EPA Approves Ohio’s Plan to Reduce Phosphorus Pollution in Western Basin of Lake Erie
CHICAGO (Sept. 28, 2023) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today approved Ohio’s plan to reduce the amount of phosphorus flowing from the Maumee River into Lake Erie’s western basin. The plan establishes a total maximum daily load for phosphorus for the Maumee River Watershed. This action will help restore water quality in the western basin and support important uses like drinking water and recreation.
“Ohio’s plan is but one tool that we are using, and I pledge to you that EPA is using and will expand use of other tools,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Addressing the problem of algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie will take all of us. It will take unflagging commitment and resolve. And it will take time.”
The plan addresses harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the nearshore and open waters of the western basin of Lake Erie that impact drinking water, aquatic life and recreational access for Ohioans. Algae responsible for HABs can produce toxins that harm drinking water and hinder recreation. The blooms also negatively impact aquatic species by decreasing dissolved oxygen concentrations in the surface water. The plan establishes the total amount of phosphorus that the western basin of Lake Erie can receive and remain healthy.
As pledged by Regional Administrator Shore, EPA will employ the following additional tools:
- Deploying Great Lakes Restoration Initiative resources to support research and projects to decrease nutrient loading to the Maumee River Watershed.
- Working with the Western Lake Erie Partnership in a new role as one of three agency chairs to engage all sectors in collaborative problem-solving.
- Supporting a broader interagency approach with Ohio EPA, Ohio Agriculture, Ohio DNR, and the states of Indiana and Michigan to expand and coordinate efforts to address HABs in the western basin of Lake Erie.
The Clean Water Act requires states, territories and authorized tribes to list impaired waters and develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for them. A TMDL establishes the maximum amount of a specific pollutant allowed in a waterbody and helps guide decision-making about how to improve water quality by looking at all the different sources of pollution.
The TMDL identifies actions and programs as well as funding resources that stakeholders can access to reduce nutrient inputs to local surface waters that drain to Lake Erie. Given the substantial phosphorus reductions required, meeting the targets in the TMDL will require the immediate, concerted and sustained efforts of all western Lake Erie stakeholders.
Following an intensive review, EPA has determined that Ohio’s TMDL satisfies all federal statutory and regulatory requirements. EPA’s decision and supporting documentation are available online.