Nutrient control actions for improving water quality in the Mississippi River basin and northern Gulf of Mexico / Committee on the Mississippi River and the Clean Water Act: Scientific Modeling, and Technical Aspects of Nutrient Pollutant Load Allocation and Implementation, Water Science and Technology Board, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on the Mississippi River and the Clean Water Act: Scientific, Modeling, and Technical Aspects of Nutrient Pollutant Load Allocation and Implementation.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nutrient pollution of water--Mississippi River.

Nutrient pollution of water.

Marine eutrophication--Mexico, Gulf of.

Marine eutrophication.

Hypoxia (Water)--Mexico, Gulf of.

Hypoxia (Water).

Nonpoint source pollution--United States.

Nonpoint source pollution.

Fertilizers--Environmental aspects--United States.

Fertilizers.

Water--Pollution--United States.

Water.

Agricultural pollution--Environmental aspects--United States.

Agricultural pollution.

Eutrophication--United States.

Eutrophication.

Watershed management--United States.

Watershed management.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (89 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

A large area of coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico experiences seasonal conditions of low levels of dissolved oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia. Excess discharge of nutrients into the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers causes nutrient overenrichment in the gulf's coastal waters and stimulates the growth of large algae blooms. When these algae die, the process of decomposition depletes dissolved oxygen from the water column and creates hypoxic conditions. In considering how to implement provisions of the Clean Water Act to strengthen nutrient reduction objectives across the Mississippi River basin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested advice from the National Research Council. This book represents the results of the committee's investigations and deliberations, and recommends that the EPA and U.S. Department of Agriculture should jointly establish a Nutrient Control Implementation Initiative to learn more about the effectiveness of actions meant to improve water quality throughout the Mississippi River basin and into the northern Gulf of Mexico. Other recommendations include how to move forward on the larger process of allocating nutrient loading caps -- which entails delegating responsibilities for reducing nutrient pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus -- across the basin.

Contents:

""Acknowledgment of Reviewers""; ""Contents""; ""Summary""; ""1 Introduction""; ""2 Nutrient Inputs and Water Quality Effects""; ""3 Getting Started: A Nutrient Control Implementation Initiative (NCII)""; ""4 Allocating Nutrient Load Reduction Targets""; ""5 Monitoring the Effectiveness of Nutrient Control Actions and Strategies""; ""6 Overcoming Perceived Obstacles to Action""; ""References""; ""Appendixes""; ""Appendix A: Statement of Task""; ""Appendix B: Guest Speakers at Committee Meetings""; ""Appendix C: Committee Biographical Information""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-68).

ISBN:

9786612272462

9780309141789

0309141788

9781282272460

1282272462

9780309130011

0309130018

OCLC:

932320418