Maumee/Sandusky River watersheds...

[Raybob]

Eighty-eight percent of the Maumee River’s phosphorus and 89 percent of its nitrogen comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff, according to a new Ohio Environmental Protection Agency report issued Monday night.
In the Sandusky River watershed, the impact from that sector was even greater, with an estimated 93 percent of its phosphorus and 94 percent of its nitrogen derived from nonpoint sources. In the Portage River watershed, 87 percent of its phosphorus and 89 percent of its nitrogen comes from nonpoint sources.


(more)
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/201...ae-report.html

[Diesel Pro]

It's going to take a shift in agriculture practices to address this. The soil needs to remain on the fields and having it lie bare for 6 or more months of the year...

No till and cover crops is the answer, but it has to be a voluntary thing. Look to PA for a good example.

[kzoofisher]

The Maumee watershed is the largest in the Great Lakes by area, it starts in Indiana, and is heavily agricultural. According to Nate Mannining at the University of Michigan the Maumee provides 10% of the water to Erie and 50% of the nutrients. Not hard to see where the problem in the Western Basin originates. I agree that a voluntary program is the place to start and if it doesn't work then there's no choice but to make it mandatory.

Hoping for a cool summer.

[Raybob]

Originally Posted by kzoofisher

The Maumee watershed is the largest in the Great Lakes by area, it starts in Indiana, and is heavily agricultural. According to Nate Mannining at the University of Michigan the Maumee provides 10% of the water to Erie and 50% of the nutrients. Not hard to see where the problem in the Western Basin originates. I agree that a voluntary program is the place to start and if it doesn't work then there's no choice but to make it mandatory.

Hoping for a cool summer.

I too am hoping for a cool summer because of the major floods/rainfall we have had here in Ohio. The "real problem" has been the recent addition of the dreaded mega-farms here in Ohio in addition to our normal rural ag practices...