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Experts are monitoring the severity of this season’s algal bloom in The Western Lake Erie Basin.

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.

Field Day podcast: Legacy phosphorus series
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.

The Field Day podcast series includes 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.

OACI: Conservation initiatives are working
On the heels of the Ohio Agriculture Conservation Initiative’s survey report on the Sandusky Watershed, OACI conducted a randomized sampling of 384 crop production fields within the Upper Scioto Watershed, releasing the findings at the end of 2024. The assessment results establish a baseline of adoption for various farming practices in the Upper Scioto Watershed.

This assessment survey is the third in what is an ongoing program by OACI, conducting survey assessments of watersheds around the state and re-surveying each previously surveyed watershed every few years. A follow-up assessment in the Upper Scioto is planned for 2027.

Ohio farmers are encouraged to get involved in OACI’s Farmer Certification program, H2Ohio and any other conservation-focused program to learn about new practices, share information and become better stewards of the land.

H2Ohio initiative
Gov. Mike DeWine launched H2Ohio in 2019 as a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing various threats to water quality, including harmful algal blooms caused by phosphorus runoff.

H2Ohio’s agricultural program, which initially focused solely on farms located in northwest Ohio near Lake Erie, incentivizes farmers to implement science-based, proven best management practices to prevent nutrient runoff and improve water quality.

In December 2023, Gov. DeWine announced an expansion of H2Ohio to include the H2Ohio Rivers program, a new effort to preserve and protect the health of Ohio’s large rivers. Among other initiatives, the expanded program will give southwest Ohio farmers a new opportunity to enroll in conservation practices.

Since its launch, H2Ohio has seen tremendous support from Ohio farmers. More than 2.2 million acres of farmland are currently enrolled in H2Ohio.