Immediate Release:
August 3, 2010

CHAMPAIGN, IL — Long before the BP oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico suffered from a chronic spill of chemicals that rush down the Mississippi River from Illinois and other Midwestern states. The influx of pollution results in an area appropriately known as the Dead Zone. Scientists from Louisiana just finished their annual research cruise of the Gulf and determined that this year the Dead Zone was 7,722 square miles, one of the largest since the cruises began in 1985 and almost the size of Massachusetts.

The Dead Zone is characterized by water so low in dissolved oxygen (<2 mg/L) that animals suffocate. When shrimp, crab, and other relatively immobile species cannot escape, fishermen must move to cleaner waters.

The primary cause of the Dead Zone is too many nutrients. According to recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, Illinois is the number one contributor of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to the Gulf of Mexico.

“Illinois’ rivers have been used as waste disposal sites for far too long. Private landowners need to realize the amount of pollution that leaves their properties and take steps to reduce that pollution,” said Stacy James, Water Resources Scientist for Prairie Rivers Network.

While some of the pollution comes from Chicago sewage treatment plants, most of it comes from Illinois’ booming agricultural sector. Over 60% of Illinois’ surface area is devoted to agricultural production. Nitrogen and phosphorus are applied to fields to enhance crop growth, but crops do not absorb all the applied nutrients. Nitrogen and phosphorus leave fields via stormwater runoff and tile drainage.

The conservative use of fertilizers and restoration of natural habitat are needed to reduce Illinois’ contribution to the Dead Zone. Some farmers are already doing their part by maintaining buffers along streams and limiting the fall application of fertilizers. Farmers living in certain counties even have the opportunity to enroll in a new U.S. Department of Agriculture program devoted to reducing the amount of agricultural chemicals that pollute the Gulf of Mexico.

Agricultural ditch with algae

Agricultural ditch with algae

The Gulf of Mexico may be far from Illinois, but nitrogen and phosphorus pollution is also a problem here at home. Over 2,000 stream miles are considered impaired by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Nuisance algae blooms are a visible sign that there are too many nutrients in the water. Occasionally animals and people get sick from ingesting toxins produced by the algae.

“Keeping water clean does not always result in the best bottom line, right here, right now. But it is the best and most responsible thing to do for our communities and future generations,” according to James.