Forecast for 2025 Lake Erie algal bloom released
The 2025 algal bloom for the Western Lake Erie Basin is expected to have a severity index of 3, according to the final forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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As the calendar turns to summer, eyes will once again turn to the Western Lake Erie Basin to monitor the severity of the inevitable algal bloom. As more research is being conducted about the various causes of the blue-green waters of the shallowest Great Lake, and results of farm conservation programs are showing positive trends, there are still many questions unanswered when it comes to the annual challenges of water quality in Lake Erie.
One of the culprits of the bloom, legacy phosphorus, is highlighted in a new series of Field Day podcasts, produced by Ohio Farm Bureau. Legacy phosphorus accumulates in soils and sediments due to past human activities, especially from agricultural fertilization and manure applications. This accumulated phosphorus can lead to persistent water quality degradation, even after changes in current fertilization practices.
“In today’s world of instant gratification, some might wonder why if a farmer has changed their nutrient management practices yesterday, why are they not seeing water quality improvements today,” said Jordan Hoewischer, host of the Field Day podcast. “We know that natural systems take time to re-adjust. From an agricultural watershed, it’s not unrealistic to have 10 to 20 years of management practices in place to ultimately see what the impact is in the stream system itself. That lag time is one that I don’t think there’s an appreciation for.”
The Field Day podcast series will include guests from the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ohio Department of Agriculture, The Ohio State University and the University of Illinois and will focus on topics ranging from the age of phosphorus leaving farm fields, research on phosphorus hot spots, soil test levels of H2Ohio-enrolled acres, trends for dissolved reactive phosphorus in the Western Lake Erie Basin and the role that streambank erosion plays in phosphorus loading.
Find the Field Day podcast at ofb.ag/podcastseries, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Ty Higgins, 614-246-8231 or [email protected].
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