Tracking the progress of individual strategies to control phosphorus
For every "Strategy" presented on ErieStat, a corresponding "Investment" is being tracked. We’re not only presenting dollars invested, but tracking each strategy's implementation to see how pieces fit together as a “big picture” of phosphorus control Progress.
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Beginning in 2010, the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program (GLSNRP) began receiving funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Each year (except 2015), the program has funded a new set of projects that are typically 3-4 years in duration. Between 2010 and 2018, GLSNRP funded 105 projects across the Great Lakes basin.
Runoff Risk Decision Support tools provide farmers and producers actionable guidance about when to avoid short-term nutrient applications due to unfavorable environmental conditions. Runoff Risk tools are based on real-time National Weather Service (NWS) weather and hydrologic models and have been collaboratively developed with many state agencies, universities, and other ag-centric partners in the Great Lakes region.
Funding for soil health practices comes from federal sources, like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, state programs like Clean Water Indiana, and local sources which include county funds or grants administered by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
The primary tool for working with agriculture in Michigan's portion of the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) is the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). MAEAP is an innovative, proactive program that helps farms of all sizes and all commodities voluntarily minimize agricultural pollution risks. MAEAP was developed by a coalition of farmers, commodity groups, state and federal agencies, and conservation and environmental groups.
Funds for the load monitoring stations are from federal, state, and local governments, as well as private enterprises. In 2018 monitoring partners brought four new stations online. Annually, between 100-500 water quality samples are collected at every site. The timing of which samples are collected is strategic to allow for the calculation of continuous nutrient loads. These loading data allow for a better understanding of each tributary’s contribution to nutrient delivery to Lake Erie. They are also used to track changes in nutrient delivery based on land use changes/best management practices adoption.
Existing monitoring funds will be used to implement an open water monitoring system in western Lake Erie.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency focuses funding to priority combined sewer separation projects, wastewater treatment plant upgrades, stormwater management, and home sewage treatment systems.
An updated Nutrient Mass Balance Study, including combined sewer overflow (CSO) loadings, has been published by Ohio EPA.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Department of Agriculture, along with local entities, will develop Watershed Implementation Plans or Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategic Plans (NPS-IS Plans) in priority watersheds not already covered by a plan.
To date, PA VinES (Pennsylvania Vested in Environmental Sustainability) has successfully leveraged over $400,000 of state and federal funds to engage with Erie County Conservation District’s (ECCD) grape growing community and help install agricultural conservation practices that can reduce nutrient and sediment impacts to drinking water.
From the passage of Senate Bill 299 in 2018 to April 2019, the Ohio Department of Agriculture distributed $3.5 million of the $23.5 million available to the 24 soil and water conservation districts in northwest Ohio.
In June 2016, The Andersons Inc. Waterloo Facility became the first facility in Indiana to receive 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification.