Bronte Wells
Lake Erie, the smallest and shallowest of the Great Lakes, has been facing a water pollution crisis for decades. The lake, which provides drinking water for about 11 million people, has been plagued by harmful algal blooms fuelled by excess phosphorus pollution, which is linked to agricultural runoff and livestock operations. The resulting toxins, including microcystin and E. coli, pose risks to human health and impair the region's recreation economy. Despite efforts to address the issue, such as lawsuits and clean-up plans, phosphorus load targets are largely not being met, and the lake continues to exhibit high nutrient conditions.
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What You'll Learn
Agricultural pollution
Lake Erie is the most populated of all the Great Lakes basins and is largely agricultural, intensively industrialized, and highly urbanized. The lake is exposed to the greatest stress from urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture. The lake's shallow warmth and artificially inflated nutrient loads are the primary causes of its algae problem.
The agricultural industry's impact on Lake Erie is not limited to phosphorus pollution. The industrialization of livestock production has led to an excessive concentration of manure in small areas, which contributes to water-quality issues. Additionally, climate change brings wetter springs to the Great Lakes region, increasing the risk of nutrient-laden runoff from fertilized fields into the lake despite farmers' efforts to reduce fertilizer use.
Efforts to reduce agricultural pollution in Lake Erie have been met with challenges. While some states, like Michigan, have implemented programs to help farmers reduce runoff, critics argue that voluntary programs are insufficient. Environmental groups have pushed for the creation of a pollution diet, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), and for holding agricultural producers accountable for sticking to it. However, even with big nutrient reductions, scientists say it could take years to see improvements in the lake's water quality.
The complex nature of the basin, encompassing multiple states and countries, further complicates regulation efforts. New regulations in one state could put farmers at a competitive disadvantage against those in other states. As a result, there is a lack of consistent and enforceable standards to address agricultural pollution in Lake Erie effectively.
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$14.75
Industrial pollution
Lake Erie is the most industrialized of the Great Lakes, and as such, it is the most susceptible to pollution. The lake is surrounded by exposed agricultural and urban lands, which contribute immensely to sediment loading. The lake's western basin is very shallow, making it the most turbid region, as most of the lake bed is covered with fine sediment particles that are easily disturbed by wind and waves.
The lake's algae problem is caused by excess phosphorus pollution, which is largely driven by tributary discharge volume. Nearly 90% of this comes from the booming agricultural industry upstream in the Maumee River Watershed. This includes liquified animal waste from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which is leaching into the water at growing rates. In 2014, a massive algal bloom shut down Toledo's drinking water supply to 400,000 people for three days, leading to the deployment of the National Guard to bring in bottled water.
In 2019, the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) and the Board of Commissioners of Lucas County, Ohio, filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration's EPA for its approval of an Ohio EPA decision to make western Lake Erie a "low" priority for action under the Clean Water Act. The Ohio EPA then agreed to develop a clean-up plan, called a TMDL, or Total Maximum Daily Load, which outlines a pollution diet with limits on nutrients that industries can dump into the lake. However, the TMDL was deemed insufficient, as it failed to address the CAFOs responsible for polluting the watershed.
In addition to agricultural pollution, Lake Erie also faces pollution from industrial sources. In 2024, the United States Department of Justice and environmental groups filed lawsuits against the Campbell Soup Company, alleging that its manufacturing plant in Napoleon, Ohio, allowed polluted wastewater containing excess phosphorus to flow into the Maumee River and subsequently into Lake Erie. This has contributed to the algae problem in the lake, as phosphorus-rich wastewater feeds algal blooms.
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Urbanisation
Lake Erie is the most populated of all the Great Lakes basins, with around 12 million people living in its watershed. The lake is largely agricultural, intensively industrialized, and highly urbanized. The lake provides drinking water for about 11 million of these inhabitants.
The lake is naturally divided into three basins that function as separate lakes. The western basin is very shallow, with an average depth of 7.4 meters and a maximum depth of 19 meters. It is the most turbid region of the lake, with fine sediment particles that are easily disturbed by wind and waves. The central basin has a uniform depth, with an average depth of 18.3 meters and a maximum of 25 meters. The eastern basin is the deepest, with an average depth of 24 meters and a maximum of 64 meters.
The Lake Erie watershed is exposed to significant stress from urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture. The lake receives the greatest amount of effluent from sewage treatment plants among the Great Lakes and is highly susceptible to sediment loading due to the underlying geology and land use. Exposed agricultural and urban lands, particularly in southwest Ontario and northwest Ohio, contribute significantly to the sediment load in the lake.
Urbanization has led to an increase in the number of metropolitan areas and populations within the Lake Erie basin. The basin includes 17 metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 50,000 people. The high population density and urban development in these areas contribute to the pollution of Lake Erie through urban runoff and sewage discharge.
The impacts of urbanization on Lake Erie are evident in the increasing levels of pollution and nutrient runoff. Urbanization has led to the expansion of impervious surfaces, such as concrete and asphalt, which increase the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff. This runoff carries pollutants, including nutrients, heavy metals, and contaminants from roads, parking lots, and industrial sites, directly into the lake and its tributaries.
Additionally, urbanization has resulted in the alteration of natural landscapes and the destruction of natural buffers, such as wetlands and riparian zones, which would otherwise help filter and absorb pollutants. The loss of these natural barriers further contributes to the direct discharge of pollutants into the lake ecosystem.
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Excess phosphorus
Phosphorus is an essential plant nutrient. However, when phosphorus levels are too high, they can have harmful impacts on the health of a lake. Phosphorus loading in Lake Erie is mainly due to human activity, with about 90% of it coming from the booming agricultural industry upstream in the Maumee River Watershed. Liquified animal waste from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is leaching into the water at growing rates. This waste, along with excess fertilizer, is a non-point source of phosphorus pollution, which is difficult to identify as it comes from diffuse sources.
The presence of excess phosphorus in Lake Erie has led to eutrophication, which is characterized by degraded water quality, algal blooms, and zones of low oxygen. These algal blooms can produce microcystin bacteria, which is more poisonous than cyanide and can cause liver damage and other ailments in both humans and animals. The decay of the excess algae and bacteria can also reduce the amount of oxygen available for fish and other aquatic animals, further degrading the health of the lake's ecosystem.
In 2014, a massive algal bloom shut down Toledo's drinking water supply to 400,000 people for three days, and the National Guard had to be deployed to bring in bottled water. This event highlighted the urgency of addressing the phosphorus pollution in Lake Erie. The Clean Water Act mandates that a cleanup plan be implemented when a water body is declared impaired, but there has been criticism of the EPA's failure to enforce this act and protect Lake Erie communities.
To address the issue of excess phosphorus, the Canada-Ontario Lake Erie action plan has been developed. This plan includes a variety of federal, provincial, and partner actions that need to be coordinated and implemented by all sectors and communities in the Lake Erie basin. The plan aims to reduce phosphorus loadings, ensure effective policies, improve the knowledge base, educate and build awareness, and strengthen leadership and coordination. While there has been progress toward achieving the targets, more work is needed to protect the lake's ecosystem and the communities that rely on it.
The complex causes of Lake Erie's problems include interactions between a warming climate, altered hydrologic patterns, changes in land use and management, and the availability of substrates for algal growth. The industrialization of livestock production and the concentration of animal waste in small areas have also contributed to the issue. It is clear that a new approach is needed to safeguard Lake Erie, and efforts must continue to reduce agricultural runoff and enforce policies that protect the lake and the communities that depend on it.
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Eutrophic conditions
Eutrophication is a process by which excess nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, are deposited into a body of water and become concentrated in particular areas. While eutrophication is a natural process in aging lakes, human activities can accelerate this process in younger waters by depositing excess nutrients. Eutrophication can have adverse effects on natural systems.
Lake Erie, the 11th largest freshwater lake globally, is divided into three basins: western, central, and eastern. The lake first experienced anthropogenic eutrophication in the late 1800s due to expanded human settlement and deforestation in its watershed. Eutrophication intensified in the 1930s due to industrial, urban, and agricultural development. Conditions consistent with hyper-eutrophy occurred in the late 1950s and 1960s, with extensive harmful algal blooms (HABs) and bottom hypoxia.
The western basin of Lake Erie, the warmest and shallowest of the Great Lakes, is particularly susceptible to eutrophication. Excess phosphorus pollution, largely from agricultural runoff and industrial animal waste, accumulates in the lake. This phosphorus contributes to hypoxic (low-oxygen) conditions in the cold bottom layer of the lake when algae die and decompose, using up oxygen and creating a "Dead Zone."
Efforts to address eutrophication in Lake Erie have included phosphorus abatement programs initiated in 1972, which successfully reduced phosphorus loads and algal blooms for a period. More recently, Canada has developed a remediation plan that outlines actions to achieve phosphorus reduction targets and improve policies. Additionally, duckweed has been proposed as a potential solution, as it can absorb excess nutrients and provide oxygen back into the water.
Overall, eutrophication in Lake Erie is a complex issue driven by various human activities. Addressing eutrophication is crucial for sustaining and enhancing the services provided by the lake, including drinking water for millions of people, and protecting the aquatic ecosystems within it.
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Frequently asked questions
Lake Erie is the most susceptible to pollution out of all the Great Lakes due to its shallow depth and high levels of industrialization, urbanization, and agriculture. The lake's pollution is mainly caused by excess phosphorus, which causes harmful algal blooms.
The majority of the excess phosphorus in Lake Erie comes from the booming agricultural industry upstream in the Maumee River Watershed. This includes liquid manure and solid manure from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), as well as fertilizer.
The pollution in Lake Erie has resulted in harmful algal blooms, which have impaired the recreation economy and threatened the drinking water of about 11 to 12 million people. Some algae produce microcystin bacteria, which is poisonous and can cause liver damage and other health issues in humans and animals.
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