ELPC is the Midwest’s leading public interest environmental legal advocacy organization. The Driftless Area is a beautiful scenic landscape of rolling hills and blufflands, meandering valley streams and small town and family farms straddling the Mississippi River. It’s also the Midwest’s premier biodiversity and habitat hotspot. ELPC is exploring ways to protect clean water, wildlife habitat and important natural areas in the Driftless Area which is threatened by agricultural runoff. The volume of pollution spilling into waterways from livestock and farming operations continues to grow each year. Excess nutrient pollution can result in toxic algal blooms that choke drinking water supplies, and contribute to downstream low- or no- oxygen dead zones. This grant builds on previous funding/work. ELPC will find policy based solutions to nutrient pollution levels, supporting federal Farm Bill funding programs, coordinating multi-state conservation and restoration efforts, and challenging the construction of the proposed Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line.