Lake Erie Critical Issues and Current Research

Endeavors

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C. William Swank Program

Dr. Kristen M. DeVanna Fussell

Ohio Sea Grant College Program

November 19th, 2014

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Critical Issues1. Sediment and Dredging

‒ 750K of seds from Maumee‒ Raised homes in Toledo and

Ag fields

2. Monitoring of HABs

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Critical Issues3. Deadzone (CB and WB)

‒ Linked to HABso Where do blooms go?o Internal loading (WB)

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Critical Issues4. Nutrient management issues

‒ Less point …. now non-point (dissolved)‒ Nature of the problem has changes

5. Climate Change (Heidelberg data)‒ All decisions within different framework

http://esciencenews.com

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6. Coastal and Economic Development‒ Relationship with OH tourism ~12 of 40b

7. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)

Critical Issues Photos courtesy of http://m.cedarpoint.com

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• Bench-scale evaluation of in-situ ultrasonic remediation of contaminated sediments (Weavers and Lenhart at OSU)

• Beneficial reuse of dredged material (Dayton and Fiksel at OSU; also OHSG Task Force)

• Methane release associated with hypoxia/anoxia vs. natural underground deposits (Townsend at U of Cinn)

• Hypoxia and internal loading in Lake Erie (OHSG)

OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

• Rick Stumpf and NOAA….HABs forecasting ability‒Calibration and validation experiments to produce satellite-

based spectral algorithms to measure biological and geochemical water constituents; Adem (C of Charleston) and Ortiz (Kent State)

‒Establishing sources of phosphorus promoting toxic HABs using gene expression; Gobler and Harke at SUNY Stony

OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

• Mapping drain tile and modeling agricultural contribution to nonpoint source pollution in the western Lake Erie basin (University of Toledo)

• Understanding dam removal impacts on a formerly prolific Great Lake’s walleye population (ODNR)

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One of the Most Important Lakes in the World

• Dead lake image of 60s and 70s; poster child for pollution problems in US

• Also best example of ecosystem recovery in world

Photos courtesy of Cleveland Press Collection at Cleveland State University Library and Wikipedia• EPA est. on Dec 2nd, 1970

• 1st Earth Day on April 22nd, 1970• Clean Water Act of 1972

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• Shared by 4 states and 2 countries• Drinking water for 11 million people• Houses over 20 power plants (greatest water

use)• Houses 300 marinas in Ohio alone• Walleye Capital of the World• 40% of all Great Lakes charter boats

• Also, Ohio’s charter boat industry islargest in North America

• $1.5 billion sport fishery• The most valuable freshwater commercial

fishery in the world• Coastal tourism value is over $12 billion (~40)

Lake Erie Stats

Photos courtesy of http://enformable.com

Photo courtesy of Grave Yard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay

Photos courtesy of http://m.cedarpoint.com

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Setting the Stage for HABs

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Great Lakes Land Use

Image: Ohio Sea Grant

Superior Michigan Huron Erie Ontario0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Residential Cropland PastureForest Brush/Wetland

1st

1st

2nd

Least

10%

Great Lakes Land Use Continued

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• More sediment and nutrients (i.e., fertilizers and sewage) than all the other Great Lakes

• Above are exacerbated by storms‐ We are seeing more frequent and severe storms due to climate

change‐ Data to come ….

• Don’t forget, it is also the shallowest (sunlight)

• As a result Lake Erie is the most productive of theGreat Lakes, and alwayswill be!!

Because of Land Use Lake Erie Gets…..

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(Not exact, but instructive)50:2 Rule

Lake Superior: 50% of the water and 2% of the fish

OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

Lake Erie: 2% of the water and 50% of the fish

(Not exact, but instructive)50:2 Rule

OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY

• 80% of water from upper lakes• 10% from Lake Erie tributaries• 10% direct precipitation

80:10:10 Rule

• ~5% of all LE tributary water• YET 50% of LE phosphorous !!

The Maumee River