There’s an area in the Gulf of Mexico that has been labeled the dead zone and for very good reason. The water in that area is filled with nutrients and algae that kill the marine life and plants which normally would call it their home. Much like the Dead Sea in the Middle East, the dead zone is not conducive to normal marine life and activities. Unlike the Dead Sea, however, is the fact that the problems in the gulf have been brought about by human causes. Issues are caused by nitrates and other substances flowing into the rivers which, in turn, flow into the Gulf. It’s a huge problem that will only get larger unless someone figures out a way to stop it.
All up and down the rivers which feed into the Gulf, water treatment plants and billions of dollars are being used to try and stem the flow of these harmful nutrients in the water. By definition, we think of the word “nutrients” as being a good thing. In this case, it may be too much of a good thing that causes a negative result. These elements run off the thousands of farms in the Midwest United States and make their way into the major rivers, such as the Missouri and the Mississippi. Even with all the money being spent to stop the pollutants as they rush toward the gulf, the best efforts aren’t making a dent in the problem.
Attempts to clean up the chemicals have been going on for the past 30 years, but during that same time span, the nitrate levels in the Missouri River have increased by 75%. These pollutants lead to algae which suck all of the oxygen out of the river water and kill everything living there. Branded as liable for the problem, farmers have tried to limit the amount of chemicals they use on their farms, even to the point of using computerized systems to pinpoint the exact spots where they want to place them instead of just using them on entire acres. Everything that’s been done, however, is failing to curtail the rising levels of nitrates in the rivers.
The problem is centered in the Mississippi River Basin, an area that encompasses 1.24 million square miles stretching all the way from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians. Run-off from farms, cities, vehicles, industrial sites, and even family lawns contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and other pollutants which works its way into the major rivers that ultimately pour into the Gulf. Oxygen deprivation leads to a condition know as hypoxia which causes water life to either leave the areas it affects or die. The only thing that continues to live and flourish is algae, a phenomenon which triggers toxic algae blooms.
After billions of dollars in lost fishing and shrimping revenue, billions more spent in clean-up attempts, and putting the theories of top environmentalists to the test, the problem just keeps on growing leaving everyone wondering how we’re ever going to stop it.
