Gulf of Mexico Alliance receives EPA funding for water quality improvement in Louisiana
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
DALLAS, TEXAS (March 27, 2024) – The Gulf of Mexico Alliance recently received a grant for more than $1.4 million from the Gulf of Mexico Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will be used to improve water quality in northeast Louisiana.
As part of the project, farmers will learn how to adopt innovative farming practices, that can decrease nutrient runoff while also enhancing the farmers’ cash crop. When excessive runoff from farms enters into local waterways, it can negatively impact wildlife, human usage (such as fishing and swimming) and water quality down to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. Using rice as a cover crop also has the added benefit of creating habitat for waterfowl.
This project will take place in the Bayou Lafouche watershed, along Upper Bayou Galion, and Bayou Coulee and will continue through 2026.
In addition to local farmers, the Alliance is working with state agency partners to implement the project, including the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry/Office of Soil and Water Conservation, and Morehouse Soil and Water conservation District.
The project will also include educational components as well as research into how to prevent runoff from contributing to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.
“This funding will bring critical health protections and economic opportunities to the communities in the Gulf who have been overburdened by pollution,” said Acting Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne M. Gettle. “We look forward to seeing transformative projects that will work to advance protection and restoration of vital watersheds.”
“The Gulf Coast communities understand the environmental issues impacting this watershed and they are eager to develop innovative solutions to safeguard this resource,” said Region 6 Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “This funding will implement climate resilience strategies, provide improvements in water quality, and ensure that coastline habitats continue to thrive. I would like to thank all the parties involved in this announcement for ensuring this critical watershed is maintained and protected.”
“A multi-faceted project like this touches on several of our priority issues, from improving water quality in and around the Gulf to supporting underserved communities and creating habitat for wildlife,” said Laura Bowie, executive director for the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. “Thank you to EPA and to our partners for supporting important projects like this.”
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a regional partnership focused on enhancing the environmental and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico through increased collaboration. Led by the five Gulf states, our network includes over 150 participating organizations from state and federal agencies, tribal governments, communities, academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry. Priority issues addressed by the Alliance include coastal community resilience; data and monitoring; education; habitat; water resources; wildlife and fisheries; and marine debris. gulfofmexicoalliance.org
The Gulf of Mexico Division is a non-regulatory program of EPA founded to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the region. To carry out its mission, the Gulf of Mexico Division continues to maintain and expand partnerships with state and federal agencies, federally recognized tribes, local governments and authorities, academia, regional businesses and industries, agricultural and environmental organizations, and individual citizens and communities.
For more information visit: www.epa.gov/gulfofmexico
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Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/gulf-mexico-alliance-receives-epa-funding-water-quality-improvement-louisiana
