The US Department of Agriculture announced in a prepared release on Friday, Aug. 14, that it will provide $5 million for a project that will help alleviate the effects of toxic algae blooms in the farm fields of Lake Erie.
The additional funds pledged by the agency will mean that there will be a 66 percent increase in the initial $7.6 million investments given in 2015 for the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentive Program(EQIP), says Jason Weller, chief of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The $5 million worth of funds is said to help the farmers and agricultural workers in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, who are in need of financial and technical support.
Under the EQUIP, farmers are benefited by enabling them to employ conservation measures including planting over crops, using no-till systems, installing drainage water systems, incorporating gypsum to soil and practicing nutrient control plans, states the USDA.
During the latter part of July, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and two other members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry expressed a plea to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack through a letter. They asked for some aid in devising a thorough approach to boost the water quality in Lake Erie and in releasing the funds needed to help concerned farmers boost their soil conservation actions.
The plea was heard thus, the $5 million financial help was pledged.
"Protecting Lake Erie will require a long-term investment in the region, as well as strategic treatment and prevention efforts," responds Brown said to the USDA announcement. Through these funds, the farmers will be empowered to avoid runoff that can result in hazardous algae blooms, he adds.
On Thursday, Aug. 13, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a report that high concentration of a blue-green scum persist to develop because of the winds in the Western Basin. These scums were positive for high amounts of toxic microcystin; however, the drinking water in Toledo remained toxin-free.
"USDA is committed to helping farmers do their part to protect and improve water quality in Lake Erie, and this targeted funding will allow for solutions to be expanded and delivered more quickly," Vilsack said. The agency will continue to collaborate with Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership and other concerned parties to discover a consistent plan to solve the different water quality issues in the area, he adds.
Photo: Erik Drost | Flickr
