The algae bloom in Lake Erie has spread to cover much of the edge of Lake Eerie near Toledo, but toxins remain low where local communities draw drinking water supply.
Jugal K. Patel and Yuliya Parshina-Kottas provide in-depth, feature coverage of the infamous Lake Erie algae bloom, which made news in 2014, but has recently been turning Lake Erie and the Maumee River green and potentially toxic again.
The risk of algae blooms comes from the likelihood that they produce toxins like microcystis. "Dangerous levels of the toxin caused Toledo, Ohio, to shut down the drinking water supply of a half-million residents for three days in 2014," according to the article. Some 3 million residents rely on the Central Basin of Lake Eerie for drinking water, so there's a very essential risk, but tourism for recreation like fishing and beach-going are also at risk when algae blooms grow.
And the algae blooms have grown in recent decades, due to the impact of the regional agricultural industry. "According to one study by the Carnegie Institute for Science and Stanford University , most of the increase in the size of the blooms can be attributed to a rise in the amount of dissolved phosphorus flowing into the lake," write Patel and Parshina-Kottas.
The article is supplemented with lots of images and infographics to illustrate the scale of the environmental disaster persisting around Lake Erie.
FULL STORY: Miles of Algae Covering Lake Erie
Lake Erie Granted Legal Rights by Voters
Toledo, Ohio held a special election for voters to decide on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Voters to Decide the Legal Status of Lake Erie
Voters in Toledo, Ohio could grant personhood status to the polluted and abused Lake Erie.
Great Lakes Leaders Call for Drinking Water Protections
In light of August's drinking water catastrophe in Toledo, Ohio, Great Lakes mayors gathered this week to call for policy action to protect water resources round the Great Lakes.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service