The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing a total of $1.2 million to the 12 state members of the Hypoxia Task Force to help implement state plans to reduce excess nutrients in the Mississippi River/Atchafalaya River Basin.

“Different states have different needs and we want to be flexible to help each state make progress in ways that work best for them, their partners and their stakeholders,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water David Ross. “Focusing our efforts on local solutions and collaborative efforts is key as we make progress on improving water quality in this critical watershed.”

The Hypoxia Task Force provides direction and support to improve water quality in local waterways and in the Gulf of Mexico.

What else is going on?

Last week, EPA and USDA hosted the National Nutrient Finance Forum to discuss financing strategies and opportunities to fund projects to improve water quality.

“This forum is the capstone to a summer-long outreach and engagement effort, which has been met with great interest across public and private sector stakeholders,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water Anna Wildeman.

“USDA has an extensive and successful history of helping agricultural producers and forest landowners seek traditional and innovative solutions for improving water quality on or near their operations,” said Natural Resources Conservation Service Deputy Chief for Programs Jimmy Bramblett. “We are committed to using our established and diverse partnerships to explore innovative approaches to improving water quality on privately-owned working lands.”

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