Excess phosphorus poses significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. It contributes to algal blooms (both nuisance and harmful) and hypoxia, leading to biodiversity loss and economic burdens. Lake Erie has been threatened persistently by excessive phosphorus, necessitating a joint effort from the United States and Canada to clean up the lake. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) expresses the commitment of both nations to the goal of cleaner Great Lakes, including Lake Erie.

Collaboration among government agencies and community members is essential to uphold the GLWQA and reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Erie. To that end, the Water Center is supporting the state’s Domestic Action Plan (DAP) Team, a collaboration among the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD); Natural Resources (DNR); and, Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to implement Michigan's DAP to meet the agreed upon phosphorus reduction goal of 40%. Given the complexity of the sources of phosphorus, Michigan developed an adaptive management process and plan to help further guide planning and implementation efforts. The purpose of our work is to implement an inclusive, robust, and transparent advisory process for the state's adaptive management plan for the lake.

The diverse Western Lake Erie Basin community advisory group represents rural communities, agricultural services, environmental organizations, equity advocates, water utilities, municipal governments, and lake and coastal business. The Water Center is facilitating this group, enabling it to provide valuable input and feedback to the state on behalf of the group’s many networks.

In addition, the Water Center is convening an annual science advisory panel to assess and provide advice on the adaptive management components of the DAP. The science panels will complement input from the community advisory group by delivering scientifically sound ideas and suggestions to the Domestic Action Plan Team.

This work is supported by a grant from the Erb Family Foundation.