Thinking outside of the lake: Can controls on nutrient inputs into Lake Erie benefit stream conservation in its watershed?

摘要: Abstract Investment in agricultural conservation practices (CPs) to address Lake Erie's re-eutrophication may offer benefits that extend beyond the lake, such as improved habitat conditions for fish communities throughout watershed. If are not explicitly considered Erie nutrient management strategies, however, this opportunity might be missed. Herein, we quantify potential common CPs will used meet goals simultaneously improve stream biological western basin (WLEB) To do so, linked a high-resolution watershed-hydrology model predictive models scenario framework. Our modeling simulations showed implementation of on farm acres critical and moderate need treatment, representing nearly half watershed, would needed reduce spring/early summer total phosphorus loads from WLEB watershed acceptable levels. This widespread CP also > 11,000 km streams percentage where water quality is limiting conditions, 31% 20%. Despite these improvements, found even with additional treatment low CPs, degraded limit > 3200 stream km. Thus, while expect play an important role mitigating eutrophication problems ecosystem, strategies emerging technologies appear necessary fully limitation