(Toledo)--We live and thrive by the way of the Great Lakes. Not to mention Lake Erie is one of the most developed of them all with 80 percent of the watershed used by us.

So, how are we doing as far at the health of the Great Lakes? In this story, I have used the help of Sandy Bihn, a water conservationist. I also talked with a local scientist to get his take on where things stand and are headed.

Sandy Bihn tells me she doesn't like what she's seeing on Lake Erie. High levels of green algae due to phosphorus thriving in the water. She says it's growing at an alarming rate, stealing oxygen, and killing many fish in the process. Bihn tells me when can put a stop to this by cutting down on the phosphorus levels in detergent and fertilizer. She also recommends getting a rain garden to prevent runoff. She wants factories and farms to do their part too.

Some scientists say we should be alarmed by harmful greenhouse gases taking over and causing rising temperatures and drops in water levels due to evaporation. However, some don't buy this argument. They say, over time due to a combination of circumstances, such as cyclical weather patterns, we might actually see a rise in levels.

If you want to learn more about our Great Lakes, go to http://westernlakeerie.org/. This site will direct to other helpful links.