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Fertilizer and manure top Lake Erie phosphorus sources, report finds

Feb 13, 2018 | 5:00 PM

DETROIT — A U.S.-Canadian agency says there’s little doubt that commercial fertilizer and manure are the top sources of phosphorus pollution in western Lake Erie.

The International Joint Commission says its science advisory board based the conclusion on an extensive analysis of existing data about the shallowest of the Great Lakes.

Excessive phosphorus feeds toxic algae blooms that have plagued Erie in recent years and created a “dead zone” where oxygen levels are too low for fish to survive.

The commission says its review focused on the lake’s western basin and the St. Clair-Detroit River system, which flows into Lake Erie.