PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Farmers in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio will have additional tools to help prevent harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie thanks to a phosphorous reduction program announced June 29.
The deadline for producers to apply for the Tri-State Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) Phosphorous Reduction Initiative is July 17. The program offers funding for projects such as stream buffers, cover crops and water management. Money is also available to help farmers with nutrient and residue management.
Funding will come from the WLEB Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which has more than $17 million available for projects in the three states. The money will be distributed based on the amount of eligible acres in each state.
Ohio will receive about $12.25 million over five years, Michigan $3.35 million and Indiana $2.1 million. Farmers in 855,000 of the WLEB watershed’s 7 million acres are eligible to apply for funding. Counties in parts of northeastern Indiana, southeastern Michigan and northwestern Ohio are a part of the program.
About 68 percent of the WLEB watershed is agricultural land.
"We fully expect farmers to take advantage of the opportunity (to control phosphorous)," said Mike Bailey, chief of the Division of Soil and Water Resources for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. "Farmers have stepped up in programs over the last few years. They’re looking for ways to use best practices on their farms."
Phosphorous runoff from farm fields has been cited as one factor in the presence of toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie in recent years. In August 2014, the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, was contaminated, apparently by toxins from the algae. Residents were told not to drink water from the city’s treatment plant for two days.
Officials are working to determine the reason for an increased presence of toxic algae blooms over the last decade or so, said Julie Harrold, of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).
"The phosphorous issue in Lake Erie has been important for the environment and in the media," she explained. "It’s been a problem in the lake for many years. We’ve had more algae blooms in the lake in the last 10 years. We may not know all the sources of phosphorous, but it’s a matter of doing research to see what’s causing the increase.
"The need to reduce phosphorous is a no-brainer," added Harrold, ISDA’s program manager for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and water quality initiatives. "Even with the percentage (in Indiana) we have draining into the basin, we still contribute to the problem. We have to do something about it."
The amount of algae blooms has varied on Lake Erie the last few years, said Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, director of the WLEB project for The Nature Conservancy.
Last year, winds kept them restricted to a fairly small area of the lake. In 2012, the drought also kept their numbers down. Their numbers were higher in 2011 and 2013. Vollmer-Sanders expects an update on this year’s algae bloom potential to be 6-7 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 representing their levels in 2011.
"Lake Erie is a freshwater lake and it will always have issues with algae, invasive species and over population," she said. "It will always be a little bit stressed because of how much people want to take out of the lake."
The initiative also targets specific small watersheds in the three states. The applications of producers living in those watersheds will receive top priority, Bailey said. Those smaller watersheds include Nickelsen Creek and Trier Ditch in Indiana, Stony and Floodwood creeks in Michigan and Upper and Lower Swan creeks in Ohio. Conservation officials hope to work with Amish farmers along Black and Blue creeks in Indiana, said Jennifer B. Thum, district support specialist for ISDA. One of the projects available for funding is hay planting.
"We’ve had some success reaching out to them," she said.
"Long-term, we hope to establish a demonstration farm in Blue Creek for the Amish that would include grazing and filter strips. We want to show them the positives of participation."
The recent flooding along parts of the WLEB serves as a reminder to farmers to have the best possible management practices available, Bailey said.
"We believe over the long term we’re setting the stage for success on the lake," he explained.
"Some of these practices are for one season, but others are more enduring, such as water control and waste structures. We want to make sure we’re putting the right tools in the hands of producers."
For more information and to apply, visit www.wleb.org
