Toxic Algae, Undrinkable Water, and Dead Zones in Lake Erie: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Toxic Algae, Undrinkable Water, and Dead Zones in Lake Erie: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Jul 30, 2023 121 likes •575 views

OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY Toxic Algae, Undrinkable Water, and Dead Zones in Lake Erie: Understanding the Problems and Solutions Dr. Jeffrey M. Reutter Special Advisor, Ohio Sea Grant College

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OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

Toxic Algae, Undrinkable Water, and Dead Zones in Lake Erie: 
 Understanding the Problems and Solutions


  • Dr. Jeffrey M. Reutter

Special Advisor, Ohio Sea Grant College Program

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OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

Stone Lab OSU’s Island Campus

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Blue-green Algae Bloom 1971, 
 But I’ve Seen Worse (1956)

Photo: Forsythe and Reutter

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Lake Erie: The Poster Child for Pollution Problems

  • Cuyahoga River burns in 1969
  • USEPA, NOAA, and 1st Earth Day in 1970
  • Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 1972
  • Provided P targets
  • Doesn’t impact sewage treatment plants outside of

Lake Erie watershed

  • Clean Water Act in 1972
  • Gave us the tools to attack the problem
  • Concern—HR 861 would terminate USEPA
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Impact of GLWQA and CWA

  • Binational agreement on targets
  • Binational strategy to reach the targets
  • Would not have happened without USEPA &

ECCC

  • First discussion of Ecosystem Based

Management

  • Recognition that we can’t manage Lake Erie

from the middle of the Lake

  • We have to manage Lake Erie from places like

Findlay, Ohio, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and London, Ont.

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What brought about the rebirth 
 from dead lake to Walleye Capital?

  • 62% Phosphorus reduction (29,000 metric

tons to 11,000)

  • New TP load for lake = <7,000 MT vs. 11,000
  • In those days 2/3 of phosphorus from

sewage treatment plants

  • Today, more than 2/3 is non-point source

loading from agriculture

  • HABs are back
  • Working on Domestic Action Plans
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OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY Photo: NOAA Satellite Image

October 9, 2011

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Microcystis, Stone Lab, 9/20/13

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Western Basin HAB July 28, 2015

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HAB Lake St. Clair July 28, 2015

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Photo: NOAA Satellite Image

October 9, 2011

Major groups/kinds in Lake Erie

Diatoms Greens Blue-greens

(Cyanobacteria)

Source: Tom Bridgeman, UT

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OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

  • Reference Dose =

amount that can be ingested orally by a person, above which a toxic effect may

  • ccur, on a milligram

per kilogram body weight per day basis.

Toxicity of Algal Toxins Relative to Other Toxic Compounds found in Water

Dioxin (0.000001 mg/kg-d) Microcystin LR (0.000003 mg/kg-d) Saxitoxin (0.000005 mg/kg-d) PCBs (0.00002 mg/kg-d) Cylindrospermopsin (0.00003 mg/kg-d) Methylmercury (0.0001 mg/kg-d) Anatoxin-A (0.0005 mg/kg-d) DDT (0.0005 mg/kg-d) Selenium (0.005 mg/kg-d) Alachlor (0.01 mg/kg-d) Cyanide (0.02 mg/kg-d) Atrazine (0.04 mg/kg-d) Fluoride (0.06 mg/kg-d) Chlorine (0.1 mg/kg-d) Aluminum (1 mg/kg-d) Ethylene Glycol (2 mg/kg-d) Botulinum toxin A (0.001 mg/kg-d)

Toxin Reference Doses

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Cyanobacteria “Preferences”

  • Warm water—above 60F
  • High concentrations of nutrients
  • Particularly phosphorus (P)
  • If nitrogen (N) is low, some cyanos are capable of

fixing their own from the air

  • Source of nutrients doesn’t matter
  • Preferences tell us where to expect Cyanos

anywhere in world

  • Cyanos are capable of producing toxins
  • 1 March to 31 July load determines size of HAB
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Lake Erie has always been at the forefront of the algae and nutrient problem.
 Why?

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OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY Image: Ohio Sea Grant

Southernmost

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Shallowest and Warmest

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0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Superior Michigan Huron Erie Ontario Residential Cropland Pasture Forest Brush/Wetland

Image: Ohio Sea Grant

1st 1st 2nd

Least

10%

Great Lakes Land Use Continued

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80:10:10 Rule

  • 80% of water Detroit River from upper lakes
  • 10% direct precipitation
  • 10% from Lake Erie tributaries
  • Detroit & Niagara Rivers—connecting channels
  • Maumee
  • Largest tributary to Great Lakes
  • Drains 4.2 million acres of ag land
  • 3-4% of flow into Lake Erie
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Lake Erie Stats

  • Lake Erie
  • 9,906 sq. miles
  • 11th in area 17th

volume

  • 241 miles long 57 wide
  • Western Basin
  • Ave. depth 24 ft.
  • 13% area, 5% volume
  • Central Basin
  • Ave. depth 60 ft.
  • 63% area and volume
  • Eastern Basin
  • Ave. 80 ft., Max 210

ft.

  • 24% area, 32% volume
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Lake Erie: 
 2% of the water and 50% of the fish Lake Superior: 50% of the water and 2% of the fish

50:2 Rule


(Not exact, but instructive)


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Joe DePinto, LimnoTech

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  • Normally limiting nutrient in freshwater

systems

  • P reduction is best strategy ecologically and

economically

  • Reducing both P and N will help the most
  • Can solve problem by reducing only P
  • Nitrogen is more important than originally

thought

  • Cannot solve it by reducing only N
  • Best solution is to reduce both

Why do we target phosphorus?

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Nutrient Loading

  • P discharges from sewage treatment

plants vary little from year to year

  • P discharges from ag tributaries vary

greatly from year to year depending on rainfall

  • Vast majority of P loading occurs

during storm events

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Maumee River Basin Storm Runoff Statistics (1960-2010)

  • Statistically significant increases in :

−Number of storm runoff events per year (up 67%) −Number of spring runoff events (up 40%) −Number of winter runoff events (up 47%) −Annual storm discharge (up 53%) −Summer storm discharge (up 27%)

Source: Dr. Peter Richards, Heidelberg University

80-90% of loading occurs 10-20% of time

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57 57 28 28 121 121 132 132 137 137 156 156 241 241 325 325 201 6 81 475 49 49 79 79 105 105 202 202 264 264 279 279 366 452 452 475 2,040 2,040 3,812 3,812 179 179 206 206 1,105 32 32 35 35 37 37 41 41 41 41 45 45 28 28 59 59 59 59 64 64 80 80 83 83 120 120 137 137 189 189 240 240 502 502 28 28 40 269 42 42 43 43 58 58 107 107 124 124 136 136 201 201 396 396 601 601 637 637 658 658 32 32 34 34 52 52 67 67 69 69 86 86 90 90 74 74 62 62 100 100 195 195 210 210 239 239 240 240 506 506 575 575 28 28 29 29 41 41 61 61 77 77 98 98

Legend

Connecting Channel Total Phosphorus: > 100 MTA

100 500

Total Phosphorus: < 100 MTA

Great Lakes Tributary Total Phosphorus Loads (MTA) 2008

24 26 22 152 235 61 57 22

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OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

89% 1% 87% 4%

wy13 Loading Breakdown - Maumee Watershed

Total N

  • Non point Source
  • HSTS
  • NPDES Sources
  • CSO
  • Out of State NPDES
  • Class 4
  • Class 5
  • Industrial
  • Major WWTP
  • Class 2
  • Class 3

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Total P

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Not all P is created equal

  • Total P (TP) = particulate P (PP) and dissolved

reactive P (DRP)

  • PP is about 25% bioavailable
  • DRP is 100% bioavailable
  • DRP load up ~150%!
  • Most BMPs have focused on PP (stopping

erosion)

  • Removing 1 ton of DRP = removing 4 tons of PP
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LAKE ERIE AND LAKE ST. CLAIR— 3/8/17

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HABs 2002-16

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GLWQA Annex 4 (Nutrients)
 Charge to Objectives and Targets Task Team

  • Provide science-based recommendations to

address:

  • HABs—primarily Western Basin problem
  • Hypoxia—Central Basin problem
  • Cladophora—primarily an Eastern Basin north shore

problem—NO TARGET YET

  • Adaptive management approach
  • TT identified 14 Priority tributaries
  • 40% spring P reduction for HABs
  • Goal: Blooms like 2012 or smaller 90% of time
  • 40% annual reduction for hypoxia
  • Goal: Average hypolimnetic DO above 2.0 mg/l

30

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  • Ann. discharge = 8.0 billion m3

Spring discharge = 3.4 billion m3

  • Ann. P load = 3,800 tonnes

Spring P load = 1,400 tonnes

  • Ann. discharge = 6.2 billion m3

Spring discharge = 5.0 billion m3

  • Ann. P load = 3,100 tonnes

Spring P load = 2,300 tonnes

  • Ann. discharge = 6.1 billion m3

Spring discharge = 1.0 billion m3

  • Ann. P load = 2,500 tonnes

Spring P load = 400 tonnes

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Understanding Central Basin Issues

  • Volume of water in hypolimnion is very important
  • Lake morphometry and water level
  • May be as important and P and C loading
  • Evidence that it has always had episodes of anoxia
  • Changes that occur when hypo becomes anoxic
  • Oxidizing to reducing environment
  • Anaerobic bacteria—methane released to atmosphere
  • Sedimented P redissolves in water
  • Internal P loading is more important than in WB
  • Heavy metals dissolve in water
  • Taste and odor problems at water treatment plants
  • HABs now occurring annually
  • Understanding material transport between basins
  • Less data available than in WB
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Conclusions and Recent Findings—1 


  • Maumee: 55% of farms <50 acres, but represent 3% of acres
  • DRP dissolves in water and comes out drain tiles
  • P loss directly related to amount of P on field
  • P concentration coming out of tiles meets targets when soil

test P is not above crop needs

  • Can’t apply multiple years of P at one time and bank it
  • Legacy P from fields with too much P is big part of problem
  • Blind inlets & managing flow from tiles will help
  • Up to 60% reduction in P loss when incorporated
  • 42% of acres responsible for 78% of P & sediment loss
  • 42% of acres apply P above removal rates
  • 1% of acres account for 40+% of sediment loss
  • 1/3 of farmers not likely to take needed action without more

aggressive encouragement

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Conclusions and Recent Findings—2

  • Total elimination of all point sources reduces P load by

very small amount

  • Ag load from Maumee is about 85% of total
  • Manure and commercial fertilizer same when not over

applied, but manure is more likely to be over applied

  • Models show that it is possible to achieve a 40%

reduction

  • Requires extensive changes
  • Not likely to be accomplished voluntarily
  • Will require identification of problem fields
  • My opinion of what is needed:
  • More voluntary actions by farmers
  • More targeted incentives for farmers
  • More common sense regulations
  • For example: Ohio Senate Bills 150 and 1
  • Follow the 4R’s for fertilizer and manure: Right time, amount,

place, & form—Why optional?

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OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

Needs and Opportunities

  • Accurate info about what is happening on each ag field
  • Accurate loads from connecting channels & atmosphere
  • Annual soil test P and nutrients for each field
  • Monitoring around animal operations
  • BMPs for DRP
  • Tributary transport models for 14 priority watersheds
  • Ag incentives that create permanent changes
  • Phosphorus and toxin probes
  • Funding for long-term monitoring
  • Daily trib P&N monitoring linked to ag actions
  • More info on algal toxins, impacts, and safety levels
  • Transfer what we learn on Lake Erie to other Great Lakes, US,

and world

  • Expand Western Basin Ecosystem Model to CB & Lake
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Ideas for Cities and Individuals

  • Sewage treatment plants—GLWQA target 0.5 mg/l of P
  • Reduce CSO’s
  • Stormwater management
  • Reduce consumption and runoff—Low-flow toilets and

shower heads, rain barrels and rain gardens

  • No P in lawn fertilizers
  • Septic tanks
  • Cleaners and detergents—Low P and use recommended

amount

  • Advocacy, education, and outreach
  • Citizen Science, new ideas, out-of-box thinking
  • Climate change—Warmer and more frequent storms
  • Solar panels, solar thermal, reduce power consumption
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The Battles of Lake Erie

First: 1813 Second: 1971 Third: 2013

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We Should Care!!!
 Environment vs. Economy

  • Lake Erie is living proof that it is not

either/or.

  • We don’t have to make a choice

between a clean environment or jobs.

  • You can have both!
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Impact of the Second Battle of Lake Erie

  • Charter Fishing Businesses: 34 to over 1200
  • Coastal businesses: 207 to over 425
  • Walleye harvest: 112,000 to over 5 million
  • Lake Erie becomes the “Walleye Capital of

the World” and the best example of ecosystem recovery in the world.

  • Tourism in the 8 Ohio Counties bordering

Lake Erie currently employs over 120,000 people and is valued at more than $13 billion.

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Impact of the Third Battle of Lake Erie

  • 2002 HABs observed from satellites
  • October 2011, HABs cover the water intakes of 2.8

million people

  • 2012: Multiple blooms occur in the Central Basin
  • September 2013, 2000+ people in Carroll Township

told not to drink their water.

  • August 2014: 400,000+ people in Toledo told not to

drink their water.

  • A number of health impacts reported statewide.
  • A number of dogs killed.
  • Charter fishing down 25% and many businesses

close.

  • What are you going to do about it? HB 861?
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Thoughts and Challenges for the Future

  • Scientists must help public understand science
  • Goal: convey truth not impress audience
  • You are not important—your message is!
  • Style: simplicity, informality, and specificity
  • Ecclesiastes 6:11 “The more the words, the less the

meaning, and how does that profit anyone.”

  • Reach people before they have made a decision
  • Mark Twain: “It is easier to fool someone than to

convince them they have been fooled.”

  • All can have opinions, but expertise really maters!
  • Making fun of people only makes them dig their heels in.

Be a good expert!

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For more information:


  • Dr. Jeff Reutter, Special Advisor

Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab Ohio State Univ. 1314 Kinnear Rd. Col, OH 43212 614-292-8949 Reutter.1@osu.edu

  • hioseagrant.osu.edu

Stone Laboratory Ohio State Univ. Box 119 Put-in-Bay, OH 43456 614-247-6500