Ohio Program Aims To Cut Down On Lake Erie's Algae

Ohio's natural resources department says more than 35,000 acres of farmland have been put into a program that's designed to reduce the amount of fertilizer that ends up in Lake Erie. The program called The Healthy Lake Erie Fund began last year. Its goal is to cut down on the harmful algae blooms that have plagued Lake Erie in increasing amounts over the past decade. Phosphorus runoff from farms is widely considered a main contributor along with sewage-treatment plants and septic tanks. Ohio's natural resources director James Zehringer says farmers are trying to protect the lake and also are realizing they can still have profitable farming operations. The department says more than 35,000 acres of farmland in Henry, Wood, Putnam, Defiance and Hancock counties are using the new conservation practices.