2013 Reassessment

Action 11 of the 2008 Action Plan calls for a reassessment, every five years, of the Task Force approach to addressing excess nitrogen and phosphorus loads in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin, and to reduce the size of the Gulf hypoxic zone. The 2013 Reassessment is the Task Force’s response to the Action 11 commitment. It provides a snapshot of progress to date in implementing the 2008 Action Plan: each Task Force state has developed a nutrient reduction strategy; USDA continues to provide strong assistance for conservation practices; science and monitoring continue to improve; and the goal for reducing the Gulf hypoxic zone remains reasonable. The Reassessment recommends that the Task Force work to accelerate implementation of nutrient reduction activities and identify ways to measure progress at a variety of scales.

2008 Action Plan

The 2008 Action Plan describes a national strategy to reduce, mitigate, and control hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin. The plan was released on June 16th, 2008. You may request a copy or download the Action Plan as a PDF file.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force released the 2008 Action Plan as a product of a four-year reassessment that was called for in the 2001 Action Plan. The revised Plan reflects emerging science including EPA's Science Advisory Board report.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force held six public meetings throughout the Mississippi River Basin to inform the public of the progress of the reassessment of the Action Plan. The draft Action Plan received over 750 public comments.

Eleven key actions in the 2008 Action Plan outline critical needs to complete and implement nitrogen and phosphorus reduction strategies, promote effective conservation practices and management practices, track progress, reduce existing scientific uncertainties, and promote effective communications to increase awareness of Gulf hypoxia.

Annual Reports

Action Item 7 of the 2008 Action Plan requires that the Task Force "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." The first Annual Report was completed for FY 2009 and featured quantitative indicators to track water quality, conservation practices, and other trends, as well as success stories highlighting achievements of state and federal agency members of the Task Force and partner organizations.

Request Copies of the 2008 Action Plan

For copies of the 2008 Action Plan, contact NSCEP:

Phone: 1-800-490-9198

E-mail: nscep@bps-lmit.com

When requesting copies, be sure to provide the title and publication number:

Publication #: 842K09001

Title: Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008

Citation

When citing the 2008 Action Plan, use the following text:

Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. 2008. Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008 for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin. Washington, DC.