|
|
 |
|
The
views expressed
on this page are soley those of the author and do not
necessarily
represent the views of County News Online
|
 |
State Representative Jim Buchy
New Standards
to Guide Agricultural Practices in Northwest Ohio
In west central Ohio, we are familiar with water quality problems
because of the issues experienced at our inland lakes over the last
several decades. Most recently, we learned how changes to
agricultural practices and advancements to the way we manage ecological
systems in and around Grand Lake St. Marys are resulting in reduced
nutrient loading in the lake. It will still be some time before
harmful algal blooms are a thing of the past, but we can use what we
have learned from this process and apply it to the watersheds feeding
the western basin of Lake Erie. Using best practices that have been
tested will be the most effective way to reduce nutrient loading in
Lake Erie.
Over the past few months, I have engaged with local farmers,
commodities groups, government leaders and the Army Corps of Engineers
to work for solutions in the western basin of Lake Erie. Experts
have said that agriculture is not the only source of nutrient loading
in the Maumee River tributaries, but that agriculture does represent a
bulk of the types of phosphorous found in those waterways.
Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 61 both seek to address issues that are
causing the nutrient loading from agriculture practices, to waste water
treatment and dredging. These bills provide some ideas about how
to achieve success in reducing nutrient loading in northwest Ohio. In
western Ohio, we are the largest agricultural producers in Ohio. For
that reason, I will continue to defend our agricultural practices and
our ability to keep our way of life.
As we continue this discussion, it is important to find a balance in
continuing our agricultural practices as we always have, while at the
same time improving the practices so that our farmers can be more
efficient and better stewards of the environment. There is no
bigger fan of protecting the natural environment than the American
farmer because they depend on a healthy environment to make a living.
In northwest Ohio, the nutrient loading is a little different than what
we are used to in the Grand Lake St. Marys watershed. In the
Grand Lake St. Marys watershed, the large livestock population has led
to much of the phosphorous runoff being blamed on the over application
of manure to farm ground. Farmers in the area have worked
diligently to improve this and their work is paying off.
In northwest Ohio, scientists believe much of the phosphorous is coming
from over application of chemical fertilizers. These farmers are
paying to apply chemical fertilizer that is being washed off their
fields. Improving agronomic practices in northwest Ohio may lead
to saving these farmers money while helping the environment.
Solutions to the nutrient loading issues in the Maumee river
tributaries can be found by studying the changing agricultural
practices in the Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed. It is clear that
each of these areas have different obstacles. Continued
discussions with the experts will lead to the best solutions being put
in place. Ultimately, no solution will work unless we fully
understand the environmental issues with our agricultural practices,
waste water treatment systems and the way we handle material from
dredging our shipping channels in Lake Erie.
Please give me your opinion on this topic and others in the news this
month by completing an online survey at http://tinyurl/buchymarch2015
|
|
|
|
