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Nutrient Loads to the Gulf of Mexico

Nutrient Loads to the Gulf of Mexico. Mike Woodside U.S. Geological Survey TN. What is hypoxia?. What causes hypoxia?. Excess nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico Seasonal Stratification of Gulf Waters. Is Hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico getting better or worse?.

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Nutrient Loads to the Gulf of Mexico

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  1. Nutrient Loads to the Gulf of Mexico Mike Woodside U.S. Geological Survey TN

  2. What is hypoxia?

  3. What causes hypoxia? Excess nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico Seasonal Stratification of Gulf Waters

  4. Is Hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico getting better or worse?

  5. Spring Nutrient Loads Are Used to Estimate the Size of the Hypoxic Zone

  6. Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin Nitrogen Loads Source: USGS: Aulenbach and others, 2010

  7. Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin Phosphorus Loads Source: USGS: Aulenbach and others, 2010

  8. USGS Releases Nutrient Load Estimates Online each year for Mainstem sites and Nine Major Tributaries • MRB Clinton, IA • MRB Alton, IL • Missouri River at Omaha, NE • Missouri River at Herman, MO • MRB at Thebes, IL • Ohio River at Cannelton, IN • Ohio River at Grand Chain, IL • Arkansas River below Little Rock, AR • Red River at Simmesport, LA http://water.usgs.gov/nasqan/

  9. Nutrient Delivery and Sources Areas with Highest Delivered Yields of Nitrogen to the Gulf of Mexico Sources of Nitrogen Delivered To the Gulf of Mexico Alexander and others, 2008

  10. Rankings and the uncertainties of these rankings for 818 watersheds in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin Robertson and others, 2009

  11. Importance of Groundwater Nutrient Contributions Fenelon, 1998

  12. Elevated nutrient levels can also affect the quality of drinking water resources

  13. Comprised of: Federal Agencies: EPA, NOAA, USDA, USACE, DOI States: AR, IL, IA, IN, KY, LA, MN, MS, MO, OH, TN, WI Goal: Strive to reduce or make significant progress towards reducing the five-year running average areal extent of the hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 square kilometers by the year 2015

  14. Nutrient Reduction Actions in the Basin

  15. Challenges/Needs • Long-term Surface and Groundwater Quality Monitoring • Enhance Nutrient Source Accounting • Location and Quantification of Nutrient Reductions from Conservation Practices • Suite of water quality models and online decision support tools to evaluate management alternatives

  16. BBQ and Shrimp Mike Woodside U.S.Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program Nashville, TN mdwoodsi@usgs.gov 615-837-4706

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