To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Help Save Lake Erie
The most valuable natural resource we will have this century is potable water. We must do everything we can to preserve and protect this national resource. Protecting our fresh water from pollution should be one of our nation's sacred duties to the future.
Why is this important?
The Corp of Engineers dredges, annually on average 800,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Maumee River and the ship channel.
This sediment contains phosphorous and nitrates from farms and sewage treatment from as far away as Indiana.
The Corp then uses “open lake” dumping in Lake Erie to dispose of these dredged sediments because it is the “least expensive method of disposal”.
Explain that to those who during the latest Toledo water crisis lost wages, businesses that lost income, and the continuing increased water treatment costs due to toxic algae, to be borne by Toledo water users.
Dredged material dumped into Lake Erie visibly contributes to reduced water quality and provides the necessary ingredients for algae blooms. Continued phosphorous and nitrate loading of Lake Erie by the Corp of Engineers will not help improve water quality.
We need now to permanently keep dredged material out of Lake Erie and not use it as a garbage dump.