An Intensive Study of the Lake Erie Central Basin Hypolimnion & Related Surface Water Phenomenon.
A joint study conducted by the Canada Center for Inland Waters: Burlington, Ontario and The United States Environmental Protection Agency: Fairview Park, Ohio.
Author(s): Noel M. Burns, PHD; Curtis Ross

During the 1960/1970 time interval, Lake Erie was publicly referred to as the dead or dying lake. Indeed, Lake Erie experienced summer periods of low to depleted dissolved oxygen in the hypolimnetic water, intensive algae blooms and weeds along the shore line and surface waters, high nutrient content in bottom waters, and anarobic chemical, biological, and microbiological phenomena in the hypolimnion and shallow waters of Lake Erie.

The Project Hypo Limnological plan was unique in that it featured a range of disciplines, Bacteriology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and other specialities.

More specifically Project Hypo findings established a quantifiable connection between phosphorus loadings (internal and external) and algae productivity. This finding and other technical findings provided the cultural / political connections (IJC) that expedited international legislation signings such as the First Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), 1972  as well as future agreements leading to the 21st Century (some example articles are included in this sites links research links page.)

The Project Hypo report is readily available via the national and international library systems (See library page.) The project findings are also available in several different languages.

Project Hypo is applicable and recommended reading for both technical and non-technical reading regarding limnological phenomena in fresh water lakes.

Compiled by Doris Washington Ross