For Immediate Release
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

TASK FORCE FOCUSED ON HYPOXIA IN GULF OF MEXICO TO MEET IN IOWA
SEPTEMBER 23 AND 24
Federal and State Officials to Participate in Meetings and Tour Focused on Emerging Technologies to
Reduce Nutrients Moving to the Gulf and Address the “Dead Zone"

Dustin Vande Hoef
Communications Director
515/281-3375 or 515/326-1616 (cell)
or Dustin.VandeHoef@IowaAgriculture.gov

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will be hosting a meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force in the Des Moines area on September 23 and 24.  More than 100 federal and state government officials and organization representatives are expected to participate in the task force meeting.

The Task Force is made up of members from five federal agencies and ten state agencies and is working to address the environmental concerns associated with the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia zone, also known as the “dead zone.”  The hypoxic zone is a result of nitrogen and phosphorus from the Mississippi watershed flowing into the Gulf and spurring the growth of algae.  When the algae decays, it depletes the water of oxygen to levels that cannot support marine life.

During the tour on Wednesday, September 23 Task Force members will be shown a working grain and livestock farm near Dallas Center, visit an Iowa State University research farm near Madrid and then tour a nitrate removal wetland near Gilbert before an evening reception and dinner at Reiman Gardens on the Iowa State University campus.  The Task Force will then hold formal meetings on September 24 at the Embassy Suites in downtown Des Moines.

Reporters are invited to participate in the entire tour on the 23rd are asked to register by Friday, September 18.  Click Here for the agenda..

In addition, a press conference will be held with officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as well as other government agencies at the wetland north of Ames near Gilbert, the details are below.

Who:  Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
           Peter Silva, U.S. EPA, Assistant Administrator for Water
           Bryon Griffith, Director, U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Office
          Tom Christensen, Director of the Midwest Region, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
          Several Other State and National Conservation Leaders

What:  Press Conference with Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrients Task Force Members

When:  4:00 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009

Where:  Schwartz Wetland Site, East of Y Avenue and 140th St., near Gilbert in Story County

How:   For more information please contact Dustin Vande Hoef with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at 515-281-3375 or 515-326-1616 (cell).

The wetland that will be showcased was built through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and removes 40-90% of the nitrate and 90+% of the herbicide in tile drainage water from upper-lying croplands.  In addition to reducing nitrate loads to surface waters, the wetlands provide wildlife habitat and increased recreational opportunities. Currently, 72 of these wetlands have been restored or are under construction or design.  These restored and planned wetlands will treat the drainage for 86,000 acres of watershed in Iowa.

The effectiveness of these wetlands were recognized by the Gulf of Mexico Program, which is underwritten by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is dedicated to protecting, restoring and maintaining the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

The Federal agencies that are part of the task force are the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).  The states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Minnesota, Iowa Wisconsin and Arkansas are also represented on the Task Force.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force was established in the fall of 1997 to understand the causes and effects of eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico; coordinate activities to reduce the size, severity, and duration; and ameliorate the effects of hypoxia. Activities include coordinating and supporting nutrient management activities from all sources, restoring habitats to trap and assimilate nutrients, and supporting other hypoxia related activities in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico watersheds.

More information about the Task Force can be found on EPA’s Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia website at www.epa.gov/msbasin.

-30-

Home
News and Events