Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Chemicals and Toxics
    • Climate Change
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Environmental Justice
    • Greener Living
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Pesticides
    • Radon
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Guidance
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • EPA Administrator
    • Organization Chart
    • Staff Directory
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Jobs and Internships
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Lab and Research Centers
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force
Contact Us

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.

Key Hypoxia Task Force Resources
  • Important HTF Documents
  • Related Legislation
On this page:
  • 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
    • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
    • United States Geological Survey (USGS)
  • 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

  • Hypoxia 101
  • Nutrient Pollution
  • Tracking the Gulf Dead Zone
  • LUMCON Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia

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

  • EPA TMDLs Homepage
  • Example Nutrient TMDLs

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

Documents/Guidance

  • EPA Water Quality Trading Memos
  • Hypoxia Task Force Home
  • Background
  • Goals and Implementation
  • Tracking Progress
  • HTF Activities
  • Resources
  • Science of Hypoxia
    • Hypoxia 101
    • The MARB
    • Nutrient Pollution
    • Additional Task Force Resources
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on June 9, 2022
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data.gov
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Open Government
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions

Follow.