A recent report from Michigan State University says farmers and residents can help prevent toxic bacteria from forming in Michigan's waterways.
Harmful algal blooms (HAB) form when algae grow fast. That happens when there's excess of phosphorus and nitrogen in water.
The blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) can make water unsafe for humans and pets to swim in. In 2014, parts of southeast Michigan and Ohio lost their drinking water for three days due to a harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie.
Run-off from heavy rainstorms, failing septic systems and fertilizer are all things that can add phosphorus to waterways and spark harmful algae blooms.
"Sometimes you'll get other things growing, maybe green algae or something that might be like a diatom that aren't necessarily harmful," Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Scientist Laura Johnson said. "The hard thing is from our naked eye; we really can't tell the difference between what type of green it is."
Johnson said it's best to err on the side of caution when encountering algae blooms. She said pets should never swim where there's a toxic bloom, and humans should avoid it and rinse-off thoroughly if they have contact with it.
How farmers can prevent HAB
Farmers have started applying more precise amounts of fertilizer over the years, according to Sarah Zeiler from Michigan State University Extension. Because of this, she said less phosphorus has built-up in agricultural fields, leading to less run-off in water ways.
Still, Zeiler said farmers are striving to conserve Michigan's water ways and their resources by reducing tillage, testing soil, and planting vegetation like cover crops and buffer strips that help store nutrients.
"We do all these practices together in order to create healthier soils and those healthy soils hold more water," Zeiler said. "They create a microbial situation where the nutrients that are in the soil are more available to the plants. And that's all positive for farmers and for water quality."
Johnson, from MDARD, says cover crops help create soil that's more absorbent.
"One of the keyways that cover crops can help is they can trap and store those nutrients," Johnson said. "So, if it does rain, then we'll have the phosphorus in the plant instead of in the soil."
Johnson says managing water drainage and no-till farming are also ways farmers can help protect Michigan's water.
"There's been increasing evidence that stacking practices is a way to achieve lots of benefits," Johnson said.
Doug Chapin is a dairy farmer in central Michigan, and the board chair of Michigan Milk Producers Association. Lower input costs is one benefit his farm sees as a result of using multiple conservation practices.
"I just want to make sure that I keep that bill as small as I can and I make the most use of the rotation of crops," Chapin said. "I want to make sure I'm maximizing the values of what I'm growing, the manure that I'm using and the and the commercial fertilizers that I use to supplement my program."
Chapin said he's seen more farms adapt these practices in recent years.
"As we learn more as producers and as farmers learn more," Chapin said. "I just think they continue to do a better job."
Chapin said it's important to make sure that farmers have the proper resources to continue evolving. Historically the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) helped provide those tools to farmers.
"We do need the USDA to be fully funded and especially the conservation pieces of the USDA to be fully funded to really help farmers and dairy producers or all of agriculture have all the all the options at their fingertips," Chapin said right now, some producers are working without all the tools they need.
Zeiler from MSU Extension recommends that farmers get involved with local government and conservation districts to create conservation solutions that work best for their area.
"In my experience, the closer the solution is created to the place, the more people are likely to adopt it and to use it," Zeiler said.
How residents can prevent HAB
Finding unique conservation solutions for a community is also a way that residents can help prevent harmful algal blooms and protect local waterways.
"Everybody in Michigan loves water," Zeiler said. "When we hold that in common, we can find common ground to find solutions."
Zeiler said there's lots of things people can do to help reduce phosphorus and conserve water quality.
"They can work with farmers and help fund conservation practices, but we can also be doing conservation practices in our streets," Zeiler said. "We can do them in our yards and in our public spaces."
Residents can plant gardens that help absorb nutrients from rainfall and get their septic system inspected regularly.
"We want our septic systems to be performing and in good condition, and when they are not, they can be a huge source of phosphorus into our groundwater and our surface water," Zeiler said.
She also encourages residents to reach out to local conservation districts and become involved in local governments to find out how local water is being protected.
"Conservation districts are open to all sorts of volunteers and all kinds of education across our communities," Zeiler said. "Learning what your conservation district can do for your area is a really excellent way to become involved."
WCMU's Rural Life and Agriculture reporting is made possible through the generous support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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