Overview

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the western basin of Lake Erie have been shown to be fueled by phosphorus loading from the Maumee River and its agriculturally dominated watershed. We are also beginning to understand the impacts of various agricultural land use practices on phosphorus exports from field to stream. However, little is known about the role of the tributaries of the Maumee Basin in mitigating or contributing phosphorus to the Maumee River and eventually the western basin of Lake Erie. Stream ecosystems cycle phosphorus through various biotic and abiotic means, making understanding these instream processes and their overall role in phosphorus loading a key step in explaining and preventing HABs.