In 2008, the federal government initiated the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan to improve the conditions of the Mississippi River Basin and the Northern Gulf of Mexico by addressing excess nitrogen and phosphorus loads. There are 30 states, including Wisconsin, that were approached with this plan because of our relationship with the Mississippi River. In order to broadly manage the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen reaching the Gulf, the federal Environmental Protection Agency initiated guidelines and recommendations to states including encouragement to adopt numeric criteria for maximum phosphorus and nitrogen levels.