June 25, 2025 – The EPA yesterday announced that it has awarded more than $3.7 million in grants to assist farmers in managing nutrient runoff from agricultural land in the Western Lake Erie Basin.
Toxic algal blooms are a regular occurrence in Lake Erie as a result of excess nutrients used on farms, particularly concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), escaping into waterways. These blooms pose a risk to human and animal health, as the toxins generated contaminate drinking water and deplete the lake of oxygen, killing off fish.
The EPA selected four Michigan and Ohio grant recipients, including the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Nature Conservancy, Lenawee County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Regents of the University of Michigan.
Each of the projects selected has set forth initiatives to mitigate nutrient runoff by creating professional development and employment opportunities, as well as providing technical assistance and resources to farmers.
“By implementing edge of field practices, like adding vegetated buffers or two-stage ditches, farmers can help make the Western Lake Erie Basin more resilient while further protecting their fields from short-term threats, including flooding and drought,” Jessica D’Ambrosio, The Nature Conservancy Ohio’s agriculture director, said in a statement.
The funding was provided through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a program that began in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Since its inception, more than $5 billion has been appropriated for the GLRI.
While the EPA has been slashing funding for many other programs since March—cancelling almost 800 grants—the GLRI appears to be untouched, continuing business as usual. (Link to this post)
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