Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) thrive when phosphorus and nitrogen from agricultural runoff combine with warmer water temperatures from climate change. Lake Erie's western basin receives phosphorus from 3 million acres of Ohio and Indiana farmland.
Blooms produce microcystin a liver toxin and cylindrospermopsin, which causes kidney damage.
Great Lakes surface temperatures rose 3.4°F since 1980 faster than global ocean averages.
$7 Billion Threatened
Algae blooms close beaches, kill fish, and deter tourism.
The US-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement targets a 40% phosphorus reduction by 2030.
Our Great Lakes Need Us
8 states, 2 countries, 40 million people. The Great Lakes hold 21% of the world's surface freshwater.
Reservoirs at Historic Lows
Decades of drought have pushed major US reservoirs to critically low levels, reshaping water rights and policy across the West.
Bureau of Reclamation Acts
Historic Tier 2 water cuts slash Arizona allocations by 21%, forcing farmers to fallow millions of acres and cities to accelerate conservation.
Farms Bear the Brunt
Farming consumes 70–80% of Colorado River water.