TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - The federal government is coming up with more money to help farmers cut down on the fertilizers that are feeding cyanobacteria, sometimes referred to as blue-green algae, in Lake Erie.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio announced Friday that an additional $1 million will go into a program that will give grants to farmers who plant winter crops.
Researchers say winter crops help to stop fertilizers from washing into streams and rivers that flow into Lake Erie.
The move comes four weeks after Toledo's water supply was contaminated by toxins from algae on the lake.
Federal lawmakers this month announced that Ohio farmers would be able to apply for some of the $2 million available for cover crops. Farmers in 20 Ohio counties within the Lake Erie watershed are eligible for the grants.
