Lake Erie Legacy

How do human actions impact the health of Lake Erie and its coastal areas? What role does Lake Erie play in the region's economy? How is the lake affected by changes in global climate? These and many other questions are answered in Lake Erie Legacy, an eight-part video series which explores not only the natural beauty of Ohio's great lake but also how scientists, industry and communities can help protect and restore Lake Erie, its coastal wetlands and watersheds. Produced by WGTE, in partnership with Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Office of Coastal Management, the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, Lake Erie Legacy is made possible through a Coastal Management Assistance Grant.

These videos were prepared by WGTE Public Media under award NA10NOS4190182 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, or the Office of Coastal Management.
  • Views: 729 Lake Erie Legacy: Preventing Harmful Algal Blooms

    Discover how human activity can contribute powerfully to harmful algal blooms. What can we do to help prevent the run-off of phosphorus – a common farm fertilizer and key nutrient for algae? Why is the preservation of a natural wetland so critical to preventing algal blooms?
  • Views: 515 Lake Erie Legacy: Aquatic Invaders - Disrupting the Balance

    Explore how aquatic invasive species have impacted the ecology of Lake Erie.  Discover the different types of invasive fish, plankton and even plant species.  Find out how they have been introduced to the lake, the affects they may have on the ecology and what you can do to avoid introducing new invasive species to the lake.
  • Views: 372 Lake Erie Legacy: Tracking Beach Health

    How do scientists determine when it is safe to swim in Lake Erie? Follow along as investigators test the waters and work to develop more accurate and rapid methods to track beach health.
  • Views: 384 Lake Erie Legacy: Our Changing Climate

    Scientists agree that our climate is changing. How do greenhouse gas and carbon emissions cause extreme weather. How does climate change affect natural wetlands, and Lake Erie's economically strategic watershed? What can we do as individuals to participate in protecting the lake and wetlands like Old Woman Creek?
  • Views: 425 Lake Erie Legacy: Confronting Nonpoint Pollution

    What is nonpoint pollution? How can it be reduced and prevented? And how can a natural wetland like Old Woman Creek Estuary help confront it before it reaches Lake Erie?

  • Views: 312 Lake Erie Legacy: Influencing Regional Weather & Climate

    What do weather and climate have to do with the preservation of natural wetlands and estuaries? How do cycles of drought and rain, temperature, snowfall, and other phenomena affect the natural and beneficial life of a wetland?
  • Views: 664 Lake Erie Legacy: Wetlands Breaking Down Pollution

    Explore how pollutants are broken down in wetlands and how individuals can help reduce pollutants from entering our rivers and streams.  Learn how technical advancements such as Ultra Sound, and naturally occurring sunlight, can break down mercury, pesticides, antibiotics and other chemicals before they reach Lake Erie. 
  • Views: 718 Lake Erie Legacy: Protecting Wetlands for Clean Water

    Explore the value of wetlands, their role in keeping Lake Erie clean and how individuals like you can help protect them. Learn how the data from a monitoring program at Old Woman Creek, an estuary in Huron, Ohio, aids researchers in developing strategies to reduce pollutants from entering the watershed.