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Illinois unveils nutrient reduction plan
The Illinois EPA and the Illinois Department of Agriculture just released a Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy to keep nutrients from entering the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River system.
All 12 Mississippi River Basin States are supposed to develop plans to reduce nutrient losses to the Gulf.
The approach outlines voluntary and mandatory practices to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen that result in the algal blooms which lower oxygen levels. The practices are expected to result in a 45 percent reduction in the nutrients reaching Illinois waterways.
The strategy calls for farmers to install buffer strips, plant cover crops, and adjust nitrogen fertilizing practices.
It’s recommended that sewage plants look for new treatments to lower phosphorus levels enough to prevent algal blooms in nearby waterways.
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