Chris Snip of Agris Co-operative works with farmers to check soil health and fertilizer practices of farmers near Lake Erie as part of the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative. (John Greig photo)

Phosphorus program aims to reduce Lake Erie nutrients

Chatham, Ont. — Henry Denotter’s farms near Kingsville, Ont. are close to the Wigle Creek, which flows into Lake Erie and takes with it any residues it pulls from nature and farmers’ fields. The Wigle Creek subwatershed, west of Leamington, has turned into ground zero in long-term research on how farmers can reduce phosphorus running

Once a lake enters an ecological crisis, it can be impossible to rehabilitate it.

Tipping points could predict the future of lakes

Dutch researchers say keeping a closer eye on key indicators could give water managers a fighting chance at avoiding catastrophe

A group of Dutch scientists has been trying to predict when lakes will enter ecological crises by monitoring key tipping points. Researcher Alena Gsell, of the Netherlands Institute of Technology, says the term ‘tipping point’ has become popular to describe sudden and fundamental changes that take place even though exterior conditions haven’t changed as radically.


Grassroots water monitoring pilot underway

Grassroots water monitoring pilot underway

The Lake Winnipeg Foundation has a pilot project to co-ordinate community-based water monitoring

It’s well understood high phosphorus levels cause harmful algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg. What’s not yet well understood is precisely where they come from. A new project from the not-for-profit Lake Winnipeg Foundation (LWF) aims to find out. Its Community Based Monitoring project, operating as a pilot program in 2016, aims to co-ordinate the water

An algae bloom in Walsh County has tested positive for toxic cyanobacteria production.

Early bloom raises algae poisoning concerns

The blue-green algae can be harmful or fatal 
to humans and livestock

An early cyanobacteria bloom in Walsh County, North Dakota suggests livestock producers need to exercise caution with water sources this summer. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can produce toxins that are harmful to livestock, wildlife and people. Blue-green algae often occur in stagnant ponds or dugouts with elevated nutrient levels, forming large colonies that


Rick Korman was awarded the 2014 Conservation District Award for his years of dedication to improving the Killarney watershed.

Teaching with conservation in mind

Killarney biology teacher Rick Korman has a passion to find a solution for the community’s algae-ridden lake

Biology teacher Rick Korman likes to give his students a practical demonstration of how the science applies to local lakes and rivers. “Any time you can make curriculum have purpose and meaning for kids, the better chance they are going to have to acquiring whatever objective you are trying to teach,” said Korman, who has

cattle drinking water at edge of dugout

Test your water before sending cattle out to pasture

Less run-off could make for water quality problems

Limited snowmelt and the lack of rainfall this spring means producers should have the water quality in their pastures tested before turning their livestock out to pasture, North Dakota State University Extension Service specialists advise. “Reduced rainfall means less water from run-off into stock dams,” says John Dhuyvetter, area extension livestock specialist at the North


Watch for deadly blue-green algae blooms in ponds and watering sites

The algae is actually a photosynthetic bacteria that thrives with warm weather, 
calm winds and abundant nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen

Livestock producers should watch for green to blue-green scum in fresh water supplies. “Algae blooms cause major disruptions, not only because of their offensive odour and appearance; but because they can be fatal to livestock, pets and people,” says Roxanne Johnson, a water quality associate with North Dakota State University’s extension service. “Not all algae

Great Lakes Face Stresses From Run-Off, Invaders

chica go/re uters Great Lakes shorelines are becoming clogged by algae blooms fed by agricultural run-off, while invasive mussels decimate the food chain in deeper waters, according to the National Wildlife Federation. The five lakes, which contain one-fifth of the world s fresh water and supply tens of millions of people, may be veering close


Blue-Green Algae Poisoning

DVM Having practised in Western Canada for over 25 years I have yet to diagnose a known case of algae poisoning. In Eastern Canada, with the growing human and livestock populations surrounding water bodies, there have been increasing problems, and it may only be a matter of time before the incidence increases out west. With

Conservation Districts Touted As Helping To Cure Lake Winnipeg

Delegates attending the Manitoba Conservation District Association’s annual meeting here heard repeatedly that the solution to Lake Winnipeg’s pollution lies in their own fields and streams. Conservation districts are the first line of defence in cleaning up Lake Winnipeg because they manage the watersheds where the problem starts, Harold Foster, Manitoba Conservation Districts Association chair