Investments

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducts monitoring to track changes and identify long-term trends in nutrient and sediment loads to the Great Lakes in 26 major tributaries across the basin.  Eight of these tributaries drain directly to Lake Erie, and two others drain to the St. Clair – Detroit River System.

For an in-depth look at Lake Erie watersheds, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partners with several state agencies (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality) to track changes in nutrient and sediment loads, at specific locations within the watersheds.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working in collaboration with other Great Lakes stakeholders interested in using wetlands for phosphorus reduction, including The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, academic institutions, and other federal agencies. Research and an engineering evaluation will inform decision-making about the potential for treatment wetlands to be a significant part of controlling phosphorus from agricultural runoff in the Great Lakes.

The U.S. EPA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are working on a variety of activities to monitor and asses water quality, while also working to develop tools to forecast harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.

This is a partnership among USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Department of Natural & Applied Sciences, Purdue University's Department of Agronomy, and the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Science Centers in New York and Wisconsin. The partners will conduct soil health assessments in conjunction with edge-of-field (EoF) water quality monitoring projects established in the GLRI Priority Watersheds.

Combined sanitary sewage and stormwater runoff that would otherwise be discharged to the St. Marys and Maumee Rivers will be collected and temporarily stored in an approximately 5-mile long tunnel. The combined sewage and stormwater will be treated after the wet weather event has ended and the wastewater treatment plant has sufficient capacity.

Current operation and maintenance processes will be analyzed to seek opportunities for better nutrient removal.

Communities with combined sewer systems will implement Long-Term Control Plans (LTCPs) to reduce the frequency and volume of combined sewer overflow (CSO) events.

Indiana has 12 municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) in the Lake Erie basin, all of which have approved Storm Water Quality Management Plans (SWQMPs), as required by Indiana's general MS4 permit. 

The Adams County Regional Sewer District (RSD) is extending sewers to the communities of Pleasant Mills, Arcadia Village, Rivare, Linn Grove, and Monmouth/Roe Acres.

Septic system installation, operation, maintenance, and repair will follow site-specific design regulations. Septic system failure rates will be tracked.

In rural landscapes, install two-stage ditches where feasible on both regulated and non-regulated drains.

Routine inspections of regulated operations regarding nutrient management and timely investigations of runoff from unregulated farms will ensure compliance with Indiana's confined feeding operation (CFO) and Fertilizer Certification rules.

The Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District, in partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture will develop, promote, and implement a phosphorus risk reduction pilot program for agricultural best management practices (BMPs) in critical area subwatersheds in the Upper Maumee River watershed.

The St. Marys River Watershed Initiative is a paired watershed monitoring and soil health monitoring project.

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.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will support the development and implementation of approved watershed management plans (WMPs) in Michigan’s portion of the Maumee River watershed and Michigan's watersheds that discharge directly into western Lake Erie.

Only a small portion (about 7 percent) of the Maumee watershed lies within Michigan’s borders. Michigan is partnering with Indiana, Ohio, the U.S. EPA, and the U.S. Geological Survey to ensure appropriate monitoring of the watershed. Though continued monitoring is needed, initial monitoring and analysis has revealed that certain parts of the Maumee watershed in Michigan have higher phosphorus concentrations than others.

The Lake Erie watershed has been identified through New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Clean Water Planning Initiative as a high priority for water quality improvement, and Lake Erie is currently the focus of binational efforts under Annex 4 (Nutrients) of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) to assess and reduce nutrient loadings. The objectives of this project are: