"Poison Algae That Hit Toledo Often Found in Wisconsin Lakes"

"The thick mats of algae on Lake Erie that poisoned the water supply of Toledo, Ohio, were fed by a type of pollution that's all too familiar in Wisconsin.

Vast quantities of nutrient runoff from streets and farm fields have long been key ingredients in algae blooms. Each summer, they overwhelm countless lakes.

But so far efforts to stem the tide have fallen short, and the fight to control such pollutants has emerged as one of the state's most difficult environmental problems. Today, one quarter of more than 700 water bodies that fail to meet water quality standards do so because of high levels of phosphorus, which is found in sewage,agriculture and runoff from lawns, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources."

Lee Bergquist reports for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel August 10, 2014.