Dane County’s fleet of 13 weed harvesters is motoring up to cut and remove tons of aquatic plants in the Yahara chain of lakes this summer, a continuation of a program to try and reduce lake flooding and lower the amount of algae-producing phosphorus. The 13 harvesters are two more than last year, and the
A Ballina councilor says the endemic north coast weed water hyacinth could be used strategically to remove excess phosphorous from Lake Ainsworth in Australia. Cr Jeff Johnson said a recently completed Ballina Council report into the water quality in Lake Ainsworth revealed that phosphorus levels have increased by approximately 100 per cent over the last
As algal blooms flourish on the edges of the Great Lakes, lake management bodies look to cut down the flow of nutrients into the water that feeds the algae. But, as a recent report by the International Joint Commission explains, not all parts of the lakes suffer from too many nutrients — in fact, the
Surrounded by some of the world’s richest soil and home to two major grain processing plants, Decatur has long been a hub for agribusiness in the United States. One major trade-off comes in the form of excess nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, that runoff from fertilizers used on local farm fields and from discharges from
Phosphorus-enriched soil is very much essential for agricultural purposes. But the current alarming fact is, this nutrient is increasingly being lost from soils all around the world. This mineral is one of the vital factors for the world’s food production and there isn’t an unlimited supply of this from the soil. Phosphorus in the soil
Scott Gordon WisContext March 27, 2017 | 11:50 a.m Phosphorus is one of the most important components in the ongoing struggle to balance agricultural prosperity with water quality. When farmers fertilize their fields with this essential nutrient, plants use some, with precipitation carrying excess amounts into nearby bodies of water, fueling algal blooms that can
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which is believed to have been around since the 1970’s, is now an estimated 6,474 square miles of water unable to support marine life. Government and independent scientists believe nutrient runoff is the main cause of the dead zone. Pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus flow into
Chicago officials boast that the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant is one of the world’s largest sewer treatment plants, handling the waste of 2.3 million people. The Stickney Water Reclamation is the biggest single source of phosphorus in the entire region that drains into the Mississippi River. Combined with other sewage plant releases a state task
In December, 2010 Wisconsin became the first state in the country to adopt phosphorus water quality standards for lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and streams. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved Wisconsin’s revised rule as a revision to Wisconsin’s federally-approved National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program under the Clean Water Act. Under the new rules DNR determines