Millions depend on Lake Erie for drinking water and recreation. It's also a vital fishery. But it has a long history of environmental damage, and that continues today with a resurgence of toxic algal blooms. Farmers are teaming up with researchers to try and understand why agriculture is now the leading cause of Lake Erie's recent algal blooms and what can be done to fix it.

Tom | A Story From the Blanchard River Watershed

A BRWP original film

Sometimes the best way to understand a watershed is through the people who know it.

In this BRWP film, Tom shares a personal perspective on the Blanchard River watershed and the connection between the river, the land and the people who live and work here.

The film is part of BRWP’s long history of helping people understand that the Blanchard River does not exist in isolation. What happens throughout the watershed, on farms, in communities, along streams and across the landscape, ultimately affects the health of the river and the water that continues downstream toward the Maumee River and Lake Erie.

Watch the film and discover the watershed through the eyes of someone who knows it well.

Remember Me

Regional Emmy Award-Winning Film

The Blanchard River is more than a river. It is part of a living watershed that connects our communities, farmland, wildlife and the water we all depend on.

Remember Me tells the story of the Blanchard River watershed and the important relationship between the river and the people who call this region home. Through powerful imagery and storytelling, the film reminds us that the health of our river is directly connected to the choices we make across the land that surrounds it.

Created for the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership, Remember Me received a Regional Emmy Award, recognizing the film's exceptional storytelling and its message of environmental stewardship.

The message remains just as important today: caring for the Blanchard River begins throughout its watershed. What happens on our farms, in our neighborhoods and along our streams eventually makes its way downstream through the Blanchard River, the Maumee River and ultimately to Lake Erie.

Algal blooms have become more noticeable in Ohio's lakes, streams and rivers during the last few years. Although most blooms are green algae and not harmful, there are some that are actually a type of cyanobacteria that have the ability to produce toxins -- called Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Watch this video to learn more about HABs and Ohio beach advisories.

Here’s a brief video of what is a watershed and how it affects you.