Tag Archives: Ecology

lake champlain ecology

Scientists Claim Nitrogen as Bad as Phosphorus for Algae Blooms in Lake

Researchers Say Levels of Nitrogen as Bad as Phosphorus for Algae Blooms

Blue green algae bloom

The common wisdom held that algae blooms could only be caused by high concentrations of phosphorus in freshwater lakes, but new research show increased levels of nitrogen as bad as phosphorus for algae blooms formation in lakes.

At its 2015 conference last May in Burlington, Vermont, the International Association for Great Lakes Research held a session on that topic. chaired by Dan Peckham coordinator of the Harmful Algal Blooms Workgroup of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.

Blue-green algae contains cyanobacteria, which produce the cyanotoxins that make seasonal blooms harmful, while green algae are harmless, according to Peckham. Blue-green algae is the source of the seasonal toxic blooms on portions of Lake Champlain.

“Usually the concentration of cyanotoxins is associated with biodegradable dissolved phosphorus, but some people have been hypothesizing more recently that high levels of nitrogen may also be responsible,” ~ Dan Peckham, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission

Unprotected farm fields yield topsoil as well as
farm fertilizers and other potential pollutants when heavy rains occur.

Both nitrogen and phosphorus are needed to grow any kind of plant, including algae.

Nitrogen and phosphorus wash into water bodies and then release into the air. The chemicals come from stormwater, wastewater, fossil fuels, soaps and fertilizers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency website.

“Excessive amounts of growth are caused by high levels of both nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen is not worse than phosphorus, but both need to be reduced. The bottom line is that nitrogen input needs to be controlled along with what we already know about controlling phosphorus input… If we only reduce phosphorus we may not get there fast enough in terms of getting a lake or even a marine system back to what we would deem desirable.” ~ Hans Paerl, Professor of marine and environmental sciences,University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Paerl said freshwater researchers have developed tunnel vision by focusing on phosphorus for so long. The same protocols that keep phosphorus out of lakes and streams apply to nitrogen. he added.

Nitrogen as Bad as Phosphorus for Algae Blooms in Lake

Nitrogen Levels Could Make Drinking Lake Water Unsafe

Elevated levels of nitrogen in drinking water are also known to cause health problems in young children, according to the Vermont Health Department. Last year algae blooms were responsible for contaminating drinking water supplies for several communities on Lake Erie.
Mike Winslow, a staff scientist at the Lake Champlain Committee, said he has never known of a time where blooms in Lake Champlain have affected the quality of drinking water in Vermont.

USDA Providing $2 Million to Help Farmers Install Edge of Field Monitoring Stations

NRCS Encouraging Installation of Voluntary Edge of Field Monitoring Stations

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making $2 million available to help farmers install voluntary edge of field monitoring stations on agricultural lands in 47 Lake Champlain subwatersheds, and other lands in eight states. These monitoring stations enable NRCS to measure at the edge of farm fields rather than trying to estimate conservation effects by in-stream measurements that can be subject to influences outside of the farmer’s control. Edge-of-field monitoring, combined with instream monitoring provides a more thorough picture of improvements within a watershed.

Edge of Field Monitoring Station

The types of conservation practices typically evaluated include planting cover crops and using no till, irrigation water management, and practices to reduce and trap nutrients and sediment.The financial assistance, available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), helps farmers install and maintain the monitoring systems for up to nine years.

NRCS first introduced edge of field monitoring as an opportunity through Farm Bill conservation programs in 2013 and has already funded eight projects in Vermont. The results of data collected will be maintained confidentially for farmers’ use and for use by the conservation partners responsible for monitoring.

Interested farmers should contact their local USDA service center for more information. The application deadline is July 24, 2015.

Other Lake Champlain News:

EPA Focusing on Farm Phosphorus Runoff For Lake Champlain Cleanup

Farm Phosphorus Runoff Targeted in EPA Findings

Last year Vermont proposed a Lake Champlain water quality improvement plan, as required by the Clean Water Act, to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But the EPA’s pollution models showed that the plan would not restore the water quality to the state standards in either the South Lake and Missisquoi Bay watersheds.

“Those segments of the lake will require significant reductions,” ~ Dave Deegan, from EPA’s New England Regional Office.

Blue green algae blooms are caused by nutrients dumped into waterways by farm phosphorus runoff

Fertilizer runoff from farms will be targeted in these areas, state officials say. In some areas where agriculture accounts for most of the phosphorus flowing into lake, farmers will have to exceed current legal obligations to reduce runoff and erosion from their farms.

“Our presence is going to be increased. The actions on the part of farmers will be amplified,” ~ Chuck Ross, Vermont Agriculture Secretary

Vermont’s New Water Quality Bill

Vermont’s new Water Quality Bill calls for funding 8 new positions at the Agency of Agriculture, this year. According to Vermont Agriculture Secretary, Chuck Ross the agency will travel to these watersheds this summer to educate farmers about the legally required practices to prevent pollution.

Unprotected farm fields yield topsoil as well as farm phosphorus runoff and other potential pollutants when heavy rains occur.

When those new efforts are not enough, he said the state will ask farmers to implement other measures that could include cover cropping, planting wider buffers between waterways, rotating different crops or taking land out of production. Ross said he expects some might choose to sell their farms instead of making the required changes.

But he added that the practices would be unique to each farm and targeted to those areas where they can improve water quality.

Farmers will have financial support this year for water quality protection projects. Last year the state received more than $60 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture grants over five years for conservation projects to prevent soil erosion and fertilizer runoff. Ross said there is also state and federal money available to help farmer put land into conservation and transition from one type of farming to another.

Vermont will offer a new plan designed to help curb phosphorus runoff from farms in these most polluted sections of Lake Champlain. The state hopes to provide the EPA with an updated plan in the next two weeks, according to David Mears, Vermont commissioner for the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Will The New Measures Meet the EPA Standards?

The EPA will review that updated plan before it issues a total maximum daily load value (TMDL) for public review and comment. A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant a body of water can accept and still meet quality standards. The EPA also intends to work with Vermont and review the newly passed Water Quality Bill before issuing the TMDL value.

The Water Quality Bill sets a timeline for the agency to propose new rules to protect water quality. If signed into law, the agency would:

by July 2016 set standards including mandatory cover cropping, exclusion of livestock from waterways and requirement that manure spreaders be certified.
by July 2017 require that small farms be certified for compliance with water quality laws.

According to the EPA, the new legislation, in addition to other initiatives that state agencies are working on, create additional measures to reduce phosphorus and build a ‘sturdy foundation’ for restoring water quality in Lake Champlain.

More Lake Champlain News:

Great Lakes Scientists Warn of Microbeads Threat

Conference Addresses Microbeads Pollution

Microbead

The 58th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research was held in Burlington, Vermont last week. One of the key concerns addressed at the meeting is the danger posed to lakes by plastic pollution.

Experts claim that about 80% of the human-made debris found in the Great Lakes is plastic, that ranges from tiny microbeads to bottles and plastic wrap (‘Meeting in Vt., Lake Scientists Warn of Plastic Wastes’ – Times~Argus).

Microbeads, which have been used in cosmetics and household goods, can attract toxic chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides, which then find their way into the food chain according to the scientists.

Great Lakes Scientists Warn of Microbeads Threat Vermont recently banned the sale of products containing microbeads (see: ‘VT Legislators Looking to Ban Microbeads in Vermont‘ ), and New York State’s Attorney General has called for a ban in that state as well.

More Lake Champlain News:

Vermont’s Water Quality Bill

Vermont Water Quality Bill Headed For Approval

Vermont’s landmark water quality legislation that aims to curb the flow of pollution into the state’s waterways and create a road map for future water quality initiatives has cleared the Senate and House and is headed to Governor Shumlin’s desk for signing.

Gov. Peter Shumlin said he supports the bill and is looking forward to signing what he says is the most significant clean water bill in the state’s history, Vermont’s Water Quality Bill is a measure designed to counteract years of worsening pollution in Lake Champlain and other state waters.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin

“Cleaning them up is not only important to who we are as Vermonters, it is integral to the state’s environmental and economic health. Both the House and the Senate have now acted to do that, and I look forward to signing a strong water quality bill into law.” ~ Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin.

The Problem With Lake Champlain’s Water Quality

Phosphorus pollution from farm runoff and wastewater discharges cause toxic algae blooms (cyanobacteria) that have killed fish and caused the health department to close Lake Champlain beaches. Vermont officials say the toxins could also pose problems for drinking water supplies that draw from the lake. In addition to Lake Champlain, dozens of other lakes and streams in Vermont are impaired, according to the state.

Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent to keep pollutants out of the lake, toxic algae blooms have grown, fed by phosphorus-laden runoff of rain and snowmelt from farms, roads and parking lots and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants. About 40 percent of the phosphorous is tied to farm runoff, and a focus of the new programs will be helping farmers reduce manure-laden runoff.

blue green algae bloom

In his inaugural address last January Shumlin warned that if Vermont didn’t deal with the problem, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could impose a much more expensive solution on the state.

Under intense pressure from the EPA, the Legislature agreed with the Shumlin’s request for about $7.5 million worth of programs to clean up Lake Champlain and other state waters.

“It’s finally going to lead to Vermont cleaning up, over time, the blue-green algae and polluted water that has been plaguing us recently. In a state where we cherish our natural resources, where we have the most beautiful state in the country, it’s unacceptable that we’re losing the battle for clean water. And this bill is going to put us on the path to recovery.” ~ Peter Shumlin.

What are the Costs of Improving Water Quality?

The new legislation will help access tens of millions of dollars in federal funds and provide state funds to be used to clean up waters in the Lake Champlain watershed and across the state by reducing polluting runoff from farms, roads and other sources.

While the actual costs of the cleanup are unknown. A 2013 VT Department of Environmental Conservation (VDEC) report found it would cost $156 million per year for 10 years to restore Vermont’s water quality to state standards. A Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (VANR) report issued in 2015 from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (VANR) stated it would cost from $66 million to $172 million to upgrade wastewater treatment plants in order to meet the phosphorus reductions proposed under the state’s Lake Champlain cleanup plan.

The $7.5 million water quality bill, H.35, is partially funded by a 0.2% surcharge on the state’s property transfer tax, which is paid by the purchaser when buying a property. This property transfer tax is set to sunset in 2018, at which time lawmakers expect to replace it with another funding option. Many lawmakers had wanted to develop a tax policy that was based on the amount of pollution created by certain properties.

The Water Quality bill calls for $2.6 million to be spent next year in support of 8 new positions at the Agency of Agriculture and 13 positions at the Department of Environmental Conservation. These agencies will use the money for outreach, education and enforcement of water quality regulations.

“We’re going to have more people out in the field working on water quality,” ~ Chris Bray, chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

Details of the Water Quality Bill

The bill includes fees on pollution permits, medium and large farm registrations, and the sale of non-agricultural fertilizer and pesticides. In addition to providing money for cleanup projects and technical support for people who need it, the legislation also carries an enforcement mechanism for people who refuse to comply with the law.

There are five major initiatives to the Water Quality Bill:

Reduce polluted runoff from farm fields – to be accomplished through outreach, education and enforcement of water quality regulations.

Address stormwater runoff from state and town highways.

Require the use of stormwater runoff reduction practices in our downtowns and village centers.

Invest in important resources like wetlands, floodplains, river corridors and forests that naturally reduce stormwater pollution and erosion.

Create a new Clean Water Fund to assist communities and our partners with their role in restoring and protecting our state’s waters. The Clean Water Fund will also audit how money from the clean water fund is spent and whether water quality projects have been effective at reducing pollution. A board composed of administration appointees would make budget recommendations on how to spend the money.

Runoff from Farm fields would be reduced in Vermont's Water Quality Bill

Unprotected farm fields loose topsoil as well as farm fertilizers and other potential pollutants as runoff when heavy rains occur.

“Vermont state agencies will now have the authority and capacity to work with local governments, landowners, businesses and farmers to address this category of pollution. This initiative will be done in a manner that is cost-effective, comprehensive, and targeted to the most significant sources of pollution.” ~ David Mears, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

In the future, the bill will expand Vermont’s authority regulating stormwater runoff from farms, roads and cities, as well as, direct pollution from wastewater treatment plants. Over the next year, the Shumlin administration will draft rules to implement new water quality programs. The administration said it needs time to develop new regulations, including pollution control measures for farms.

“The real substance of what’s to come is yet to be proposed,” ~ Kim Greenwood, water program director at Vermont Natural Resource Council

According to Kim Greenwood, water program director at Vermont Natural Resource Council, the bill is like a “prescription” for the next few years. Greenwood said the public should keep pressure on the administration as the rules are written.

“We will have to revisit it. Something as large and as complex as this bill, we’re going to have to take a look at it next year, and the year after and the year after that to make sure that it’s operating and fine tune it so that it’s operating properly, but it’s a big step in the right direction.” ~ Rep. David Deen, chairman of the House Committee on Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources, the original sponsor of the bill

Although the bill is aimed at Lake Champlain, it will also improve other waters in Vermont by attempting to reduce the amount of pollutants reaching the lake by runoff from farms, roads, roofs and parking lots.

But the bill will also make it possible to use grants and donations from private sources to help pay for the projects. And it will unlock tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for some of them, according to State Representative David Deen.

Lake Champlain

The Future For Lake Champlain

Vermont now must wait for a decision from the EPA as to whether or not the plan to improve Lake Champlain water quality filed last year will be approved. The EPA will consider whether the state has the authority and the money to implement that plan when making its decision.

The agency plans to release a draft Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, for public comment by mid-July. The EPA’s models demonstrate that Vermont’s current plan will not achieve the required phosphorus reductions.

New York, whose Lake Champlain coast is less developed and has less farmland, and Quebec, which includes a small section of the northern part of the lake, also have worked to reduce pollution enters the lake and its tributaries.

Lake Champlain Life

Exploring Life on and Around Lake Champlain

Tag Archives: Ecology

Scientists Claim Nitrogen as Bad as Phosphorus for Algae Blooms in Lake

Researchers Say Levels of Nitrogen as Bad as Phosphorus for Algae Blooms

Nitrogen Levels Could Make Drinking Lake Water Unsafe

More Articles About Lake Champlain and Blue Green Algae:

USDA Providing $2 Million to Help Farmers Install Edge of Field Monitoring Stations