Midwest States Target Algae Blooms in Waterways

Ohio is joining a growing list of states ramping up efforts to control potentially toxic algal blooms that are fouling water supplies and making summer swims dangerous in lakes, ponds and reservoirs across the country with increasing frequency.

Microbiologists say climate change, growing population and changing agricultural practices are culprits in the rise. Two years ago, nearly 500,000 people in the Toledo area lost drinking water over a weekend in August after algae from a massive bloom in Lake Erie got sucked into the city’s water supply. Last year, the bloom, which covers the surface of the water like a giant carpet and has a musty smell to match, was the biggest on record...

....Wisconsin has set the most stringent maximum limits for phosphorus in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Last month, roughly 60 local governments around Madison agreed to pool $2 million annually for the next 20 years to pay for measures to keep phosphorus out of rivers...