Algae-plagued Ohio lake to get $5M in treatments

ST. MARYS, Ohio (AP) — Officials in Ohio say the recovery of a large inland lake plagued by toxic algae is off to a good start with state plans to provide $5 million to treat the lake with aluminum sulfate.

The facilitator of the Grand Lake St. Marys Restoration Commission tells The Lima News the funding from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is a good step but won’t cover everything local officials sought. The treatments are the biggest component of efforts to repair the lake.

Manure and chemical runoffs led to high levels of phosphorus, which feeds toxic blue-green algae found at the 13,000-acre lake between Dayton and Toledo. Tourism declined last summer at the lake amid the algae outbreak, and visitors were warned not to come in contact with the water.