Web Site
Increases Awareness of Gulf Hypoxia Issues
 Last
week I checked out the
Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Nutrient Task Force Web site.
www.epa.gov/msbasin/ It was the
proverbial "everything you ever wanted to
know about hypoxia, but were afraid to ask".
I didn't need an advanced degree either to
find information I could understand and use.
The Web site is a great resource, with
easy-to-grasp charts and visuals telling the
magnitude of the problem. Many charts are
courtesy of
Nancy Rabalais, with Louisiana
University's Marine Consortium, and they
visually tell the story in an instant why
hypoxia is damaging the Gulf. There are
videos, too. One from the
Science Museum of Minnesota gives
comparative information for the size of the
dead zone in different years - and you can
actually SEE it.
I heartily recommend visiting
www.epa.gov/msbasin/ any time you
want to find a good explanation for hypoxia
and the dead zone. It's the kind of Web site
that has remained focused on its subject -
the Gulf of Mexico's dangerous dead zone -
rather than promoting its host organization
or its members' needs. You can still find
task force member names, information on
plans, meetings and ways to engage public
officials about the Gulf. But it has that
rare quality to inform - easily and
straightforwardly. And for an issue as
complex and significant as Gulf hypoxia, its
easy access and availability are an
important step to spreading awareness and
building understanding
Vicksburg to Add Museum to Great River Road
Interpretive Centers
Just before the holidays, Vicksburg, Miss.
announced construction had started on a new
Lower Mississippi River Museum on
the city's waterfront. Already a hub of
revitalization, the City's waterfront will
add the museum which is expected to be
completed in about a year and a half. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project will
feature MVMississippi IV, a retired ship, as
a centerpiece.
The new museum will add to the nearly 65
museums, interpretive centers and historic
sites along the
Great River Road. These range from
the expansive and multi-layered
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
to the
LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens.
While each one is different, taken together
this chain of attractions reflects the
history not only of the River, but of
America as well. Those who follow the Great
River Road are following the development of
the country and the lives of early
Americans, as well as towns and ports along
the way.
This may seem like an odd comparison, but
for me the Great River Road is like
Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
The Thyssen presents a trail of Western art
from the 13th century to the end of the
20th. When you take the floors in order, you
get a crash course in Western European
history. By following the River Road, you
can get a picture of the United States from
its earliest development to present day. The
Great River Road, while not necessarily
presenting a picture in chronological order,
presents a similar collection. The history
of America's heartland is on display for
just the price of gas.
America's Waterway Joins Summit on
Watershed Collaboration
 When
it comes to collaboration, Mississippi River
communities - and some of their leaders -
have built a track record. Can what they've
learned inform planning and policy for the
whole river? "The Mississippi River, A
Systems Approach" is one of three panels in
the Sustaining Our Water Resources Through
Collaboration summit being planned by
The Horinko Group for April 13.
Designed for executive level water leaders
in the public and private sectors, America's
Waterway hopes to add to the dialogue with
its different way of thinking about the
Mississippi River and use of the
AmericaSpeaks process for grass
roots input on a large scale. For more
information about the summit, contact
bmcginnis@thehorinkogroup.org or call
Brendan McGinnis at 202-955-5580. |
