Lake Erie algal bloom

Harmful algae blooms threaten drinking water for 11 million people around Lake Erie. When it rains, excess fertilizer and manure from farm fields flow into streams and rivers that feed the lake. This pollution fuels algal blooms that can make water toxic to fish, wildlife, and people.

Visit our campaign page to learn how to stop Lake Erie’s algal blooms. Learn more about Lake Erie algal blooms below.

Press Release

October 24, 2024

Monitoring Milestone in Fight Against Lake Erie Pollution

Lansing, Michigan (October 24, 2024) – A critical milestone in the fight against algal blooms on Lake Erie was reached as the installation of water quality monitoring equipment in five […]

Blog

July 30, 2024

New Targeting Strategies to Fight Algal Blooms

This August marks the 10-year anniversary of when residents of Toledo, Ohio awoke to urgent warnings not to drink or use their tap water. Half a million people were unable […]

Press Release

April 3, 2024

New MDARD Partnership Will Improve Water Quality Monitoring

LANSING, MI (April 3, 2024) – Nutrient pollution is a severe threat to water quality across the Great Lakes region and is particularly important in the Western Basin of Lake […]

Diving Deep for Solutions

October 4, 2023

Complicated Crops: Agriculture is a major economic engine in the Great Lakes, and poses the greatest threat to their waters

For our Diving Deep for Solutions series, we commissioned author and journalist Kari Lydersen to examine big issues facing the lakes today and how our expert team at the Alliance […]

Press Release

September 28, 2023

Plan to Improve Lake Erie Water Quality Lacks Elements Critical for Success

Chicago, IL (September 28, 2023) – Earlier today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S EPA) approved the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the Maumee […]

Press Release

June 29, 2023

Region not on track to meet phosphorus reductions needed to limit western Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms

Chicago, IL (June 29, 2023) – Earlier today, NOAA and its research partners released the annual western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom forecast. In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes Agriculture […]

DC Update

April 20, 2023

House water champions emerge amidst rising national backlog of water infrastructure projects

Early this year, we published our list of federal priorities for 2023, and chief among them was the need to increase funding for water infrastructure. We believe that clean water […]

DC Update

March 21, 2023

Great Lakes Advocates Head to Washington, President’s Budget Released

The first week of March was a busy time in Washington, DC, as Great Lakes advocates from around the region, including the Alliance, gathered for the annual “Great Lakes Days” […]

Podcast

March 7, 2023

The Cost to Meet Water Quality Goals in the Western Basin of Lake Erie Season 2, Episode 26

As the Alliance’s Agricultural & Restoration Policy Director, Tom leads work in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio to achieve the Alliance’s agriculture and water goals and implements regional restoration initiatives. In […]

Blog

February 14, 2023

Bold Action Needed to Meaningfully Reduce Algal Blooms in Western Lake Erie

Harmful algal blooms plague western Lake Erie each summer, threatening drinking water supplies, recreation, and the regional economy. Nutrient pollution, specifically phosphorous, flowing off agricultural lands is the largest unchecked […]