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Estuaries are partially enclosed bodies of water along the coast where fresh water from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean.  Many estuaries lie along the Gulf of Mexico coast.  Estuaries provide habitat for many species of birds, fish and mammals, as well as space for recreational activities, scientific study and aesthetic [...]

For many years, Lake Bancroft in northern Michigan has been experiencing eutrophication – the over-enrichment of water by nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.  The main culprits are lawn fertilizers and the lack of water inflow or outflow from the lake.  Now, with the fall yard cleanup season upon us, residents near the lake are asked [...]

Just because a lake looks dirty, doesn’t mean it can’t be cleaned up.  Case in point: Powderhorn Lake in Minnesota.  Powderhorn Lake is an urban pond located in the heart of Minneapolis and was once considered a dirty lake that couldn’t be fixed.  Excess fertilizers, trash and other nutrients made a permanent home on the [...]

Every two years, states, territories and authorized tribes are required to develop and update lists of waters (rivers, lakes, coastal waters and estuaries) that are impaired by one or more pollutants.  Minnesota recently added St. Cloud’s Lake George to their list of impaired waters.  Being on the list and designated as impaired means the lake [...]

In rural southeast Nebraska, Kirkmans Cove Reservoir is completely surrounded by farmland. For many years, phosphorus in fertilizers and animal waste had been making its way into the reservoir’s waters.  As a result, algal blooms grew out of control and dissolved oxygen levels in the water fell so precipitously that scientists determined that phosphorus loads [...]

Holmes Lake sits in the middle of Lincoln, Nebraska. Years of urban storm water runoff had washed phosphorus-laden pet waste, fertilizers, and detergents into its waters.  At one point, atrazine and arsenic could be found in Holmes Lake, and the phosphorus was fueling massive algae blooms that sucked oxygen out of the water, creating low-oxygen [...]

In northwestern North Dakota, Powers Lake is surrounded by pastures and farmlands that were once contributing excess nutrients to the lake.  Storm water runoff washed phosphorus off overgrazed and over-tilled lands, and once it reached Powers Lake downstream, the phosphorus fed massive overgrowths of algae that sucked oxygen from the water, killing lots of fish [...]

Earthworms are a farmer’s best friends – they work miracles in the soil and they’re also strong allies in the fight against nutrient pollution.  Earthworms eat decaying plants from the soil surface before they drill several feet into the ground like ants in an ant farm, and this process benefits the soil and reduces nutrient [...]

Did you know that some farmers plant crops that we will never eat? No, we’re not talking about Brussels sprouts, we’re talking about radishes.  Every fall, farmers in northwest Ohio plant them to fight a summertime headache.  Lake Erie algal blooms are partially fed by excess nutrients that wash away from nearby farms.  Smart farmers [...]

As air pollution has increased the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide, our oceans have absorbed nearly half of it, becoming 30 percent more acidic than they were before the Industrial Revolution.  Research has shown that our oceans are acidifying at a faster rate than at any other time in at least the last 300 million [...]

Scientists have long known that overgrowth of algae can harm fish and other marine wildlife, but new research shows that coral reefs may also be threatened.  It’s not uncommon to find algae on coral reefs; indeed, they’ve evolved to form a symbiotic relationship with each other when their ecosystem is balanced.  However, overfishing has reduced [...]

If you took a midnight stroll along the shores of the Gulf Coast towards the end of summer, you might see little flickers of light in the waves, but if you’re really lucky, the water may even glow!   What you’d see are bioluminescent algae blooms, which can develop when the water is full of nutrients [...]

Did you know that the U.S. economy loses about one to two billion dollars a year, on average, from the effects of nutrient pollution?  Each year, a surplus of nutrients in our nation’s waterways spawn unnaturally large algae blooms that can produce toxins, reduce oxygen levels, clog pipes, close beaches, discolor the water, and emit [...]

The west coast of Florida is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the United States.  Recently, though, a 100-mile stretch in Florida from Lee County to Pinellas County has been hit with the largest red tide bloom since 2007.  Red tides are an accumulation of algae resulting in a discoloration of the [...]

Storm sewers on streets and in parking lots are designed to drain untreated storm water into lakes, rivers and streams.  Untreated storm water that runs over paved areas and yards often picks up materials like fertilizers, pesticides, leaves, grass clippings and pet waste.  When these materials make it into water bodies, they can degrade water [...]

Looking for a fresh, new way to grow plants and reduce nutrient pollution at the same time? Try planter boxes!  Planter boxes (or “rain gardens with walls”) are urban structural landscapes used to collect and filter storm water runoff.  The boxes are filled with vegetation and soil.  The soil and plants act as a pollutant [...]

The Olentangy River is located in central Ohio, beginning its 93 mile journey in Galion (north of Columbus) and flowing through the city of Delaware.  It eventually empties into the Scioto River in downtown Columbus, which in turn empties into the Ohio River.  Due to failing septic systems and increased agriculture and urban stormwater runoff, [...]

As spring rolls around and temperatures begin to warm up, you may be thinking about fertilizing your lawn or garden.  But, watch out for those sneaky spring snow storms!  Snow falling on the ground on top of fertilizers that have just been applied can melt, having the same effect as rainwater. The snowmelt can wash [...]

Midwesterners won’t soon forget this year’s “exceptional” drought, especially since it is such a rare departure from what they are used to.  In this part of the country, “moderate” to “heavy” rainstorms have actually increased since the 1940s and scientists believe this extra water has washed more nutrients like phosphorus into the Great Lakes with [...]

Nutrient pollution is one of the most widespread and challenging water quality issues in the United States, and now it’s impacting North America’s most biologically diverse estuary: the Indian River Lagoon.  Years of development and growth have steadily increased the amount of stormwater that flows into the lagoon, bringing excess nutrients and other polluants along [...]