Tracking the progress of individual strategies to control phosphorus
Specific activities identified by Lake Erie states, the province, and federal governments within Domestic Action Plans are tracked on ErieStat as Investments. Tracking these investments will enable the adaptive management of phosphorus control efforts and eventually, provide “big picture” views of phosphorus control Progress.
Investments made in the Lake Erie basin to control phosphorus aren’t expressed only as dollars – it’s also the programs implemented and the people and organizations who implement them. Investments include on-the-ground practices, research and monitoring, infrastructure upgrades, and outreach and education.
New York State's Water Quality Rapid Response Team, national experts and local stakeholders collaboratively developed Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Action Plans for twelve priority lakes that are vulnerable to HABs. These twelve lakes represent a wide range of conditions and the lessons learned will be applied to other impacted waterbodies in the state.
New York State (NYS) was not required to prepare a Domestic Action Plan (DAP), as binational phosphorus targets have not been established for the eastern basin under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). The Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance (LEWPA), in partnership with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), is developing a Nine Element (9E) Watershed Plan to maintain the “Interim Substance Objective for Total Phosphorous Concentration in Open Waters of Eastern Basin of Lake Erie.”
New York State (NYS) implemented a ban on phosphorus-containing residential fertilizers in 2016 and will continue its active enforcement/surveillance program to monitor the compliance of residential fertilizer retailers.
Applying specific fertilizer levels based on the need of each sub-acre to reduce fertilizer application without risk of losing yield.
Applying specific fertilizer below the surface to reduce nutrient loss.
Mixing manure into the soil to keep it in place and minimize nutrient loss.
Planting certain crops that reduce erosion and enrich the soil thus reducing runoff and sediment delivery.
When planted after the main harvest, cover crops reduce erosion, hold nutrients in the soil, and improve soil health.
Slowing down runoff to give phosphorus more time to settle back in the soil.
In northwest Ohio, precipitation data is relatively corase due to the distance from regional Doppler weather radars and a current lack of rain gage density. Twenty new rain gages will fill a critical gap in precipitation data.
State funding through H2Ohio is available for local counties and health departments to repair or replace failing home sewage treatment systems (HSTSs). Since 2016, funding has also been awarded to local counties and health departments to direct funding assistance to eligible homeowners.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency funds infrastructure projects through H2Ohio that will improve water quality, which includes extending sewers to areas with high concentrations of failing home sewage treatment systems. The first project in the Lake Erie basin will construct a new waterwater collection and treatment system in Kunkle, Ohio, within the Maumee River watershed.
Watershed planning helps identify critical areas, set local goals, and coordinate implementation of conservation practices. Development of news plans are underway in 26 HUC12 Maumee River watersheds to identify load reduction opportunities and establish far-field phosphorus targets at the watershed level. Far-field planning efforts look to meet overarching Annex 4 nutrient reduction goals, rather than goals for localized impairments. Existing plans will be updated to incorporate far-field phosphorus targets.