TOLEDO (WTOL) - Two groups usually in opposition standing together. This after the Ohio Water and Soil Commission tabled a decision to declare portions of Lake Erie distressed Thursday. By doing so, it would have created several regulations to protect the water.
In July, Governor John Kasich signed an executive order aimed at reducing runoff that leads to harmful algal blooms.
The plan was not considered helpful by some, so the commission’s vote to delay was welcomed.
"It's fine if they want to continue postponing it for another ten years because the distressed watershed program does not work," said Mike Ferner, coordinator for Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie.
“There is some fear out there,” explained Nathan Eckel, operator of Eckel Grain Farms in Wood County. “For myself, we don’t know what the rules are going to look like if they do have the designation.”
Both local farmers and Lake Erie advocates say more research and work are needed before the Ohio Water and Soil Commission vote on designating eight portions of Lake Erie distressed.
Mike Ferner with Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie says the designation is proven to not be effective.
“The results of doing it for several years at Grand Lake St. Marys shows that it doesn’t work,” said Ferner. “You know the studies that have been done have shown that there aren’t the reductions in phosphorus that are needed. The lake is still unusable.”
Eckel, a Wood County farmer believes the designation of distressed could help. He does say the specifics are still unclear and leaving some farmers uneasy about what could be.
There’s a lot of unanswered questions as far as rules and regulations,” explained Eckel. “How that’s going to look to agriculture as a whole and who is going to fund that, who’s going to do the work, who’s going to do the paperwork and how we’re going to implement it. Just a basic timeline.”
He says farmers aren’t opposed to regulations, in fact, he’s already made several changes voluntarily to help the lake.
Eckel Grain Farms has a total of about 2,100 acres of corn, soy beans, wheat and cattle. In the past eight years they have changed their farming practice to add cover crops, filter strips, and use tilling less.
Eckel says they want to help solve the algae problem. “We try every day,” said Eckel. “This is my livelihood and my family’s livelihood and we want to ensure that this is here for generations to come.”
Ferner, however, believes the distressed designation isn’t the answer.
He wants a stricter plan and is willing to fight for it.
He says the mission now is to increase public education, and further their work on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights. While they don’t want a distressed designation, they want the Clean Water Act enforced.
“It’s a wasted effort,” said Mike Ferner. It’s worse than just a wasted effort because what it does is postpone for, who know how many years, dealing with the problem under the Clean Water Act and that’s what we need to do.”
The Ohio Water and Soil Commission will vote on the issue again early next year.
