The reappearance of a dead zone in Lake Erie
has environmentalists perplexed because they're again attacking an
issue largely thought to be resolved. A dead zone, or an area of
oxygen-starved water, covers as much as two-thirds of the bottom water
in the lake's central basin, according to Donald Scavia, a University
of Michigan professor in the School of Natural Resources and
Environment.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061101/METRO/611010376/1003
Study is good, but some immediate action is better. Control phosphorus in lawn fertilizers (which Minnesota already does), do a better job of controlling animal waste runoff from factory farms, and shut the door on invasive species. Even if the dead zone persists the Lakes will be better off, but these steps are also likely to restore a healthier lake.
Comments