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ILLINOIS NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION STRATEGY SHOWS MIXED RESULTS
Dec. 4, 2023
Source: University of Illinois Extension Service
URBANA, Ill. -- The loss of nutrients into Illinois' lakes, streams, and rivers harms water quality here and downstream all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, NLRS, was established in 2015 and is designed to reduce nutrient pollution in Illinois' waterways and the Mississippi River and its negative impacts by exploring and recommending practical, research-based nutrient loss practices and collaborating with partners across the state.
The 2023 NLRS Biennial Report, now available here is the latest update to the strategy. It documents water quality updates and initiatives for 2021-22 that reduce the loss of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus across three sectors: agricultural, wastewater treatment facilities, and urban stormwater. The report also stresses the multifaceted challenges of confronting increasing nutrient loads in Illinois waterways.
The results of water quality measures taken in 2021-22 are mixed. While wastewater treatment facilities successfully reduced their total phosphorus discharges by 6.2 million pounds, or 34%, compared to the 1980-96 baseline measurements, nutrient levels in the state's waterways have continued their upward trend. The five-year average nutrient loads from 2017-21 show that nitrogen increased by 4.8% from baseline to 416 million pounds annually and total phosphorus increased by 35% to 46 million pounds annually. The primary goal of the strategy is a 45% reduction in both nitrogen and total phosphorus loads, with interim targets set at a 15% nitrate-nitrogen decrease and a 25% total phosphorus decrease by 2025.
A variety of factors contribute to rising nutrient loads, including increased streamflow, residual nutrients, nutrient management practices, and some unidentified sources. The impacts of climate change, particularly increased runoff and drainage, intensify river loads and more proactive measures are needed to achieve the strategy's water quality goals.
Nutrient pollution promotes algal growth and impairs local ecosystems, making water unsuitable for drinking, recreation, fishing, and aquatic life. Excess nutrients also contribute to the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico where aquatic life struggles due to depleted oxygen levels.
Illinois is one of 12 states with nutrient strategies that are members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Hypoxia Task Force created to address the issue. The NLRS is a collaborative effort involving the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, IDOA, University of Illinois Extension, stakeholders, and experts from industry, science, and technology.
Nutrient pollution comes from a variety of sources. In Illinois, the agriculture, wastewater treatment, and urban stormwater sectors all have crucial roles and unique challenges in reducing nutrient loss. The levels of nitrogen and phosphorus attributed to each sector vary and were published in the original strategy released in 2015. Fertilizer is the primary source of nutrient loss from agricultural production. Wastewater treatment facility discharge and urban stormwater runoff also contribute to nutrient loss.
The 2023 Biennial Report is the fourth update to the strategy since its inception in 2015. Implementation of the NLRS is guided by research to optimize nutrient loss reduction while fostering deep collaboration and innovation across academia, the private sector, non-profits, wastewater agencies, and local, state, and federal government agencies.
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