Farmers in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan are eligible for an additional $5 million in cost-share money for projects that will reduce nutrient runoff into western Lake Erie, said the USDA. The money will flow through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for practices that improve water quality, such as planting cover crops, adding gypsum to the soil, switching to reduced-tillage methods or implementing nutrient-management programs. Since 2009, the USDA has spent $57 million on soil conservation and water quality in the Lake Erie basin. A “bloom” of toxic algae disrupted water supplies for Cleveland last year. “The cause of algae blooms is complex,” says the department. Suspected factors include runoff from farms and other human activity.