Ohio Sea Grant College Program Jeffrey M. Reutter, Director Lake Erie Overview: Physical Characteristics, Economic Importance, and Recreational Value Dr. Jeffrey M. Reutter, Director Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory The Ohio State University Western Lake Erie Basin Conference 10 March 2009

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 2 Most Important Lake In the World? “Its our lake. I see it every day. It can’t be the most important lake in the world.” Dead lake image of 60s and 70s. Poster child for pollution problems in this country. But, most heavily utilized of any of the Great Lakes. Shared by 4 states and 2 countries. Most productive of the Great Lakes. Best example of ecosystem recovery in world.

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 3 “I heard Lake Erie is the place fish go to die.” --Johnny Carson, 1976

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 4 Blue-green Algae Bloom circa 1970, Lake Erie

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6 80:10:10 Rule 80% of water from upper lakes 10% from Lake Erie Tributaries 10% direct precipitation

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8 Lake Erie Cross Section

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 9 Forest / Agriculture / Residential /Other Percent of Basin

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 10 Most agriculture of the Great Lakes.

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Ohio Sea Grant College Program 12 As a Result, Lake Erie Gets: More sediment More nutrients (fertilizers and sewage) More pesticides (The above 3 items are exacerbated by storms, which will be more frequent and severe due to global warming and climate change.) And is still biologically, the most productive of the Great Lakes

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Ohio Sea Grant College Program 14 50:2 Rule (Not exact, but instructive) Lake Superior: 50% of the water and 2% of the fish Lake Erie: 2% of the water and 50% of the fish

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 15 Lake Erie Stats Drinking water for 11 million people Over 20 power plants 300 marinas in Ohio alone Walleye Capital of the World 40% of all Great Lakes charter boats $1 billion sport fishery One of top 10 sport fishing locations in the world Largest freshwater commercial fishery in the world Major asset to Ohio’s $10.7 billion tourism industry

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 16 Perspective on Lake Erie Problems Our job is to solve problems, prevent them from happening, minimize their impact, protect human health, and maximize the value of Lake Erie. While Lake Erie has many problems, it also has many values and is likely to always be the most important lake in the world and the most productive of the Great Lakes.

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 17 Lake Erie’s Biggest Problems Sedimentation Phosphorus and nutrient loading Harmful algal blooms Aquatic invasive species Dead Zone Climate Change—Makes the others worse

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 18 Sediment Entering Lake Erie—4/2/08

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 19 Impacts of Sedimentation Water quality is reduced Nutrients and contaminants enter the Lake attached to sediment particles Can trace Maumee River sediments beyond Fairport Open Lake Disposal Issue—1.3 million cubic yards annually from Maumee R.

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 20 Why does Lake Erie get the most sediment? Because it has the most agriculture in its basin. Maumee River brings more sediment into Lake Erie than all tributaries carry into Lake Superior, and Lake Superior is 20 times larger in volume than Lake Erie.

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 21 Nutrients and Phosphorus

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 22 Why does Lake Erie get most nutrients? Because it has the most agriculture in its basin and 5 major urban centers—Detroit/Windsor, Toledo, Cleveland/Lorain/Akron, Erie, and Buffalo.

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 23 Blue-green Algae Bloom circa 1970, Lake Erie

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 24 Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus MaumeeSandusky CuyahogaGrand Source: P. Richards, Heidelberg College

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 25 Impacts of Increased Phosphorus Concentrations HABs + Microcystis + Microcystin levels 60 times WHO + Cylindrospermopsis Nuisance Algae Blooms + Lyngbya—Western Basin Attached + Cladophora—Whole Lake Attached Dead Zone

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 26 HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms): Western Basin Problem

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Ohio Sea Grant College Program 30 HAB Requirements Warm water (summer problem) High phosphorus levels Zebra/quagga mussels (remove competition)

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 31 HABs: Western Basin Problem But Contribute to Oxygen Demand in the Central Basin, i.e. the Dead Zone

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 32 Dead Zone: Central Basin Problem

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 33 Lake Erie Cross Section

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 34 AIS Over 180 species in Great Lakes 75% since Seaway opened Zebra and quagga mussels Phragmites and loosestrife Round gobies Next? How do we close the door?

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 35 Zebra Mussel vs Quagga Mussel

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 36 Because Lake Erie is the southernmost, shallowest, warmest, and most nutrient- enriched of the Great Lakes, it is likely that AIS will always present the greatest problem, and have the greatest impact, in Lake Erie.

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 37 C limate change is real and will make these problems worse! Warm water favors HABs Warm water increases oxygen depletion rates More severe storms will resuspend more sediment and increase erosion and sediment loading Lake levels uncertain

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 38 For more information Dr. Jeff Reutter, Director Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab Ohio State Univ Kinnear Rd. Col, Oh u.edu/ Stone Laboratory Ohio State Univ. Box 119 Put-in-Bay, O

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 39 Power Production Impacts No Free Lunch Wind + Bird Mortality Coal or Nuclear + Cooling water impacts on fish + Mining impacts + Air pollution impacts + Volume of material—fuel and waste

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 40 Fish Impingement at Power Plants

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 41 Summers Are Warmer….. Source: Roger Knight, ODNR

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 42 Winters Are Milder………. # days <39 o F Source: Roger Knight, ODNR

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 43 The Forecast: Increased sedimentation—lower water clarity (also means reduced coastal property values) Lower Lake Levels More nutrients—algal mats, flies, HABs and toxins AIS—new one every 8 months Dead Zone—bigger and longer lasting Water treatment costs will increase Lake Erie will continue to be the most important lake in the world

Ohio Sea Grant College Program 44 Reasonable Goals + Elimination of beach closures and water quality improvements CSO reductions will help Everything else will likely be worse for Water Quality + Elimination of Dead Zone Important to drinking water quality May not be possible + Elimination of HABs Very important to human health Can be achieved Will also improve Dead Zone and beaches