The Ohio Watershed Network, an Ohio State University Extension program, will present a free webinar on "Algae Blooms and Land Use Practices" at noon on Jan. 27, part of a series called "Research to Practice: Addressing Non-point Source Pollution in Ohio." Register at http://go.osu.edu/Bd7.
Bill Lynch, an OSU Extension aquatic ecosystem management specialist, will explain how land use practices lead to algal blooms in lakes. Many Ohio lakes including Grand Lake St. Marys had to be closed to boating an swimming this summer because of the presence of toxic blue-green algae. The algae blooms have been linked to nutrient run off especially phosphorous from farm fields.
Jim Hoorman, an agriculture and natural resources educator in OSU Extension’s Mercer County office, will review the latest research on cover crops and how they may help reduce nutrient losses from farmland while improving soil quality.