AGENCY REPORT LINKS AGRICULTURE AND GOLF HYPOXIA

News Date February 04, 2008

       The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published a report stating that agricultural practices in nine states contribute to the majority of excessive nutrients in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Over the past several years, many agencies collected data and began evaluating the conditions of nutrient over enrichment and hypoxia.

       The report states that Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi contribute over 70 percent of nitrogen and phosphorus to the Gulf. The USGS report, "Differences in Phosphorus and Nitrogen Delivery to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River Basin," says corn and soybean cultivation are the largest contributor of nitrogen to the Gulf. Animal manure on pasture and rangelands and crop cultivation are the largest contributors of phosphorus.

       According to the report, "the large nutrient requirements for corn and the potential for nitrogen over application contribute to the leaching of nitrate-nitrogen, which is highly mobile in soils and groundwater . . . Conservation practices are generally effective in increasing water infiltration and removing particulates from runoff, but have little effect on nitrate leaching, with more mixed results on dissolved forms of phosphorus," the report says. 

       The USGS report says agriculture is the main contributor to the excess nutrients found in the northern Gulf. Non-agriculture sources are contributing about 20% of the phosphorus and 30% of the nitrogen, possibly coming from waste water, septic systems, power plants, and vehicles.

       The USGS says the recognition of the effects of agriculture production on nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, and efficient reductions will start to decrease the amount of nutrients in the Gulf. NASDA's Natural Resource and Pesticide Management Committee will hear a report on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hypoxia Task Force during it's upcoming meeting on February 10. For more information, or to read the USGS report go to http://www.usgs.gov. (Contact: Charlie Ingram or Carissa Wilhelm)