Worst culprits from nine states contributing to Gulf of Mexico dead zone mapped by USGS

 

TreeHugger has covered the issue of ocean dead zones, in particular the annual 8,000 square mile one in the Gulf of Mexico, a number of times.

Now, the US Geological Survey has released new maps which pinpoint the watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin which most contribute to the problem:

The short version is that commercial fertilizer and animal manure in nine states—Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi—causes 70% of the problem. But when you look at the maps the USGS has put out you can see that it's a bit more complicated than that. Those bright red areas show areas with the greatest contribution; it's really specific places within these states. …

Worst Culprits From Nine States Contributing to Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Mapped by USGS

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