A rare bit of negative news has surrounded the famously prolific walleye waters of Lake Erie after The Campbell’s Company’s Ohio operations admitted to thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act, a development that carries direct implications for the lake’s ecology and fishing community.

Campbell’s admits major Clean Water Act violations

In a filing earlier this month, Campbell’s acknowledged that its large canning plant in Napoleon, Ohio — located on the Maumee River, which drains into Lake Erie, committed at least 5,400 violations of effluent limits between April 2018 and December 2024.

The violations involve discharges of phosphorus, ammonia, E. coli, oil and grease, suspended solids, and other pollutants.
Environmental groups contend the facility is one of the largest industrial point‐sources of phosphorus entering the Maumee basin, a key contributor to Lake Erie’s nutrient pollution and toxic algal blooms.

Campbell’s, for its part, says it has been invested in the region since 1938 and is working to bring its operations into compliance. The company claims the plant’s contributions to pollution are “a small percentage” of total point‐sources.

Why the pollution matters for Lake Erie and its walleye

Lake Erie has long battled nutrient overloads (especially phosphorus) that fuel harmful algal blooms (HABs) and create low‐oxygen “dead zones”.

These conditions can undermine fish health, spawning success, and, ultimately, angler opportunities. The lake also supports the world’s largest self‐sustaining population of walleye, which is both a commercial and a premier recreational species.

When water quality declined in past decades, the walleye fishery suffered. Improvements in pollution control in the 1970s and thereafter helped trigger the rebound of the walleye population.

Now, experts warn that new or renewed pollution pressures could undermine ongoing conservation and management efforts.

For example, charter operators report that HABs affect fish feeding behaviour, reduce oxygen near the bottom where walleye often roam, and force anglers to shift locations or abandon trips

The road ahead

The consolidated lawsuit (filing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Environmental Law Center on behalf of citizen groups) sets a trial for 2026 to decide on penalties and required facility upgrades.

How Campbell’s addresses its wastewater treatment failures could set a precednet for industrial accountability in the Lake Erie basin. For anglers, the hope is that stronger compliance means cleaner water and a more resilient walleye fishery.