In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that its Natural Resources Conservation Service would provide $41 million for a three-year initiative to improve water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin region. The funding aims to support efforts by environmentally conscious farmers and ranchers in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana to put in place science-based conservation measures in order to reduce runoff entering local waterways. A report by the Conservation Effects Assessment Project estimates that over the three years this initiative will reduce phosphorus runoff from farms by more than 640,000 pounds each year, as well as reduce sediment loss by more than 260,000 tons. For more information, visit medium.com/usda-results.
Photo Courtesy of Ohio Sea Grant
