Public is invited to Misssissippi River/Gulf Of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force meeting in Cincinnati

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force will hold its 15th public meeting in Cincinnati from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 29, at the Westin Cincinnati, 21 E. Fifth St.

The meeting, the first in the Ohio River Basin, offers an opportunity for the public to comment on the reassessment of the 2001 action plan for reducing, mitigating and controlling hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Hypoxia occurs when an overabundance of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorous) trigger excessive algae growth that results in reduced sunlight, loss of aquatic habitat and a decrease in oxygen in the water. Excess nutrients can come from runoff from developed land, atmospheric deposition, soil erosion, factory and wastewater treatment plant discharges and agricultural fertilizers.

The task force, made up of state (including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and federal officials, leads efforts to promote and support nutrient management and hypoxia-related activities in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico watersheds. For more information go to http://www.epa.gov/msbasin.