Nonpoint Source Pollution

In Lima, Ohio, researchers at The Ohio State University are testing an innovative water retention system to passively treat runoff before recycling the water back onto the field to irrigate crops.

A GLRI demonstration project is testing the potential for cell lysis technology to protect water quality by lowering the phosphorus content of manure.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and various partner institutions are currently testing a forecast model to better predict the timing and location of toxins in harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin.

The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Lenawee County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Regents of the University of Michigan will receive $3,712,124 in grants funded under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. By providing technical assistance and outreach to farmers, these organizations will help reduce the amount of nutrient runoff entering Lake Erie resulting in harmful algal blooms.

As a member of the Door-Kewaunee Demonstration Farms Network and Peninsula Pride Farms, Lee Kinnard of Kinnard Farms partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to be one of the first farmers in the nation to have a denitrifying bioreactor and a phosphorus removal system built in-line on the same tile system within a field.

On Feb. 28, 2025, the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for projects that would help improve Great Lakes water quality by reducing nutrient loads from agricultural watersheds and eroding shorelines and streams.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces an updated action plan for federal agencies and their partners under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore and protect the Great Lakes over the next five years

Good management of farmland leads to positive environmental outcomes for healthy soil and clean water. In Western New York, the Macauley family has found that these practices can have an added benefit – a better bottom line for their farm business!

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the availability of $4 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to support phosphorus reduction efforts in the western Lake Erie basin through farmer outreach and technical assistance. Applications will be accepted until November 22, 2024.

EPA expects to announce a new, competitive funding opportunity within the next month under the GLRI. The opportunity will be for up to $4 million to support phosphorus reduction efforts in the western Lake Erie basin through farmer outreach and technical assistance. This preliminary announcement is intended to alert potential applicants of this upcoming funding opportunity. Once the full funding opportunity is formally announced by EPA, applicants are expected have between 45 to 60 days to apply.