First of two parts.

Sandy Bihn, executive director of Lake Erie Waterkeeper, came into our meeting a bit flustered. I thought, at first, it was the time or location of our meeting. But that wasn’t it. She has been working on protecting, and now I think it is fair to say, saving, Lake Erie for 20 years. She feels as if she is losing.

“I’ve kind of had it,” she said.

We aren’t doing enough, she told me. We aren’t doing nearly enough. The public doesn’t know the extent of the crisis. Too much of the media doesn’t either. The state legislature doesn’t get it — doesn’t want to get it.

Lake Erie, she said, could go the way of Grand Lake St Mary’s — Ohio’s largest reservoir, which is currently a dead lake — you can’t swim in it or boat on it because of toxic algae.

A second water expert was present and he was somewhat more optimistic. He is Frank Szollosi, a former Toledo City Council member, who now manages regional outreach campaigns for the National Wildlife Federation. He is encouraged by “the 40 percent.”

The 40 percent is indeed a big deal. Last month, elected officials from Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario signed an agreement to reduce algae-forming nutrient pollution into western Lake Erie by 40 percent within 10 years, and 20 percent by 2020.

Responding, in part, to Toledo’s water crisis of last year, Gov. John Kasich was a major force behind the agreement. After the crisis, Mr. Szollosi’s organization, the NWF, called on Mr. Kasich to lead. Now it is running radio ads praising him because he did lead.

The bad news: So far, these are commitments; goals. There is no road map for getting there.

But there is more good, and big, news: In early spring, the Ohio legislature passed and the governor signed Senate Bill 1, which is, arguably, the toughest anti-pollution law ever to go into effect in the state. It increases regulation on farm runoff, particularly fertilizers and manure — the major Lake Erie pollutants. Sen. Randy Gardner of Bowling Green was one of two main sponsors of this landmark legislation.

But, as huge as these two steps were, Ms. Bihn sees them as too late and too little. Enlightened farmers were already following green, lake-friendly practices that will now be mandatory for all, she said.

And the real problem is that, even as we set these new standards and goals, more manure is being dumped into the lake in real time. Our animal population, especially hogs, is increasing rapidly.

Our laws are improving mightily, but they lack teeth. And the reality on the ground is more degradation of Lake Erie.

Tomorrow: Facing and fixing the problem.

Keith C. Burris is a columnist for The Blade.

Contact him at: kburris@theblade.com or 419-724-6266.

First Published July 16, 2015, 4:00 a.m.