I enjoyed reading your Aug. 10 cover story on the water crisis.
The word “sediment” is mentioned two times in your article. Strangely missing from the evaluation of future water quality and algae blooms is the continuing role of Maumee River-dredged sediment being dumped into Lake Erie. The major contributing factor, in my opinion, is sediment dumping.
I have been trying unsuccessfully to get regional officials to address the problem of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dumping sediment in Lake Erie. The Corps of Engineers dredges 800,000 cubic yards of sediment on average annually from the Maumee River and the ship channel. This sediment contains phosphorus and nitrates from farms and sewage treatment from as far away as Indiana.
The Corps then uses “open lake” dumping to dispose of these dredged sediments because it is the “least expensive method of disposal.” Tell that to those who during the latest water crisis lost wages, businesses that lost income and the Toledo water customers who face increased water treatment costs.
Dredged material dumped into Lake Erie visibly contributes to reduced water quality and provides the necessary ingredients for algae blooms. Continued phosphorus and nitrate loading of Lake Erie will not help improve water quality. We need to permanently keep dredged material out of Lake Erie and not use it as a garbage dump.
— David J. Neuendorff , Toledo
