First year of phosphorus research in Lake Erie watershed completed

To The Haldimand

HALDIMAND—Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is wrapping up the first year of a proposed three-year study in the Lake Erie watershed. Research at recently restored wetland basins will assess their efficiency in removing phosphorus from surface-water runoff to better inform conservation decisions that improve water quality.

The evolution of best management practices has helped retain nutrients – used as fertilizer, for example – on the land, but large rainfalls and snow melts continue to wash phosphorus into rivers and lakes. The excess nutrients can support rapidly growing cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, which thrive in a warm and nutrient-rich environment. Resulting toxins in the water can be highly dangerous for wildlife, pets, and people.

DUC has been hard at work in the Lake Erie watershed for several years collaborating with the federal and Ontario governments, conservation agencies, and private landowners to harness the power of wetlands to capture nutrients from the surrounding landscape. Support was also provided by the US Fish & Wildlife Service via the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, a continental program for habitat conservation.

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