Driftless Area Issues

Fragmentation of the Driftless Area among four states has exacerbated efforts to reverse negative land use trends that have serious consequences for water quality of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.  Since European settlement, changing land use has vastly increased soil exposure, disturbed habitat for wildlife throughout the region, and altered the hydrology of streams and rivers.  Land that was converted in the 1800’s from prairie or timber, to hay and pasture for dairy and meat production, is rapidly being replaced with annually tilled crops such as corn and soybeans.  Less than 1% of original native grasslands remain, and forest health has declined after a century of exploitative management. These trends have resulted in significant increases in soil erosion, sedimentation, and run-off.  Sediment delivery and poor water quality in some streams and rivers have resulted in the loss of habitat for many fish and other aquatic species.  Although the Upper Mississippi River and the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge spanning the length of this incredible resource provide habitat for a vast array of wildlife species, water quality issues stemming from agricultural inputs and human development have resulted in many serious impairments both in the river and beyond.  An estimated ninety percent of the nitrogen lost from this area is delivered to the Northern Gulf of Mexico where it contributes to the problem of hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen and related impairments of aquatic life).