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2008 Action Plan

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The 2008 Action Plan describes a national strategy to reduce, mitigate, and control hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin. The plan was released on June 16th, 2008. You may request a copy, download the Action Plan as a PDF file or download related outreach materials.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force released the 2008 Action Plan as a product of a four-year reassessment that was called for in the 2001 Action Plan. The revised Plan reflects emerging science including EPA's Science Advisory Board report.

Action Plan Downloads
The cover of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force held six public meetings throughout the Mississippi River Basin to inform the public of the progress of the reassessment of the Action Plan. The draft Action Plan received over 750 public comments.

The 2008 Action Plan greatly increases accountability and specificity through the inclusion of an Annual Operating Plan and Annual Report to maintain and track progress between reassessments, state-led nutrient reduction strategies, complementary federal strategies, and an outreach plan to engage many many stakeholders.

Eleven key actions in the 2008 Action Plan outline critical needs to complete and implement nitrogen and phosphorus reduction strategies, promote effective conservation practices and management practices, track progress, reduce existing scientific uncertainties, and promote effective communications to increase awareness of Gulf hypoxia.

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Annual Operating Plans

One of the major improvements of the 2008 Action Plan is the inclusion of five Annual Operating Plans, one for each year through the next reassessment, that are valuable tools that will provide short-term roadmaps to maintaining forward progress towards the goals of the Action Plan.

  View Annual Operating Plans

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Request Copies

For copies of the 2008 Action Plan, contact:

US Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (4501T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460

E-mail: ow-hypoxia@epa.gov

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Citation

When citing the 2008 Action Plan, use the following text:

Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. 2008. Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008 for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin. Washington, DC.