The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) was officially launched by Governor Brandstad in May 2013. It is a voluntary science-based strategy to achieve the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force goal of reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus reaching the Gulf of Mexico by 45%. Twelve states along the main stem of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are striving for that goal so as to reduce the size of the so called dead zone in the Gulf to its 1980-1996 level.