Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone the Size of New Jersey Likely

Flooding and agricultural runoff is to blame

Farmland runoff containing fertilizers and livestock waste, some of it from as far away as the Corn Belt, is the main source of the nitrogen and phosphorus that cause the annual Gulf of Mexico "dead zone." Image credit: Donald Scavia — Farmland runoff containing fertilizers and livestock waste, some of it from as far away as the Corn Belt, is the main source of the nitrogen and phosphorus that cause the annual Gulf of Mexico “dead zone.” Image credit: Donald Scavia

The oxygen-deprived area if the Gulf of Mexico is predicted by scientists to be the size of New Jersey this year.

According to a forecast released this week, massive Midwestern floods are flushing agricultural chemicals from fields down river to the Gulf. Heavy loads of nitrogen and phosphorous promote algal blooms, which deplete the affected areas of the gulf of oxygen in warm summer months.

According to the forecast by the University of Michigan and Louisiana State University with support from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Gulf dead zone this summer will be between 7,286 and 8,561 square miles.

National Geographic interviewed aquatic ecologist Donald Scavia, from the University of Michigan, about dead zones. Scavia said one big problem is the Farm Bill, which is the main funding mechanism for conservation in agriculture.

“The problem with the Farm Bill is there’s far more money for supporting commodities and subsidies and not enough into conservation. I’m not blaming farmers—farmers do what the Farm Bill pays them to do—but we need a Farm Bill that’s smarter and supports more conservation programs,” said Scavia.

Trout Headwaters has long been an advocate for healthy functioning floodplains that filter and slow floodwaters. Wide, lush floodplains and riparian areas provide ecological services that protect property and water quality during flood events.

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