Lake Erie algae mucks up fishing trips

A Michigan State University study estimates that up to $5.9 million annually in economic activity is lost in Michigan’s small portion of Lake Erie due to harmful algal blooms.

New nutrient trapping program takes off

A newly funded project in Ohio’s Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District aims to reduce water nutrients and sediments that flow into Lake Erie, causing excessive growth of algae.

Large lakes worldwide share many of the same threats

By Ray García

Algae pollution, plastic pollution and waste run-off plague the Great Lakes here in the United States. But similar problems also threaten large bodies of freshwater worldwide. The seven African Great Lakes and Lake Baikal in Russia, two of the world’s largest systems of freshwater, also face these problems daily. During the summer, a rapid growth of algae is among the most prominent challenges in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. These algal blooms harm the lake animals and can harm humans as well.