Lake Winnipeg tops list

WINNIPEG—Lake Winnipeg has been named the “Threatened Lake of the Year” by the Global Nature Fund.
The German non-profit environmental organization said nutrients in agricultural run-off and sewage discharges threaten the future of Canada’s third-largest lake by stimulating the growth of blue-green algae.

The organization said the largest impact on the lake has been the explosive increase in hog farming in the Red River basin.
Increased flooding, wetlands drainage, and regulation of water levels also have had negative effects on the lake.
The citation said the amount of phosphorus going into the lake has doubled since the mid-1990s.
Phosphorus encourages the growth of blue-green algae, which is toxic to humans and affects the balance of flora and fauna in the lake.
It only will be possible to restore Lake Winnipeg if governments, agriculture, industry, environmental organizations, and communities work together, the Global Nature Fund said.