Sources of nitrogen delivered to the Gulf of Mexico

Sources of nitrogen to the Gulf of Mexico

Identifying nutrient sources is a complicated task because, at more than 1.2 million square miles, the Mississippi River Basin is the fourth largest basin in the world. It covers close to 40 percent of the lower 48 States. There are 31 States that drain, via the Mississippi River Basin, into the Gulf of Mexico, and nutrient sources are found throughout the basin.

Fertilizers used on crops, air pollution, and manure are some of the major sources of nitrogen transported from the Mississippi River Basin to the Gulf of Mexico.