C. William Swank Program
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Lake Erie Critical Issues
and Current Research
Endeavors
Dr. Kristen M. DeVanna Fussell
Ohio Sea Grant College Program
November 19th, 2014
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Critical Issues
1. Sediment and Dredging
‒ 750K of seds from Maumee
‒ Raised homes in Toledo and
Ag fields
2. Monitoring of HABs
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Critical Issues
3. Deadzone (CB and WB)
‒ Linked to HABs
o Where do blooms go?
o Internal loading (WB)
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Critical Issues
4. 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
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Critical Issues
6. Coastal and Economic Development
‒ Relationship with OH tourism ~12 of 40b
7. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)
Photos courtesy of http://m.cedarpoint.com
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
• 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 satellitebased 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)
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
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
• EPA est. on Dec 2nd, 1970
• 1st Earth Day on April 22nd, 1970
• Clean Water Act of 1972
Photos courtesy of Cleveland Press Collection at Cleveland
State University Library and Wikipedia
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Lake Erie Stats
• 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 is
largest 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)
Photos courtesy of http://enformable.com
Photo courtesy of Grave Yard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay
Photos courtesy of http://m.cedarpoint.com
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Setting the Stage for HABs
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Great Lakes
Land Use
Image: Ohio Sea Grant
Great Lakes Land Use Continued
100%
10%
90%
Least
80%
70%
60%
2nd
50%
40%
30%
1st
20%
10%
1st
0%
Superior
Residential
Michigan
Cropland
Huron
Pasture
Erie
Forest
Ontario
Brush/Wetland
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
Because of Land Use Lake Erie Gets…..
• 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 the
Great Lakes, and always
will be!!
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
50:2 Rule
(Not exact, but instructive)
Lake Superior: 50% of the water and
2% of the fish
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
50:2 Rule
(Not exact, but instructive)
Lake Erie:
2% of the water and 50% of the fish
OHIO SEA GRANT AND STONE LABORATORY
80:10:10 Rule
• 80% of water from upper lakes
• 10% from Lake Erie tributaries
• 10% direct precipitation
The Maumee River
• ~5% of all LE tributary water
• YET 50% of LE phosphorous !!