The water quality of Lake Erie, which borders Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Canada, has been suspected of deteriorating conditions for some time now, culminating in 2011 with the largest ever algae bloom -- caused by excessive nutrients from fertilizer runoff -- ever recorded, the Great Lakes Echo reported.

Algae blooms not only affect the ability of treatment plants to filter lake water into drinking water, but also hurt the surrounding ecosystem by creating toxic living conditions. (One such bloom is responsible for killing hundreds of ancient sea creatures in a bone yard recently discovered in Chile.) The event in 2011 spurred a study by the International Joint Commission (IJC), an organization intended for collaborative effort between the U.S. and Canada. Released today (March 3rd), it confirmed the lake's decline in water quality over the last ten years

Also in the report were 16 recommendations for saving the lake, which, reminds Gordon Walker, Canadian chair of the IJC, was done once before.

"I grew up on Lake Erie and know firsthand that this precious lake can't afford more fouled beaches, dead fish and contaminated drinking water," said Walker. "Government action saved Lake Erie in the 1970s and the IJC is confident that with timely action, the U.S. and Canada can save Lake Erie again."

Most of the committee's recommendations focus on limiting agricultural runoff in the form of dissolved reactive phosphorous (DRP) from entering into Erie and its surrounding bodies. Ways farms could accomplish this is by applying fertilizers at more strategic times and stop applying manure on snowy fields, according to the report.

The committee also recommends better storm water management in urban areas as well as a complete ban on phosphorous fertilizers used on lawns.

Finally, the IJC would like to increase efforts towards restoring the area's wetlands, a source of biodiversity and a natural filtration system that has declined significantly throughout the area's history.

Along the way towards recovery, progress should be carefully monitored, as per the study.

"It's time for governments at all levels to put the lake on a diet by setting targets and achieving real reductions," Lana Pollack, U.S. chair of the IJC, told the Associated Press.