1. Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy - NLRS
Amy Walkenbach
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency- Watershed Management, Section Mgr.
217/

2. What is Hypoxia?
an environmental phenomenon where the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water column decreases to a level that can no longer support living aquatic organisms.

3. Gulf Hypoxia
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force- May 1998
Hypoxia Task Force 2001 Action Plan
A national strategy “to reduce the frequency, duration, size and degree of the oxygen depletion of the hypoxic zone of the northern Gulf of Mexico”
Science Advisory Board report – 2007
Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan – 2008
A national strategy “to reduce, mitigate, and control hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin”
Reduce Hypoxic zone to 5,000 sq Km (1,93 sq miles)
Reduce loads of Phosphorus and Nitrogen by 45%
Stoner Memo- March 2011
Nancy Stoner Acting Assistant Administrator, U.S. EPA
Working in Partnership with States to Address Phosphorus and Nitrogen Pollution through Use of a Framework for State Nutrient Reductions
Eight elements required to be addressed in Mississippi Basin States nutrient strategies
Addresses both the Gulf of Mexico and LOCAL water quality concerns

4. Illinois Contribution- Science Advisory report

5. Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy
nutrients/nutrient-loss-reduction-strategy/index
Illinois Nutrient Strategy Development begins, summit of stakeholders - March 2013
University of Illinois Science Assessment - July 2013
Policy Work Group established – August 2013
Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy – July 2015
Establishes a 45% reduction in Phosphorus and Nitrogen
Interim milestone for 2025
25% reduction in Phosphorus loads
15% reduction in Nitrogen loads
Biennial Report – August 2017
Document NLRS activities and progress

6. Illinois Science Assessment
HUC8 Point Source P Yields
HUC8 Non-Point Source P Yields

7. Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone by year-
This chart shows the historic size of the low-oxygen dead zone, also referred to as hypoxia, off the coast of Louisiana and Texas between 1985 and There were no cruises in 1989 and 2016.

8. 2017 Hypoxic Zone- Gulf of Mexico
Researchers measured the largest dead zone since 1985 during their cruise, with this year’s low-oxygen area totaling 8,776 square miles, larger than the state of New Jersey. Red on the map indicates hypoxia, where the oxygen level is less than 2 parts per million.

9. Tracking Measures

10. Urban Stormwater- 22 Illinois communities accessing utility fees
$24 million for 22 communities
MS4 Permits- 440
Outreach component
Urban Stormwater Working Group list of outreach materials
(Appendix B- Biennial Report)
319 NPS Grants and 1 year IGIG
319 NPS Grants and 3 years IGIG Grants

11. Agriculture- FSA BMP (acres) BMP (acres) 2011 2015 Cover 768 11,064
BMP (acres)
2011
2015
Cover
768
11,064
CRP Wetlands
57,463
45,790
CRP Buffers
145,813
279,534
Perennial/Energy/Pasture
985,531
1,524,379
Agriculture-
staff engaged in NLRS implementation.

12. Point Sources- Currently under new requirements Permit Limits-
1.0 mg/L Total Phosphorus
Nitrogen monitoring
Optimization Study
A plan to optimize operations to achieve the lowest TP possible with existing equipment
Feasibility Study
Evaluation of technology-based treatment alternatives to meet 0.5mg/L and 0.1mg/L TP
Includes economic and timeline studies for each alternative
Nutrient Loss Reduction-related Activity
Dollars
Feasibility Studies and other Research
$513,442
Capital Improvement
$36,904,000
Total
$37,417,442
Number of Events
Attendance
Outreach (fliers, tours, community education 17
484
Field Days 1 8
Workshops 15
343
Conferences 7
528
Total 40
1,363

13. Comparing 1980-1996 to 2011-2015 data in 8 major Illinois Rivers
Science Assessment- mini update
Comparing to data in 8 major Illinois Rivers 6
Nitrate losses are decreasing- 10%
“likely due to improved agricultural N balances”
Total P losses have increased- 17%
“possibly due to increased population/flow
and some facilities upgrades hadn’t come on line at that time” 5
Source: Drs. Mark David, Greg McIsaac, Corey Mitchell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

14. Policy Working Group Participation
Agriculture
Point Source
Stormwater
Public Water Supply
University/
Technical Assistance
Government
Environmental
Amy Walkenbach
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency- Watershed Management, Section Mgr.
217/