Hypoxia Task Force Workgroups

The Task Force currently has nine workgroups working to address priority needs that the state members have identified to support the implementation of state nutrient reduction strategies toward the Task Force goal of reducing excess nutrients delivered to the Gulf from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB). These workgroups consist of federal and state members working to capture, quantify, and communicate metrics to assess progress towards the Task Force's goal; explore policy solutions to multi-state issues; communicate results to the public; advance research to address known gaps; and optimize funding available to support nutrient management strategies. Each workgroup is briefly described below.

Adoption of Innovative Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Workgroup Charge: Explore opportunities for states to use federal funds to implement innovative conservation practices.

Communications

Workgroup Charge: Enhance public awareness of Task Force accomplishments and promote and support actions that reduce nutrient inputs and improve water quality.

Ecosystem and Social Metrics

Workgroup Charge: Identify potential metrics that will help illuminate ecosystem changes/success due to implementation of nutrient reduction strategies in the MARB.

Funding, Traditional and Non-Traditional

Workgroup Charge: Explore available programs and synergy with federal funding sources (Farm Bill, CWA, FEMA, WRDA, etc.) with a focus on near-term increases in adoption of nutrient reduction practices, and identify potential long-term actions.

Nonpoint Source (NPS) Metrics

Workgroup Charge: Focus on strategies, challenges, and opportunities for documenting and analyzing data related to NPS nutrient reductions in the MARB.

Point Source Metrics

Workgroup Charge: Focus on strategies, challenges and opportunities for documenting and analyzing data related to point source nutrient reductions in the MARB; produce periodic progress reports.

Research Needs

Workgroup Charge: Identified key research needs that effectively support state implementation of nutrient reduction strategies. Communicate research gaps learned through a comprehensive literature survey with the research community and leverage needs with federal partners.

Water Quality Monitoring

Workgroup Charge: Evaluated needs to support existing and potential new water quality monitoring in the MARB, particularly to track loads and trends in large rivers to determine if states are meeting nutrient reduction goals and provide data that states can use to tailor implementation of their nutrient management strategies.

Water Quality Trends

Workgroup Charge: Evaluate new metrics to complement current metrics for evaluating water quality trends in the basin. The workgroup is considering the outcomes of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center's trend analyses in conjunction with the needs for a MARB monitoring network, as described by the Water Quality Monitoring Workgroup.