To Reduce dead zone. The plan was submitted to congress by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on January 18th. The purpose of the Task Force plan is to find ways through existing programs to decrease levels of both non-point and point sources of nitrogen and phosphorus that enter into the Mississippi River. When nutrients get swept off the land, either by rain or wind, or are discharged from wastewater facilities, they run off into rivers and streams. When these short-lived organisms die and decompose, oxygen is depleted from the bottom water, creating a dead zone, where marine organisms are either forced to move or suffocate to death, says Dr. Steve Adair, Director of Conservation Programs at Ducks Unlimited.
Hypoxia occurs nationwide and is present in over half of our major estuaries.
The Task Force plan places a great deal of emphasis on voluntary federal restoration programs that we support. Both programs are close to their maximum enrollment, meaning that caps will prevent landowners from participating, said Dr. Alan Wentz, Group Manager of Conservation Programs at Ducks Unlimited. When the Farm Bill is reauthorized in 2002, there will be an opportunity to open up these programs to more participants, and in effect, restore more wetlands. Reauthorization can t come soon enough, said Dr. Wentz. Wetlands act as natural water filters, absorbing pollutants before they infiltrate waterways.