Merrin Macrae, a researcher in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, is available to speak about snowmelt and water quality in the Great Lakes region.

During winter thaws, especially the major snowmelt event of the year, a substantial amount of sediment and pollutants are flushed into rivers and lakes throughout the watershed. This main snowmelt event can move more than 50 per cent of the total annual load of sediment and nutrients like phosphorus from the watershed. Too much phosphorus in our water can lead to all kinds of problems such as the harmful algal blooms that we are seeing in Lake Erie. Blooms of nuisance algae in Lake Erie can pose health risks to people and pets. One example is the algal bloom that fouled the city of Toledo's drinking water intake in 2014.

Merrin Macrae has worked on rural water quality and winter snowmelt for more than 15 years, and has partnered with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and researchers at the Universities of Waterloo, Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier, Manitoba and in Ohio to learn about how tile drainage and agricultural land management practices affect water quality throughout the entire year. She and her colleagues have found that the flooding conditions that we see during snowmelt and after intense rainfall events over the rest of the year are critical periods for water quality issues.

Merrin Macrea

“We know that the winter snowmelt period is going to result in some level of flooding and is a major flush of water every year. It is important for farmers to think about how they leave fields in the fall before freeze up because sediments and fertilizers can easily move during snowmelt. Farmers should consider applying fertilizers in springtime before or with planting to reduce the potential for the flushing of nutrients from fields. Manure should not be spread on frozen ground. Even a small reduction in phosphorus flushing from fields can have a big effect on improving water quality in Lake Erie.”  -- Professor Merrin Macrea

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