In August, toxic algae blooms affected the drinking water in Toledo making it unsafe to drink and causing a two-day do-not-drink advisory.

Toledo's drinking water comes from Lake Erie.

This week, Michigan received $807,000 to fight toxic algal blooms in the western Lake Erie Basin.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was awarded the $807,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The grants will be used to provide technical assistance to farmers in western Lake Erie to reduce phosphorus runoff that contributes to harmful algal blooms as well as improve measurement of phosphorus in Lake Erie tributaries.

In addition to generating toxins that pose risks to human health, harmful algal blooms contribute to low-oxygen "dead zones" in the deeper waters of Lake Erie and harm shoreline economies.

The city of Toledo issued a "Do Not Drink" order for almost 500,000 people in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan in August when a drinking water treatment plant was adversely impacted by microcystin, a toxin generated by a harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie.

Algal blooms are not as big of a threat to Lake Michigan, since Lake Michigan waters are colder and deeper which makes it harder for algae to grow.

“I appreciate EPA recognizing the value of a voluntary, proactive program like the Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program and its importance to mitigating on-farm environmental risks, and the critical role Michigan’s conservation districts are playing in protecting the Western Lake Erie Basin for future generations," said Jamie Clover Adams, MDARD Director. "Although Michigan only represents 15 percent of the land base in the western Lake Erie basin, we will continue our solid commitment of working in partnership with our farmers, conservation districts and others to reduce potential agricultural impacts in the basin."

“The Great Lakes are Michigan’s crown jewels, and we remain committed to doing all we can to protect water quality,” said DEQ Director Dan Wyant. “Michigan has made tremendous strides in reducing harmful phosphorus in our waters. We can and will do more, and the key to success is partnerships. Support from our federal partners is critical, and this grant will bear real results.”

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