CONTINUED DECLINE IN LAKE ERIE WATER QUALITY: INCREASING CYANOBACTERIAL BIOMASSES OVER TIME (1996-2010). Presented at the Ohio Academy of Sciences, 2012.

1. CONTINUED DECLINE IN LAKE ERIE
WATER QUALITY:
INCREASING CYANOBACTERIAL
BIOMASSES OVER TIME (1996-2010)
Douglas D. Kane
Defiance College
Joseph D. Conroy
Division of Wildlife
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
David A. Culver
The Ohio State University
R. Peter Richards, David B. Baker
Heidelberg University

2. The Overarching Issue
Lake Erie is impaired due to
excessive loadings of sediment
and nutrients.
Long-term water quality
monitoring has identified the
Maumee River as being the
largest single contributor of non-
point source pollution to the
lake.
From- WLEB Partnership Website

3. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
 TRENDS (1970’s- 2000’s)
– Total Phosphorus Loading
– Phytoplankton Biomass- WB
– Cyanobacterial Biomass- WB

4. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

5. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

6. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

7. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

8. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

9. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

10. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

11. Recent Lake Erie Re-Eutrophication
30 6
WB Total PP Wet Biomass (g m )
Ext. Total P Loading (kilotonnes)
-3
25 5
20 4
15 3
10 2
5 1
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

12. Lake Erie PP Trends: Western Basin
7
Total PP Biomass (mg L-1)
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

13. FWMC vs. DRP

14. Observations
 Total Phosphorus Loading not increasing, but
– Phytoplankton, Cyanobacterial blooms
– Soluble Reactive Phosphorus Loading
– And,
» Dreissenid mussels now in the system
» Mayflies have returned
» Changing climate (i.e. more large storm events, warmer
winters etc.)

15. Hypothesis
 Soluble Reactive Phosphorus Loading
LEADS TO
 Phytoplankton, Cyanobacterial blooms

16. Methods
 SRP Load Determinations: NCWQR, HU
 Phytoplankton Biomass Determinations: LL, OSU
 Regression Analysis:
– Total PP/ Cyanobacterial Biomass vs. SRP
– Cyanobacterial Biomass vs. Time

17. Results- Median Cyanobacterial Biomass vs.
Corrected SRP Load (1996-2006)
100 P < 0.001
WB Cyano (wet mg L )
-1
90 r2 = 0.80
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 250 500 750 1000
Maumee R. SRP-load (metric tonnes)

18. Results- Seasonal Average Biomass vs.
Uncorrected SRP Load (1996-2006)
70
WB Total PP (wet mg L )
-1
60 P = 0.008
50
r2 = 0.56
40
30
20
10
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
70
Maumee R. SRP-load (metric tonnes)
WB Cyano (wet mg L )
P = 0.008
-1
60
r2 = 0.56
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Maumee R. SRP-load (metric tonnes)

19. Results- Seasonal Average Biomass vs.
Uncorrected SRP Load (1996-2006)
70
WB Total PP (wet mg L )
-1
60 P = 0.007
50
r2 = 0.57
40
30
20
10
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600600 700
100 200 300 400 500 700 800
70
Maumee R. SRP-load (metric tonnes)
Maumee + Sandusky R. SRP-load
WB Cyano (wet mg L )
P = 0.008
-1
60
50
r2 = 0.56
40
30
20
10
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600600 700
100 200 300 400 500 700 800
Maumee + Sandusky R. SRP-load
Maumee R. SRP-load (metric tonnes)

20. Results- Seasonal Average Biomass (no >95% values)
vs.Time (1996-2011)
10
WB Cyano (wet mg L-1)
P = 0.006
8 r2 = 0.46
6
4
2
0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 P = 0.002
Year r2 = 0.55

21. Conclusions
September 2011
Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association
NASA
October 2011
NASA

22. Reasons for SRP Increase??
 DWWTP (Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant)
 CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows)
 CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)
 UFOs (Unidentified Fertilizing Objects)
– Timing of Fertilizer Application
– Rate “ “
– Type “ “
– Amount “ “
 Exurbanization
 Septic Systems
 Saturated Filter Strips
 Climate Change
 All of These
 None of These

23. Acknowledgements
 Dave Dolan- UWGB- Total Phosphorus Loading Data
 Limnology Laboratory Personnel- OSU
 National Center for Water Quality Research
Personnel- HU