at the state level
with support as necessary from Federal agencies;
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Next Steps: Getting Results
59
Farmers in Jackson County, Iowa,
inspect corn planted no-till into sod.
3 Identify scientific needs and financial and
staff resources according to reassessment
strategy; and
4 Implement reassessment strategy.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Benjamin Grumbles, Task Force Chair, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Len Bahr, Louisiana Governor's Office of Coastal Activities
Jerry Cain, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Doyle Childers, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Charles Hartke, Illinois Department of Agriculture
Sean Logan, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Larry Maxwell, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Brad Moore, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Bill Northey, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Russell Rasmussen, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
J. Randy Young, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
George Dunlop, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, U.S. Department of Commerce (National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Gary Mast, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Timothy Petty, U.S. Department of the Interior (U.S. Geological Survey)
Merle Pierson, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Wayne P. Anderson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Ken Brazil and Earl Smith, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
Doug Daigle, Lower Mississippi River Sub-basin Committee
Bryan Hopkins, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Richard Ingram, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
John Kessler, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Dean Lemke, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
John McClurkan, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Dennis McKenna, Illinois Department of Agriculture
Dugan Sabins, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
Susan Sylvester, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Peter Tennant and Greg Youngstrom, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
Commission
Craig Hooks and Darrell Brown, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Robert Magnien, Dr. Alan Lewitus, and David Kidwell,
U.S. Department of Commerce (National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration)
Mike Sullivan, Dan Jaynes, Skip Hyberg, and Mark Peters,
U.S. Department of Agriculture
David Vigh, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Janice Ward, U.S. Department of the Interior (U.S. Geological Survey)
Gregory Colianni, Katie Flahive, William Franz, Dr. Richard M. Greene,
Bryon Griffith, Kathy Hurld, Christina Jarvis, Dr. Jacques Oliver, Dr. Amy
Parker, and John Wilson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Kristen Goodrich, Kavya Kasturi, and Tracy Rouleau,
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
Special thanks go to the many federal and state representatives and their staff
who supported the efforts of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Nutrient Task Force. Their diverse knowledge and expertise contributed to the
successful collaboration and consensus building needed to produce this plan. In
addition, the dedication of all the interested parties throughout the Mississippi
River Basin who provided public comments and attended the Task Force meetings
is greatly appreciated.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Appendix
61
Resources
EPA's Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/msbasin
EPA Science Advisory Board. 2008. Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. An
Update by the EPA Science Advisory Board. Washington, DC. EPA Science
Advisory Board. EPA-SAB-08-003. Available on EPA's Science Advisory
Board Web site at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/
C3D2F27094E03F90852573B800601D93/$File/EPA-SAB-08-003complete.
unsigned.pdf
Index of public comments received on the Draft Action Plan. Available on EPA's
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/taskforce/ghap08_comments.htm.
Knecht, A.L. 2000. Nutrient Releases to the Mississippi River in the Louisiana Industrial
Corridor: Voluntary Reductions in Nitrogenous and Phosphatic Compounds. Baton
Rouge, LA: The Louisiana Environmental Leadership Pollution Prevention
Program. Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Interagency
Agreement No 541321.26 pages.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. 2006. Management
Action Reassessment Team Report. Available on EPA's Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/taskforce/MART.pdf
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. 2004. A Science
Strategy to Support Management Decisions Related to Hypoxia in the Northern
Gulf of Mexico and Excess Nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin: prepared by the
Monitoring, Modeling, and Research Workgroup of the Mississippi River/Watershed
Nutrient Task Force. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1270.58 p. Available at:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/1270/
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. 2001. Action Plan
for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of
Mexico. Washington, DC.
For Additional Copies of the Action Plan, Contact:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (4501T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
E-mail: ow-hypoxia@epa.gov
Or Visit:
http://www.epa.gov/msbasin
For Citation of This Document, Use the Following:
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. 2008. Gulf Hypoxia
Action Plan 2008 for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf
of Mexico and Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin. Washi ngton, DC.
Photo Credits
Inside cover: Photo Courtesy of NASA.
Page 2: Photo Courtesy ofArtwallpapers.com.
Page 3: Illustration Courtesy of USACE. Photo Courtesy of NASA.
Page 6: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 8: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 11: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 14: Illustration Courtesy of N. Rabalais and A. Sapp,
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.
Page 21: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 24: Photo Courtesy of USGS.
Page 26: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 28: Photo Courtesy of USACE.
Page 31: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 35: Photo Courtesy of USACE.
Page 38: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 39: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 40: Photo Courtesy of NOAA.
Page 43: Photo Courtesy of NOAA.
Page 51: Photo Courtesy of N. Rabalais, Louisiana Universities Marine
Consortium.
Page 53: Photo Courtesy of USGS.
Page 55: Photo Courtesy of Kristen Goodrich.
Page 57: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Page 59: Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008
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Gulf of Mexico
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Task Force
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