Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on March 6, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: April 13, 2004 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2004-0877.pr001
Preface The Mississippi Delta is rich in culture and history with a strong agricultural base underpinned historically by the cotton industry. This region was formed and continues to be sustained by the meanderings of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The low-lying topography and intricate system of rivers, oxbow lakes, and canals throughout the Delta are constant reminders that water is an important resource that must be managed carefully and never taken for granted. As the point of confluence for water flow from central continental North America, the Mississippi Delta provides the crucial and final link in the drainage system feeding into the Gulf of Mexico. This emphasizes the delicate balance of the Mississippi Basin with each component of the system affecting the one that follows. In 1995, scientists and others interested in balancing agricultural viability in the region with environmental integrity formed a coalition known as the Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluation Area (MDMSEA) Project to assess the influence of wellchosen agricultural "best management" practices on water quality and ecological stability. The inclusion of the Mississippi Delta within the national context of the U.S. Department of Agriculture MSEA projects added an important component in the effort to conserve and improve water and soil resources across the entire United States. The first portion of the book (Chapters 1-5) provides the background on the National MSEA Program and describes the agri-culturaland water quality issues in the Mississippi Delta. These chapters set the stage in turn for the presentation of individual research results (Chapters 6-15) from the project. The final chapters (Chapters 16-18) address watershed management and applications to the overall national water quality goals and relationships to the efforts in other regions. Given the importance of the Mississippi Delta to U.S. agriculture and the need for environmental stewardship, this book should serve as a valuable resource for an audience far exceeding the boundaries of the Mississippi Delta region. We acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the many individuals who supported the Mississippi Delta MSEA
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project through to this stage of its existence and who made contributions toward completing this book.
Martin A. Locke
Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on March 6, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: April 13, 2004 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2004-0877.pr001
National Sedimentation Laboratory Water Quality and Ecological Processes Research Unit Agricultural Research Service U. S. Department of Agriculture 598 McElroy Drive Oxford, MS 38655-1157
[email protected] Mary T. Nett Water Quality Consulting 2580 Raywood View, Number 1521 Colorado Springs, CO 80920
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