LAKE ERIE HEALTH REPORT

According to the International Joint Commission (IJC), the health of Lake Erie is degrading. The chairman of the Canadian Section, Herb Gray, stated:

"It's clear from briefings we have received that Lake Erie has been backsliding and is being polluted again . . ."[and]

Added John E. Gannon, an IJC senior scientist: "There are a lot of changes going on with the lake that we don't understand very well."

The specific concerns voiced at the conference include:

Unexplained botulism outbreaks on the lake's eastern side have killed more than 40,000 birds since 1999 and hundreds of thousands of fish.

Researchers are baffled by the cause. One theory is that zebra mussels and another invasive species, round gobies, may spread contaminants up the food chain.

The western basin, near Toledo, has seen a resurgence of a toxic form of algae each of the past few summers, especially a type known as microcystis. The algae likely is caused by an abundance of phosphorus, the common farm fertilizer and component of human waste.

Complicating Lake Erie's recovery efforts is airborne mercury which scientists view as a greater threat to public health than previously thought. Lake Erie has the highest mercury concentration, largely because of its industry and its shallow depth.

Hopefully, definitive causes of the various problems will be identified and corrected. Unfortunately, in matters related to the environment, drastic action is typically mandated before a cause is known.