New Maps Show Direct Link Between Western Ohio Farms and Increased Algae Bloom Threats in Lake Erie

As sprawling algae blooms turned the Maumee River green in downtown Toledo this fall, Lucas County Commissioners turned up the heat on the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the many western Ohio farmers that are contributing to the dramatic uptick in Lake Erie's phosphorus levels. 
"Don’t defend the status quo that is poisoning our lake," Lucas County commissioner Pete Gerken said earlier this week, referencing newly published maps that link certain "lower Maumee" farmland areas to increased levels of phosphorus (fertilizer) pollution. Lucas County and the city of Toledo have spent "hundreds of millions of dollars" to combat this hazardous runoff. This year's algae bloom was the "third worst" on record; in 2014, the city of Toledo shut down its water supply for three days as the algae overtook its resources.