WESTERN LAKE ERIE BASIN (WLEB) Senate Bill 1

Senate Bill 1 restricts the application of manure and fertilizer on frozen, snow-covered or saturated ground in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). The purpose of Senate Bill 1 is to control algae growth in Lake Erie and its western basin. (See Map)

WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTIONS OF THIS LAW REGARDING FERTILIZER AND MANURE APPLICATION?

  • No Application: On frozen or snow-covered soil,
  • No Application: When the two top inches of soil are saturated with precipitation 
  • No Application: If the local weather forecast calls for a greater than fifty percent chance of precipitation exceeding one inch in a 12-hour period for fertilizer and one-half inch in a 24-hour period for manure.

ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS? WHAT IF MY MANURE STORAGE IS FULL?

Exceptions do apply if you can inject fertilizer or manure into the ground, incorporate it within 24 hours or apply it to a growing crop, then you can apply it.

You can get written approval from the ODA director to temporarily apply the manure according to procedure outlined in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service standard 590.

HOW DOES THIS LAW GET ENFORCED?

Senate Bill 1 relies on a complaint-driven process by which a person contacts the Erie Conservation District Office (419-626-5211) or the Ohio Department of Agriculture (614-265-6610) to report any violations.