Scientists will be eyeing rainfall this month until summer to help predict how bad algae will be in Lake Erie. Heavy rains can wash loads of phosphorous-rich material into the lake that feeds the algae blooms and leads to the kind of toxins that mucked up Toledo’s water supply in 2014.
Last month the U.S. and Canada signed an agreement aimed at reducing phosphorous run-off by 40 percent. It was largely praised by environmental groups and scientists, but setting the target is only one piece of the puzzle.
Ideastream's Tony Ganzer spoke about that target and what comes next with Dr. Christopher Winslow. He’s interim director for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program and Stone Lab at Ohio State University…the oldest freshwater biological research lab in the country on Lake Erie.
Dr. Winslow welcomes questions or comments. His contact info is here.
