By Michele F. Mihaljevich Indiana Correspondent
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – In four years, the self-imposed deadline to lower phosphorous loading in Lake Erie by 40 percent will arrive, but there’s still a long way to go to reach the goal, said Greg Lake, district director of the Allen County (Ind.) Soil and Water Conservation District. To help make the public, the agricultural industry, and local, state and federal officials aware of where things stand, Rivers Summit III is scheduled for Sept. 15-16 in downtown Fort Wayne. The first Rivers Summit was in 2011 and the second in 2015. Officials from Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, Canada, signed the Western Basin of Lake Erie Collaborative Agreement in 2015. The pact uses 2008 as the baseline for the 40 percent reduction. “The overarching goal of the conference is to bring awareness to the continued concern with regard to water quality” in the region and in Lake Erie, Lake explained. “It’s really about our local waters, the Maumee (River) and Lake Erie. We really feel there’s an opportunity for the next chapter to address water quality concerns in our region.” In Fort Wayne, the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers meet to form the Maumee, which flows into western Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio. The public is welcome to attend the conference, but Lake hopes to see government officials as well, along with non-governmental organizations and agencies. “At the end of the day, we set ourselves with the challenge of all working together,” he noted. “When you’ve got risk to human health, pets, and the economic viability of the region impacted by harmful algal blooms, we do have a big challenge here. The blooms have threatened drinking water and livelihoods.” In 2014, harmful algal blooms contaminated Toledo’s water supply. In 2016, algal blooms were found in the Maumee River at Defiance, Ohio, but the city’s drinking water was not impacted. “I’m concerned that if we don’t solve (some of the algae issues in Lake Erie), we’ll be challenged by lawsuits because we didn’t meet the goal,” Lake said. That could possibly lead to legislative solutions, he added. “If we’re not getting there, it will create opportunities for those who think a voluntary approach is not the right approach,” Lake said. “Some prefer the regulatory approach. If the deadline isn’t met, it would be like giving them not only the gas can but the match too.” New technologies, such as ways to reduce nutrient impact from livestock, are in the works, he said. Those interested could, in addition to attending the Rivers Summit, consider serving on boards of such organizations as farm bureau, USDA’s Farm Service Agency, and local water districts, Lake said. Conference speakers will include Chris Winslow, director of the Ohio Sea Grant Program; Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, director of agriculture engagement strategy in North America for The Nature Conservancy; and Jerry Raynor, Indiana state conservationist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana state Rep. Dave Heine (R-85th district) will also attend. In recent years, Fort Wayne has completed initial phases of a park and other attractions along the city’s downtown riverfront. “There’s been an awful lot of activity on the city’s rivers,” Lake noted. “The canal boat (for touring the rivers) has been really busy. Water quality almost always gets brought up when we’re on the river.” For conference details, visit https://maumeewatershedalliance.org/events/. The site includes hours, cost information and a link to purchase tickets. |