Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced plans to increase funding to fight algae growth in Lake Erie in his upcoming state budget proposal.
The Republican governor told the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation on Wednesday the effort is "going to take real money" and his administration is "working out the numbers." The governor's budget is scheduled to be released March 15. Former Governor John Kasich signed an executive order last year to have the Maumee River watershed, which drains into the lake's western basin, declared distressed to allow for increased state enforcement of farmers' fertilizer use. DeWine has not rescinded the order, but has been placed it on hold for at least three months. DeWine says his budget will broadly target water quality in the state, including the Ohio River watershed.
