Resources Related to Gulf Hypoxia, Nutrient Pollution, the Mississippi River Basin, and the Gulf of Mexico
The links on this page provide resources related to hypoxia, nutrient pollution, the Mississippi River Basin, and the Gulf of Mexico. See the ‘Key Hypoxia Task Force Resources’ box for documents regarding the Hypoxia Task Force.
- Hypoxia and the Gulf of Mexico
- National Academies Reports
- Funding Resources Relevant to the Task Force
- EPA Nutrient Policy and Data
- EPA Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Website
- EPA Watershed Academy
- Other Federal Agencies' Relevant Webpages
- Nonpoint Source Pollution
- Modeling Information Relevant to the Task Force
- Total Maximum Daily Loads
- Water Quality Standards
- Water Quality Trading
Some of the links below exit the site.
Hypoxia and the Gulf of Mexico
National Academies Reports
- Nutrient Control Actions for Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin and Northern Gulf of Mexico
- Committee On The Mississippi River and the Clean Water Act
- User's Guide: Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act (pdf) (54 pp, 4.1 MB)
- Report in Brief: Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act (pdf) (4 pp, 524 KB)
Funding Resources Relevant to the Task Force
- Funding Resources for Watershed Protection and Restoration
- EPA & The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
- Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
- CWSRF Best Practices Guide for Financing Nonpoint Source Solutions (pdf) (64 pp, 7.9 MB)
- Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)
- Environmental Finance Centers
EPA Nutrient Policy and Data
- EPA Nutrient Policy and Data Website Home
- Toolkit of Resources to Provide States with Flexibility in Adopting and Implementing Numeric Nutrient Criteria
EPA Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Website
EPA developed an improved website about nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to provide the public with information about this type of pollution—where it comes from, its impacts on human health and aquatic ecosystems, and actions that people can take to help reduce it. EPA's website also includes updated information on states' progress in developing numeric water quality criteria for nutrients as part of their water quality standards regulations. EPA recognizes that states and local communities are best positioned to restore and protect their waters, and the agency is providing technical guidance and tools to help states develop numeric nutrient criteria for their water bodies.
EPA Watershed Academy
EPA's Watershed Academy offers a variety of self-paced online training modules that represent a basic and broad introduction to the watershed management field. The modules are organized by six themes, and several address nutrient-related topics. The Watershed Academy also provides archived audio presentations, PowerPoint files, and other materials from webcasts conducted on nutrient-related topics.
Other Federal Agencies' Relevant Webpages
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Hypoxia Overview
- Coastal Hypoxia Research Program (CHRP)
- Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Hypoxia Assessment (NGOMEX)
- NOAA Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Watch
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Assessment
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- USDA Conservation
- NRCS Conservation Programs
- NRCS Nutrient Management
- Mississippi River Basin Healthy Rivers Initiative
- 2018 Farm Bill
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
- Conservation Reserve Program
- Farmable Wetlands Program
- National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- USGS Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico Studies
- Nutrient Flux for the Mississippi River Basin and Subbasins
- USGS Publications on Nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin and Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
Nonpoint Source Pollution
Websites
- EPA Nonpoint Source Pollution
- EPA Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution
- Agricultural Management Practices for Water Quality Protection Module
- Urban Best Management Practices (BMP) Performance Tool
- National Menu of Stormwater Best Management Practices
- Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox
- BMP and Treatment Technologies Clearinghouse
- Water Environment Resource Foundation (WERF) Stormwater BMP Database Search
- International Stormwater BMP Database
- N.C. State University: Best Management Practices for Agricultural Nutrients
- Ohio State University Extension: Agricultural Best Management Practices
- Conservation Technology Information Center
Models
Modeling Resources and Guidance
- EPA TMDL Model Evaluation and Research Needs (pdf) (403 pp, 10.8 MB)
- The Watershed Approach: Data and Tools
- SPARROW Nutrient Modeling: Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin
- Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant Loads (STEPL)
- Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF)
- Model My Watershed
- A Guide to Water Quality, Climate, Social, and Economic Outcomes Estimation Tools
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
Websites
Water Quality Standards
Websites
- State Development of Numeric Criteria for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution
- Water Quality Standards
- State, Tribal and Territorial Standards
- Water Quality Criteria
- Nutrient Indicators Dataset
- EPA's National Nutrients Strategy
- N-STEPS (Nutrient Scientific Technical Exchange Partnership and Support)
Documents/Guidance
- Ecoregional Nutrient Criteria Documents for Lakes and Reservoirs
- Ecoregional Nutrient Criteria Documents for Rivers and Streams
- Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Lakes and Reservoirs
- Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Rivers and Streams
- Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Estuarine and Coastal Marine Waters
- Water Quality Standards Handbook: Second Edition
Water Quality Trading
Websites
- EPA Water Quality Trading
- EPA Water Quality Trading Policy
- EPA Frequent Questions about Water Quality Trading
- EPA Water Quality Trading on a Watershed Scale