The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority is rethinking how much phosphorus winds up in the Wasi River watershed thanks to research from Nipissing University.
Sue Miller, the agency’s Manager of Source Protection, says it now knows that more phosphorus gets into the water than first thought.
Phosphorus is a natural mineral in the soil and it gets into waterways because of soil erosion caused by several factors including heavy rain.
The mineral is a known cause to help spur the growth of blue-green algae.
Although the Conservation Authority continues to look into why Callander Bay gets a lot of algae blooms, she says something can be done about the amount of phosphorus getting into the water as one measure.
She says trees and deep-rooted vegetation works well at minimizing soil erosion.
Miller says a robust shoreline goes a long way to keeping minerals like phosphorus from entering waterways.
