New grants incentivize London-area farmers to fight Lake Erie algal blooms

Local environmental officials hope a new funding program will entice London-area farmers to do more to reduce the algal bloom-causing phosphorus that leaves their farmland.

An essential element, and a vital nutrient for crop and plant growth, excessive phosphorus in waterways can help fuel the toxic algal blooms that have plagued Lake Erie for decades.

A significant amount of the phosphorus entering Lake Erie comes from agricultural runoff, according to the federal government, however it can also be found in soaps, detergents and human waste.

With that in mind, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has unveiled the Thames River Phosphorus Reduction Program, backed by $17.4 million in funding from the federal government. It's one of 50 programs receiving funds from a larger $76 million pool aimed at improving the Great Lakes.

UTRCA is looking to incentivize farmers and landowners to implement practices to curb phosphorus losses, including soil testing, crop covering, erosion control, subsurface fertilizer placement, and reduced fertilizer use, said Tatianna Lozier, UTRCA's stewardship services co-ordinator.

"There's not a one size fits all solution," she said. Depending on the project, applicants can receive per-acre grants, or a percentage of the project's cost up to a point. 

"Typically, (phosphorus is) found in relatively low quantities naturally, and it's what's considered a limiting nutrient — the quantity of phosphorus is what influences plant growth," she said. To help crop growth, phosphorus is added to soil through fertilizers and manure.

While good for crops, phosphorus is also good for bacteria when it enters waterways through irrigation, rainfall, or erosion, said Geneviève Metson, associate professor in Western University's Department of Geography and Environment.

Phosphorus is considered the main cause of Lake Erie's summer algal blooms, the most severe of which was in 2011, Clean Lakes Alliance says. Most involve cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. 

"When we have a lot of phosphorus in the water, the types of cyanobacteria that tend to grow, they're more likely to have toxins that are difficult to deal with ... so it can affect our water supply," Metson said. 

Even if the bloom doesn't have a toxin, when the algae decomposes it will deplete oxygen, affecting plants and wildlife, she said. Algal blooms happen in other Great Lakes, but Erie is more susceptible, in part, because of its shallow depth, so the surrounding industrialization has a greater impact, Metson said.

"I think it's long overdue," said John Roberts, a London-area farmer and co-owner of Adelaide Farms, of UTRCA's program.

His farm sits along the eastern branch of Medway Creek, which flows into the Thames River in London. At least 71 per cent of the Upper Thames River watershed, part of the Lake Erie basin, is agricultural.

"Some people get careless, and they spread manure too close to the creek, or they spread manure when it's dry, and it goes in the tile drain and down into the creek or river," Roberts said. He added all industry should be more conscious about what enters waterways, including the City of London.