Moving Forward on Gulf Hypoxia^
Annual Report

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Hypoxia Task Force
Comments from the Task Force
In accordance with Action 7 of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008 this is the first release
of the Annual Report The report is intended to track interim progress on the actions to
reduce nitrogen and phosphorus accomplished in Fiscal Year 2009 by the Mississippi River/
Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. The Annual Report is a means to identify
and evaluate the
effectiveness of
programs and
management efforts
to reduce the Gulf
of Mexico hypoxic
zone.
This report includes
quantitative
indicators
(pages 4-7) that are
based on currently
available data to assess the outcomes of Task Force member organizations' activities. There
is also a series of success stories :(pages 8-15) that highlight some of the accomplishments of
the state and federal member organizations.
Each year, a similar annual report will provide a means to better understand those efforts
that are the most effective at reducing nutrient inputs, how effective they are, and how we
can better target future actions.
Members of the Task Force
State Agencies
Arkansas Natural BgsoureMCornmission
I i pots Depa rt merit of Ag rI cu 11 u re
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Louisiana Governors OfficaafCoastal Activities
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Mi ssissip pi Department: of Environ menta I Qua I ity
Missouri Department qf Natural Resources
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Tennessee Depa rt ment of Ag ricu 11 u re
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Federal Agencies
U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers
LK Depa rt men t of Ag ricu 11 u re
U:5, Department of Commerce {National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
US Department of the Interior [U.S. geological Survey)
U,S„: Environmental Protection Agency
We- are- moving, forward ov1 6?ivl-f hypoxia*
2
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009

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Task Force Actions
1.	Complete and implement comprehensive nitrogen and phosphorus reduction strategies
for states within the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin encompassing 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.
2.	Complete and implement comprehensive nitrogen and phosphorus reduction strategies
for appropriate basin-wide programs and projects. Target first those programs and
projects with significant federal lead or co-implementation responsibilities,
3.	While developing comprehensive state and federal nitrogen and phosphorus reduction
strategies and continuing current reduction efforts, examine and, where possible,
implement opportunities to enhance protection of the Gulf and local water quality through
existing federal and state water quality, water management, and conservation programs.
4.	Develop and promote more efficient and cost-effective conservation practices and
management practices for conserving nutrients within the Mississippi/Atchafalaya
River Basin watershed and evaluate their effectiveness at all scales beginning with local
watersheds and aggregating them up to the scale of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin.
5.	Identify and, where possible, quantify the effects of the hypoxic zone on the economic,
human and natural resources in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin and Northern Gulf
of Mexico, including the benefits of actions to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus and the
costs of alternative management strategies.
6.	Coordinate, consolidate, and improve access to data collected by State and Federal
agencies on Gulf Hypoxia and Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin program
activities and results.
7.	Track interim progress on the actions to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus by producing
an annual report on federal and state program nutrient reduction activities and results.
8.	Continue to reduce existing scientific uncertainties identified in the Science Advisory
Board and MMR workgroup reports regarding source, fate, and transport of nitrogen and
phosphorus in the surface waters of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin to-continually
improve the accuracy of management tools and efficacy of management strategies for
nutrient reduction.
9.	Continue to reduce uncertainty about the relationship between nitrogen and
phosphorus loads and the formation, extent, duration, and severity of the hypoxic zone,
to best monitor progress toward, and inform adaptive management of the Coastal Goal.
10.	Promote effective communications to increase awareness of hypoxia and support the
activities of the Task Force.
11.	In five years (2013) reassess nitrogen and phosphorus load reductions, the response
ofthe hypoxic zone, changes in water quality throughout the Mississippi/Atchafalaya
River Basin, and the economic and social effects, including changes in land use and
management, ofthe reductions in terms ofthe goals of this Action Plan. Evaluate how
current policies and programs affect the management decisions made by industrial and
agricultural producers, evaluate lessons learned, and determine appropriate actions to
continue to implement or, if necessary, revise this strategy.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annua! Report 2009
3

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Indicators
Extent and Severity of the Gulf of Mexico
Hypoxic Zone
Hypoxic conditions result from complex interactions among climate,
weather, basin morphology, circulation patterns, water retention times,
freshwater inflows, stratification, mixing, and nutrient loadings. Nutrient
fluxes from the M ississi p p i - Atch af a I ay a River Basin (MARB), coupled with
temperature- and density-induced stratification, have been implicated
as the primary cause of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM).
Variation in year-to-year inputs of both freshwater and nutrients from the
MARB make it difficult to identify the relative importance of increased
eutrophication versus increased stratification in any given year over the
recent past.
Area of Mid-Summer Bottom Water Hypoxia
(Dissolved Oxygen < 2.0 mg/L)
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Total Nitrogen Flux
The NGOM Action Plan calls for a 45% reduction by 2015
in the total nitrogen load delivered annually to the NGOM.
The average load of nitrogen delivered to the NGOM from
1980 to 1996 was established as the baseline condition.
The five-year average of the total nitrogen load from 2004
to 2008 is about 1.5 times the 45% reduction goal for 2015.
There are numerous ongoing activities throughout the
Mississippi River Basin designed to reduce the amount of
nutrients delivered to the NGOM, but additional resources
will be needed to implement nutrient reduction strategies
throughout the basin to meet the established goal.
Annual Total Nitrogen Flux
(Baseline Average 1980-1996)
(5-year average)
Year
Note: The 1980-1996 baseline is 1,575,176 metrictons. The target is866,347 metric tons (45% reductbn). The 5-year average is 1,308,i

Water Erosion of Soil on Cropland*
Although the loss of soil is a natural process, the rate at which it occurs can be increased by some types of human land uses, including
the agricultural production of crops. Soil erosion involves the breakdown, detachment, transport, and redistribution of soil particles by
the forces of water, wind, or gravity Soil erosion on cropland is an important indicator that can be used to shed light on on-site impacts
on soil quality and crop productivity and downstream impacts on water quality and biological activity.
Total erosion amounts continue to decline across all major river basins with the most significant reductions occurring in the Missouri
and Upper Mississippi river basins.
Erosion rates on a per-acre basis declined
significantly between 1982 and 2003 in the
Mississippi River Basin. Water (sheet and rill)
erosion on cropland dropped from 4.5 tons
per acre per year in 1982 to 2.9 tons per acre
per year in 2003.
• Soil erosion rates will continue to be
measured and will be reported every two
years (starting with 2007).
WaferThe conservation practices developed by
USDS, ate designed to-address one or mdfe resource
icoriee'rns. Their desig n specifications and benefits ate
described in the National Handbook of Conservation
Practices (NHCP)\available at wwwjtfcs.usda.gpv/
technical/Standards/nhcp.html.Consefydtion practice
data are summarized from the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Perfgfmancft Rfis.u1ts
,System (PRS)forth© (Mississippi River Basin.; Result!
are provided by year and by two-digit hydrologlc unit
codelHUC) foresEh conservation practice group.
Practice data are updated annually Practice data
for PV3Q00-F-Y2P08 are included for nutrient
management and wetlands: and for FY200S-
FY20B8:forerosion control practices
* Indicators markedmthan (Mg0kafemorefekvatit:to phosphorus loading 'in the Gulf because phosphorus binds tgsoil pgrticfej,, whichare transported into
the if®! through soil'erosion.		
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed NutrientTask Force ¦ Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
Mississippi River Basin
Water Erosion (bneet ana Kill) on cropland by Year
(Rate in tons per acre per year)
Missouri
Ohio
Tennessee
•s River f"
Arkansas-White-Red
Percent Cropland
| | 1%-15%
r | 15%-30%
Lower '
Mississippi
Data SoumUatiomlRmm&lmmtoty, US0A NRCS
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Indicators (continued)
Nutrient Mass Balances
The mass balances account for all nutrient inputs and outputs
from the MARB. The balances show that for the entire basin,
the net nitrogen inputs have been steady during the past
10-15 years, despite increasing crop harvests. This is thought
to be due primarily to declining corn protein concentrations. In
the upper MARB, where net nitrogen inputs are largest, there
has been a steady but small decrease in net inputs. However,
mainly because of the change in corn protein now included
in these balances, the decrease is not as great as previously
estimated. The net nitrogen might be subject to denitrification
or leaching losses or added to the soil nitrogen pool. For the
basin, net phosphorus inputs are now about zero (inputs are
equal to outputs), whereas in the upper MARB net phosphorus
inputs are negative. This suggests utilization of previously
added fertilizer phosphorus likely stored in soils.
Mississippi River Basin
Nitrogen Balance	Phosphorus Balance
Fertilizer
Fixation
Deposition
Harvest
Manure
Fluman Consumption
Net Nitrogen Inputs

1940 1950 1960
1970 198
Year
1990 2000 2010
Fertilizer
_	Manure
Fluman Consumption
Net Phosphorus Inputs

1980
Year
1990 2000 2010
QstaSoamMQfk Dertid, lim&3011linois at Utbm-(twm0an
Erosion Data#
Erosion data are provided from the National Resources
Inventory (NRI), a statistical survey of natural resource
conditions and trends on non-federal land in the United
States. Between 1982 and 2003, soil erosion on cropland
Within the MRB decreased 42%, Water (sheet and rill) erosion
on cropland in 2003 was down to 710 million tons per year.
Water (Sheet & Rill) Erosion on Cropland
1.40 -f
1.20-
1.00-
03 0.40-
0.20-
0.00-
1.06
=_.=
[T
0.85
_
[1 Sheet & Rill Erosion
Cropland includes cultivated and non-cultivated
fit
0.75
Jl
LR
1982	1987	1992	1997	2001	2003
Year
DataSoixe
Nutrient Management Systems
Applied
Nutrient management consists of managing the amount, source,
placement, form, and timing of the application of plant nutrients
and soil amendments. Twenty-four million acres of land have
come under nutrient management systems within the MARB
since 2000.
Nutrient Management Systems Applied
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
!
1,500,000
1,000,000
Subbasins
|~1 Arkansas/Red/White
Missouri
|~1 Lower Mississippi
[J Upper Mississippi
m Ohio/Tennessee
IJJJJJJJJJ
FY00
FY02
FY04
Year
FY06
FY08
BataSowm I
Indicators marked with an asterisk are mom relevant to phosphorus loading in the Grilf lmcaase phosphorus, binds to soil particles, which are transported into
the MARB through soil erosion.
6
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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Erosion Control Practices
Erosion control practices associated with crop production
help to reduce the potential of off-site impacts from sheet
and rill erosion while improving soil fertility, soil health,
and sustainable crop production. Data on crop erosion
have been collected since FY2005 when phosphorus was
identified as a nutrient of concern associated with Gulf
hypoxia. Conservation practices were applied to twenty-
four million acres of land for erosion control from FY2000
to FY2008.
Erosion Control Practices Applied
10,000.000
8,000,000
U 6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
Subbasins
[J Arkansas/Red/White
~	Missouri
~	Lower Mississippi
[J Upper Mississippi
n Ohio/Tennessee
FY05
FY06 FY07
Year
FY08
DgtaSoijfce:
Wetlands Createdf, Enhanced, or
Restored
Wetlands provide quality habitat for migratory birds and other
wildlife, protect water quality, and reduce flood damages,
Within the MARB, 1.7 million acres of wetlands have been
created, restored, or enhanced since 2000.
Wetlands Created, Enhanced or Restored
2
<
300,000
200,000
100,000

Subbasins
HI Arkansas/Red/White
~	Missouri
PI Lower Mississippi
n Upper Mississippi
~	Ohio/Tennessee
Data Source:
Acknowledgements
Mark David, Universltyof Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
JaUfteoebei, USDA NRCS
Dennis Mcfenna, Illinois Department of Agriculture;
Michael Sullivan, Mississippi River Basin Coordinator, USDA NRCS
Michael Wood'side, Supervisory Hydrologist, USES
Additional Indicators
The Task Force will incorporate data on additional indicators: into future wsionsof the, Annual Report, The relevant indicators will include;
Number'Ofcompleted stateUesel nitrogen and phosphorus reduction strategfes
Number of federal programs With nitrogen and phosphorus strategtecompleted
•	Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLsJ established for nutrients
•	Vegetative-or forested buffers established along rivers and streams of priority'Watersheds;
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annua! Report 2009
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Success Stories
Missouri RjVer
YettoVftW^
Hypoxic Zone
8
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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Success Stories
This section features a series of success stories to highlight several of the many contributions
addressing Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. Additional accounts can be found online at the Task
Force Web site at www.epa.gov/msbasin/success_stories.htm.
Missouri Develops Programs for Hypoxia
Situation
Nitrogen is a significant, if not the predominant, driver contributing to Gulf of Mexico
hypoxia. The factors that lead to nitrogen loading in the Mississippi River Basin are complex
and dynamic, but it is clear that post-harvest residual nitrogen in agricultural fields could be
one route for losses to surface waters. Soil fertility experts
long have tried to refine nitrogen fertilizer application to
match crop uptake patterns and avoid leaving unused
fertilizer in the soil. However, this requires predicting crop
growth early, usually before the crop is even planted. Making
such predictions has proven difficult because crop growth
varies widely from year to year and even within a single field.
Sensors
Hagie equipped with coulters and rigid injection of liquid urea
ammonium nitrate. Adequate clearance ranges from 1.5 to
about 5.5 feet
Summary of Missouri On-Farm Demonstrations in 2004-2007
(Based on $4.00/Bushel Corn and $0.50/lb Nitrogen)
Average Corn Yield
(Bushels/Acre)
Producer's: "Normal''
Nitrogsn Rate
¦r
US
Variable-Rate Mftragsn
Based on Com Canopy
Caldr
S3
m
i tost or Gained When
UsingCariopytMor'
-S2.0Q
511.00:
Approach
Several universities and commercial groups
are working to develop in-season crop growth
sensors that can determine a fertilizer application
rate by the intensity of the green color of the
crop canopy. The sensors are mounted on
high-clearance fertilizer applicators, and the
rate is determined on the go—that is, green
color is sensed at the front of the implement
and the correct amount of nitrogen is applied
immediately.
A summary of more than 40 on-farm
demonstrations in Missouri showed that the field-average nitrogen fertilizer rate could be
substantially reduced while maintaining the same corn yield by using leaf canopy color
sensing. This should result in less soil residua! nitrogen available for loss to surface water.
EQIP Implementation
The University of Missouri received a national Conservation Innovation Grant to develop
procedures for crop canopy color-sensing technology in Missouri. In FY2007 the Missouri
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) policy added a nutrient management
incentive (under Clean Water Act section 590) for precision nitrogen management using
crop color sensing. An Agronomy Technical Note provides guidance for implementing this
incentive activity
Sams stsry pmided by Bob: M,KmnBMman, Glenn Davis, Dwame£elnar, and P&erScfiarf
Average lbs of
Nitrogen/Acre
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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Indiana EQIP Promotes Conservation Cropping Systems
In response to continuing concerns about water quality, energy, fossil fuels, and agricultural
input costs, Indiana has made a significant investment in promoting Conservation Cropping
Systems (no-till + nutrient management + cover crops + buffers, implemented together as a
system), and the message is making enough sense to Indiana producers that many of them
are applying the system on their farms.
Conservation Cropping Systems capture and sequester nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon
in the soil, while reducing total inputs in terms of fuel and nutrients in row crop production
systems. The net result is a substantia! reduction in losses of these nutrients to the water and
atmosphere. Because these essential compounds are still on the fields, producers benefit.

Pictures top to bottom:
cover crop, no-till corn,
grassed buffer strips.
•.'.jr.*-#.V.; • -n

In a Purdue University study, Dr. Eileen Kladivko found
that nitrate concentrations in tile drainage water
dropped from over 30 milligrams per liter to under
10 milligrams per liter when a system of nutrient
management, no-till, crop rotation, and cover crops was
implemented. In a four-year study (2002-2005), Dr. Tom
Kaspar, at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
Soil Tilth Lab in Ames, Iowa,found annual reductions in
nitrate losses through drainage tile of 20-40 pounds per
acre achieved by using a winter cover crop.
In both 2008 and 2009, Indiana obligated over
50% ($16.9 million) of each fiscal year's EQIP
allocation toward Conservation Cropping
Systems practices. With NRCS and its partners
focusing their technical assistance and funding
to help farmers get through the difficult entry
phase of managing these cropping systems,
there will be tremendous environmental and
societal benefits. This approach will also serve
NRCS well when dealing with regional
issues such as the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia
and Great Lakes initiatives.
10
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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Bioreactor Reduces Nitrate Discharge to Downstream
Ecosystems
Scientists at USDA ARS are finding ways to stem the flow of nitrates that are washed out
of crop fields and into regional surface water and groundwater sources. These nitrates
come primarily from nitrogen fertilizers that are not taken up by crops. After the nitrates are
flushed from the soil, they flow into subsurface tile drains that channel excess water away
from crop fields. But these underground drains can facilitate the eventual passage of nitrate-
laden runoff into the Gulf of Mexico, the Chesapeake Bay, and other water bodies. When the
runoff enters these areas, it can intensify the development of hypoxia.
ARS research leader Patrick Hunt, agricultural engineer Kenneth Stone, and soil scientist
Matias Vanotti developed a process for denitrifying nitrate-laden runoff in subsurface drains
before the runoff reaches sensitive aquatic ecosystems downstream. They cultured and
encapsulated denitrifying bacteria in polymer gels and verified their denitrification rates. The
resulting product was called "immobilized denitrification sludge," or IDS. They then devised
a bioreactor by placing the IDS in a small reactor cylinder. The team tested the bioreactor in
the field, where nitrate concentrations in runoff averaged 7.8 milligrams per liter.
Hunt and ARS environmental engineer Kyoung Ro determined that the hydraulic retention
time (HRT)—how long the field drainage water remained in the bioreactor—was crucial in
the denitrification process. With a one-hour HRT, 50% of the nitrogen was removed from
the runoff. When the HRT was increased to more than 8 hours, the nitrate removal efficiency
approached 100%.
The team concluded that
the daily nitrate removal
rate of a one-cubic-meter
bioreactor would be
approximately 94 grams
per square meter of nitrate
from field runoff. This is
significantly higher than
the removal rates reported
for in-stream wetlands,
treatment wetlands, or
wood-based bioreactors.
iinMimBimwdetl If km
MUSI
Runoff from a heavy rain carries fopsoil and nutrients from a crop field.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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Marathon Receives Louisiana Environmental Leadership
Program Special Recognition Award
The Marathon Petroleum Company's Louisiana Refining Division (Garyville, Louisiana) was
recently awarded the Environmental Leadership Program Special Recognition Award for
nitrate reduction to the Mississippi River by the Louisiana Department of Environmental
Quality. Marathon recently expanded the capacity of its Louisiana refinery and now ranks
among the top five refineries nationwide. This and other industry nutrient reduction
activities are a part of the Louisiana Annual Operating Plan and Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Marathon received the award when it brought the project online with no increase in
permitted effluent iimits. At the same time, the expanded refinery will be totally self-
sufficient for water supply and for waste treatment and disposal. The site's waste water
treatment plant modifications include the installation of a biological reactor train, consisting
of an induced gas flow unit, a closed-circuit cooling tower, an advent integrated system
(AIS), biological reactor, and integral clarifier. These biological reactors have the ability to
remove 85%-90% of dissolved nitrates, a common nutrient in treated refinery effluent.
Pictured left to right:
Jody Amedee, Chair of the
Louisiana State Senate
Environmental Quality Committee;
Rich Bedell, Manager, Louisiana
Refining Division, Marathon
Petroleum Company;
Wally Dows, Environmental, Safety
and Security Manager, Louisiana
Refining Division, Marathon
Petroleum Company;
Dr. Harold Leggett, Secretary,
Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality.
New Tool Fertil izes Fields and Reduces Runoff Nutrients
A new field tool developed by USDA ARS scientists applies poultry litter to fields in shallow
bands, reducing runoff of excess phosphorus and nitrogen. Poultry litter (a combination
of poultry manure and bedding material, such as pine shavings or peanut or rice hulls) is a
natural fertilizer. The conventional method of applying it to fields uses a broadcast spreader,
which scatters the litter across the soil surface. Because the litter rests on top of the soil, it is
vulnerable to runoff in heavy rains.
A new tool developed by ARS agricultural engineer Thomas Way and his colleagues at the
agency's National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, Alabama, offers a solution. The tool
INITIES
12
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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digs shallow trenches about two to three inches
deep in the soil. It then places the poultry litter
in the trenches and covers it with soil. Burying
the litter significantly reduces the risk of runoff.
Designed to attach to a tractor, the iitter applicator
can dig four trenches as it is puiied through the
field. Collaborators in six states have used Way's
litter applicator in their research, with positive
results. In one project, Way worked With Dan Pote,
a soil scientist at the ARS Dale Bumpers Small
Farms Research Center in Booneville, Arkansas. The
scientists applied the litter to Bermuda grass forage
plots and then watered the field with a rainfall
simulator. When the litter was applied with Way's
new tool, phosphorus and nitrogen runoff were
8Q%-95% lower than when the litter was applied in
the conventional manner.
Way also has collaborated with ARS scientists
throughout the country to examine the tool's
effectiveness with different crops. They used the
new implement in experiments in corn fields in
Alabama, Kentucky, and Maryland; cotton fields in
Mississippi and Georgia; and Bermuda grass and tall
fescue stands in Alabama. Their results showed that
the new tool has the potential to reduce water pollution significantly when used to apply
poultry Iitter to a variety of crops. Now ARS is pursuing a patent and seeking companies to
manufacture and market the iitter applicator.
SmessSfory^^Mt^kuMl^iB, tBDAAftS
Stakeholder Collaboration Leads to Completion
of Hypoxia Monitoring Implementation Plan
In early 2007, NOAA convened a Gulf Hypoxia Monitoring Summit following recognition
that improved monitoring would be required to sufficiently assess progress toward the
Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan2008's Coastal Goal to reduce the size of the hypoxiczone. This
summit resulted in a framework for improved monitoring and a commitment by NOAA
and its partners to develop a detailed strategyfor increased and coordinated monitoring
of hypoxia in the northern Gulf. Following the summit, this collaborative effort resulted in
the completion of the Gulf Hypoxia Monitoring Implementation Plan in early 2009. The
implementation plan provides a multistep, tiered approach to improve monitoring and
includes detailed core monitoring system requirements, details for expanded observing
systems, and needs for advancing the understanding of hypoxia causes and impacts. It also
contains specific direction for improved data availability and outreach. Several federal and
state partners have committed to implementing many of the system requirements of the
plan, representing strong success in advancing research and management efforts toward
hypoxia mitigation.
SuQ&jM&mwkii If $$4i
Chicken litter being loaded into spreader truck.
Poultry litter, which is a source of nutrients to water bodies,
is vulnerable to erosion when applied to fields.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grant Program Report
Highlights Successes
Since 2000 Ohio has worked aggressively to
develop a robust watershed management
infrastructure throughout the state. This effort was
facilitated by legislation enacted that year, which
provided funds to Ohio EPA, Ohio State University
Extension, and Ohio Department of Natural
Resources (ODNR) to assess water quality, develop
outreach and training programs, and provide
technical support.
A major linchpin in the Ohio watershed program
is the Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grant Program
administered by ODNR's Division of Soil and
Water Resources. The program provides locally
matched state and federal grant dollars to employ
"watershed coordinators." These watershed
professionals organize local stakeholders to develop and implement watershed action plans
which are endorsed and receive priority for state and federal funds for implementation.
2008 Annual Report: Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grant Program showcases the success
watershed coordinators have achieved in the 2008 calendar year and cumulatively since the
program began in 2000.
1 $76 million in grants and other funds leveraged for watershed projects since 2001
42 watershed partnerships supported since 2000
42 state-endorsed watershed action plans developed since 2000
> Over 1 million pounds per year of nitrogen loadings reduced by implementing
watershed action plans statewide in 2008 alone.
The entire report can be downloaded from the following Web site:
www.dnr.state.oh.us/soilandwater/water/watershedprograms/default/tabid/9192/Default.aspx
Smessstarfpmidedby Qhio Watershed Coordinator Grant Program
2008 Annual Report
Ohio Watershed Coordinator
Grant Program
14
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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EPA Awards $3.7 Million n Water Quality Trading Funding
EPA has awarded $3,7 million through its Targeted Watersheds Grants Program (www.epa.
gov/OWOWZwatershed/initiative), which focuses on water quality trading or other market-
based water quality projects to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, or other pollutant
loadings that cause low oxygen levels. Established in 2003, the Targeted Watersheds
Grants Program is designed to encourage successful community-based approaches and
management techniques to protect and restore the nation's watersheds. The projects are
located in the three Mississippi River subbasins with the highest nutrient loads contributing
to hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico—the Ohio River, the Upper Mississippi River, and
the Lower Mississippi River. The recipients of the grants include leading organizations, each
involving a broad array of stakeholders and members, including those from academia, local
and state governments, tribes, and nonprofit organizations.
SumsstQiypwvidedbyfPA
NOAA Awards $2.4 Million to Refine Management
Strategies in the Gulf
sfisrjs?
In support of science needs identified in the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008, NOAA has
renewed its commitment to the NGOM by awarding $2.4 million in the first year of a
$12 million, multiyear research investment. Although sufficient understanding of the hypoxic
zone exists to take action now to reduce nutrient inputs, this research investment will
answer critical questions that have recently emerged and allow for refined management
and mitigation strategies. Scientists from two of the projects will collaborate closely to
define more precisely when, where, and how hypoxia
develops in response to nutrient loads and other factors.
An additional three projects will focus on improving the
understanding of the impacts of the hypoxic zone on the
communities and living resources of the northern Gulf.
These studies include an economic analysis of how the
hypoxic zone affects the shrimp fishery in the NGOM, the
development of models to forecast how the populations
of important fish species will respond to changes
in nutrient pollution and the hypoxic zone,
and an in-depth analysis of the reproductive
effects on Atlantic croaker fish populations.
This investment will position the Task Force to
make informed decisions when management
strategies are reviewed in 2013.
fgcrea MyptcmedlimM)
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force • Gulf Hypoxia Annual Report 2009
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Mississippi River
Gulf of Mexico
Watershed Nutrient
Task Force
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (4501T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460
E-maii: ow-hypoxia@epa.gov; Web site: www.epa.gov/msbasin
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