Download PDF
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced that its Natural Resources Division (“NRD”) has approved $1.7 million in funding to implement nutrient-reduction related projects supporting the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force’s program.
NRC’s news release states that the funding will be used for projects in the Cache River Area.
Arkansas is one of twelve states that participates in the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force program. The program’s stated goal is to assist states in implementing nutrient loss reduction strategies through voluntary, non-regulatory programs.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law had provided $50 billion in funding for the United States Environmental Protection Agency to support states and tribes to address water issues. This included funding to invest in strategies to improve water quality in the Mississippi River/Atchafalaya River Basin in the Gulf of Mexico.
The NRC’s news release states that it is partnering with Arkansas State University, Nature Conservancy, and local drainage ditches in Northeast Arkansas to restructure channelized ditches which would allow for more natural assimilation of nutrients.
Additional benefits are described as aiding local producers by:
- Reducing localized flooding
- Reducing on-farm sediment loss
A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.
