The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) now makes nitrate water concentration information available from 86 select surface water stations nationwide, including 43 from Northeast-Midwest states Connecticut: 1; Illinois: 13; Indiana: 3; Iowa: 17; Maryland: 3; New Jersey: 2; New York: 3; and Wisconsin: 1.  

This related article, appearing in the November 4 issue of Environmental Science and Technology, provides an overview of one of the uses for that monitoring network data.  The article summarizes USGS efforts to quantifying nitrate loading from the Mississippi River, providing a basis, ultimately, for predicting Gulf of Mexico summer hypoxia. USGS used recent advances in high frequency nitrate sensors to evaluate nitrate loading model performance compared to loads actually measured in the lower Mississippi River.
 

The remote monitoring stations are operated in cooperation with several local, state and other federal agencies, and supported by the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network, Cooperative Water Program, and  National Water-Quality Assessment Program.

For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.  

Among other things, the 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act ("WRRDA") authorized a process for approving and potentially funding flood protection, navigation and ecosystem restoration projects related to the nation's aging waterways' system. Title V subtitle C of WRRDA, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (or "WIFIA") provides financial support for infrastructure and related costs, public-private funding initiatives and other innovative credit arrangements, and authorized federal grants to help fund pilot projects.  The Army Corps of Engineers is currently accepting proposals from non-federal entities, such as local municipalities, for feasibility studies and modifications to authorized water resources development projects.  Proposals will be accepted through December 3. In February 2015, the Corps will publish an Annual Report to Congress listing proposed projects, which then may advance to be authorized and funded by Congress.  To find out more, see this article, and this Federal Register notice.

 

For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.