The Downstream Campaign Who: Kristian Gustavson was inspired by a journey two of his uncles, Bob and Greg, took when they traveled the Mississippi River in 1966 by canoe. As a surfer, Kristian was exposed to a new dimension of the water and able to make the connection between upstream actions and their downstream impacts. Though he wanted to leisurely travel ‘Ole Miss firsthand, he felt that he could not turn his back on the water due to its degradation. Downstream Campaign Sponsors
What: At present, the Mississippi River contaminates the ocean more than any other source in the United States. Nonpoint pollution (non-specific, collective contamination) is the prime culprit. Why wait for problems to reach the coast when we can prevent them upstream? Where: UPSTREAM ACTIONS in the Mississippi River's drainage basin are leading to serious impacts downstream. The connection is clear: problems on our coasts do not start there; in order to address water quality concerns in our oceans, we must look upstream to the source of the problem. When: The journey that began with a flood and ended with a hurricane: Gustavson set out from Cairo, IL on 29 June 2008 and traveled over 700 miles on the river to Baton Rouge, LA in less than three weeks. Flood conditions and river closures altered his intended course, which was to depart from Pekin, IL. Kristian's father William got onboard in Memphis, TN for the remainder of the voyage. His goal was to reach New Orleans, LA as his uncles had; however, heavy ship traffic and strong currents prompted safety concerns and resulted in an early exit. Why: At nearly 8,000 square miles, NOAA scientists have deemed the oxygen-deficient “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico the second worst of all time. Oxygen decline in the world's oceans is a serious threat to marine life and there are nearly 400 similar hypoxic zones worldwide. According to Rob Magnien, director of NOAA's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research, “reducing nutrient pollution to protect coastal resources is one of the greatest ecosystem management challenges that we face nation-wide.” This is a significant concern because 90% of marine life lives in coastal waters.
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Below the Surface - A Coast to Coast Exploration of America's Waterways
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