Healthy Waters 

Pascagoula River, Mississippi                                                       © Scott Eustis

The Gulf Restoration Network works to protect and restore waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico that are critical to recreation, fisheries, wildlife habitat, and drinking water.

Despite much progress made under the Clean Water Act, many waters flowing into the Gulf remain polluted with fertilizers, pesticides, sewage, and other contaminants. Every summer, nitrogen pollution from the Mississippi River forms a “dead zone,” an area where aquatic life cannot survive, off the coast of Louisiana and Texas that is roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts. In addition, high levels of bacteria from municipal sewage treatment plants and urban runoff force the closure of beaches throughout the Gulf. The GRN is working to end these water pollution problems through a multi-faceted approach that includes public education, empowerment of citizen groups, technical review of government policies, and legal action when necessary.