USDA Launches Initiative to Improve Mississippi River Water Quality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sean Crowley, (202) 572-3331-w or (202) 550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org  
Sara Hopper, (202) 422-1823, shopper@edf.org  

(Washington, DC – March 2, 2010) A new $320 million, four-year initiative that could significantly improve drinking water quality for tens of millions of Americans in 12 states in the Mississippi River Basin is one step closer to reality, according to Environmental Defense Fund. That’s because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) from stakeholders in 12 river basin states to engage farmers in high priority watersheds in those states in cooperative efforts to reduce water pollution.

The states are: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The stakeholders eligible to submit proposals include local and state governments, farm groups, and conservation organizations. Stakeholders have until May 3 to submit proposals to support projects in high priority watersheds in the 12 states.

“The Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative holds tremendous promise for addressing one of the nation’s biggest environmental priorities: improving the health of the Mississippi River,” said Sara Hopper, agricultural policy director for Environmental Defense Fund. “Improving water quality in the river and its tributaries requires a targeted approach that engages farmers and other stakeholders in real solutions. This new initiative is a big step in the right direction.”

Among the most significant challenges facing the Mississippi River is the runoff of excess nutrients from manure and commercial fertilizer, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus. While nitrogen and phosphorus are important for crop production, when these nutrients end up in streams, they contribute to both local water quality problems and thedead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative will leverage funding provided by the 2008 farm bill with resources provided by stakeholders to support projects that will help farmers in the 12 states improve the management of their lands to benefit water quality in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.