The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Monday, Oct. 7, made public its draft strategy for significantly reducing the nitrogen and phosphorus flowing into the Mississippi River, the Red River and Lake Winnipeg, and Lake Superior.
The plan is a down payment on a long-term commitment by the state to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus flowing to the Gulf of Mexico by 45 percent to reduce the Gulf’s oxygen-starved Dead Zone.
In the first phase of the strategy, the draft plan aims to reduce nitrogen going to the Mississippi by 20 percent by 2025, and reduce phosphorus by 35 percent in that period.
The MPCA is accepting public comment on the strategy until Dec. 18.
Download PDFs of the 22 chapters and appendices that make up the strategy.