Feds Pledge $2M To Cut Runoff Into Lake Erie Basin
DETROIT (AP) - Federal agriculture officials say they're spending $2 million to help farmers in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana keep phosphorus from entering waterways in the western Lake Erie basin.
The U.S. Agriculture Department says projects include using new tools such as biofilters and controlled drainage. Officials say excessive phosphorus from manure causes blue-green algae to proliferate in rivers and streams, limiting oxygen concentrations in water.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack plans to announce the effort Friday in the Monroe County community of Dundee.
The projects build on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a larger plan to fix environmental problems in the lakes and their tributaries. The Great Lakes system contains nearly 20 percent of the world's fresh water.
Applications for funding are due at local Natural Resources Conservation Service offices by April 27.
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