Ohio has many water quality issues including agricultural runoff, construction stormwater runoff, urban stormwater runoff, acid mine drainage, sewer overflows, septic system failures, nutrient accumulation and harmful algal blooms, sedimentation, industrial wastewater, road salt runoff, low head dams, and more. The state also has an integrated water quality strategic initiative that involves coordination between different state departments, federal agencies, and county agencies. This is a great approach to integrated regional water quality improvement that is yielding substantial results.
The state of Ohio
launched its clean water strategy, known as H2Ohio, in 2019. The goal is to
improve water quality throughout the state, including in rivers, groundwater,
wastewater, and wetlands. Several state, regional, and local agencies are
involved in the effort including the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR),
Ohio EPA, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture (ODA), the Lake Erie Aquatic Research
Network, and county Soil and Water Districts.
It seems like
this collaborative statewide, multiple-agency approach is working to improve
water quality throughout the state. It is a smart way to address water quality
degradation, soil erosion, and other issues.
Wetlands Projects
Wetlands are a
key component of the initiative since they can slow water flow and allow nutrients
to settle, which can help reduce nutrient loading into larger waterways and
thereby reduce the chances for harmful algal blooms. They can also help in
treating acid mine drainage in a similar manner by capturing water with high
metals loading, allowing it to be treated for pH imbalances, metals, and
managing sedimentation.
Ohio Governor
Mike DeWine recently noted that the initiative can especially help in the Lake
Erie Basin which is adjacent to a lot of Ohio farmland.
“We’re excited to celebrate this important milestone of
more than 200 H2Ohio wetland projects,” DeWine said. “Science and data tell us
that improving Ohio’s water quality will take time, but over the long run, we
know that every H2Ohio wetland will contribute to preventing algal blooms and
keeping Ohio’s waterways clean.”
ODNR director
Mary Mertz noted:
“I’m thrilled to see these H2Ohio wetland projects
throughout the entire state of Ohio and the impact each and every single one
has when it comes to water quality,” Mertz said. “These projects have also done
so much for the Buckeye State with preserving the natural beauty and
environment for plant life and wildlife.”
Wetlands provide
natural filtration, capture and reduce runoff effectively, offer some carbon storage
(but also release methane to the atmosphere), and provide habitat for many species.
Conservation Ditches
In the Western
Lake Erie Basin adjacent to Ohio’s main agricultural area conservation ditches
are built to control nutrient and sediment runoff. Conservation ditches slow water
flow and store water, reduce erosion, and vegetated benches along the ditches
utilize nutrients. Downstream sediment and nutrient loads are reduced.
Conservation ditches can also help to control flooding in fields prone to
flooding. This program began in 2022, and interest is growing. The following
graphic shows some stats for the program.
Riparian Buffers: Forested Stream Banks
Another approach to soil and water
conservation is riparian buffers, or forested stream banks which provide
filtration of migrating nutrients, sediment, and pesticides that flow in
shallow subsurface water.
“Studies show that forested buffers remove 200-800% more
nitrogen than non-forested buffers.”
Riparian buffers are also strongly associated with higher
water quality, more stable stream banks, and significant habitat improvement, for
both aquatic habitats and habitats along the banks. Water temperature reduction
in summer is another benefit.
Documenting and Removing Lead Water Pipes
Ohio EPA director
Anne Vogel noted some other particulars, including mapping and replacement of
lead water pipes:
"Across the state, Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio program
funds vital infrastructure that expands access to safe, affordable water and
fuels economic growth. To date, the program has provided funding to over 115
communities to identify, map, and replace lead service lines so that fewer Ohio
children are exposed to lead in their drinking water. We are also using this
funding to upgrade drinking and wastewater systems statewide.
“Ohio EPA is responsible for protecting human health and
the environment for all Ohioans, and we look forward to continued investment in
all parts of the H2Ohio program and the resulting water quality improvements in
Ohio rivers, homes, and communities."
Road Salt Runoff
H2Ohio’s Chloride Reduction Grant Program, a collaboration
between the Ohio EPA and Ohio Dept of Transportation (ODOT), offers grants to
communities to help them improve road salt storage and handling to reduce salt
runoff into Ohio streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater. A total of $1.7 million has been awarded to
municipalities, townships, and counties for equipment and upgrades to salt
storage facilities. A second round of grant funding is expected to be awarded
in Fall 2024. The project can help with purchasing brine mixing, or brine
making for local road salt facilities.
Low Head Dam Removal
Many old low head
dams in the state have outlived their usefulness. These dams result in
undesirable effects such as oxygen depletion, trapped sediment, and interrupted
fish migration. One dam on the
Great Miami River has been modified to allow fish passage. Aging dams are more
likely to fail, resulting in flooding. They can impede water flow, creating a
ponding effect that disrupts some fish species and causes low oxygen levels on
the upstream side which can harm fish and other aquatic species. They can
impede navigation and recreation. The circular currents just below these dams
have become known as “drowning machines” as many people have been killed,
typically kayakers.
Replacing and Upgrading Failing Household Sewage
Treatment Systems and Overflowing Sewer Systems
Funding in the
form of grants is issued to county health departments for fixing failing
household sewage treatment systems. The state estimates that nearly a third of
these throughout the state are experiencing some level of failure. Elevated
levels of coliform bacteria in streams are one measure of the problem. This
type of bacteria includes E. coli and along with other pathogens, presents a danger
to nearby drinking water sources and aquatic species.
The grants
predominantly help low-income families get their HSTSs up to code. I have
worked a bit on assessing HSTSs and determining who might qualify for such
grants. Often it is the soil quality and depth of soil water tables that
determines whether a system will fail or not. Usage and effluent loading rates affect the
likelihood of failure. Some systems can be repaired but many need to be replaced.
Improving River Health, Aquatic Species Surveying, Litter
Cleanup, and Sampling for Emerging Contaminants
The Ohio EPA and
the ODNR are sampling rivers throughout the state to assess reiver health,
surveying aquatic species presence and proliferation, and sampling both water
and fish for emerging contaminants, namely PFAS/PFOS.
“ODNR is surveying those same 151 large river locations
for freshwater mussels, a group of organisms in decline around the U.S. that
are excellent indicators of water quality. This robust survey will set a
baseline for long-term mussel populations monitoring in our large rivers and
may provide valuable information for populations recovery efforts.”
The H2Ohio
project is also involved with litter cleanup along the state’s rivers. Single-use
plastics and scrap tires are two of the main issues.
Upgrading Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
In terms of costs
these upgrades are probably the most expensive. They are also very necessary as
they can affect drinking water quality. These projects include equipment grants
for drinking water infrastructure, extension of water service to new areas, water
line replacement, and sewer service extension projects.
“In 2023, Ohio EPA awarded more than 250 communities
across the state a total of $1 million in grants for equipment needed to
maintain their public drinking water infrastructure. The grants cover
distribution system equipment such as mobile leak detectors, line locators,
valve exercisers, flow meters, hydrant condition assessors, pressure monitors,
and training to use the equipment. In 2024, A second round of grants were
awarded to over 250 communities for a total of $2.2 million.”
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
This program
began as the Lake Erie Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and then was
extended to watersheds in areas with high agricultural use.
“Through this program, H2Ohio Rivers aims to capture
60,000 acres to install CREP practices, such as grassland buffers, forested
riparian buffers, and drainage water management practices. CREP has been
successfully used in Ohio since the early 2000s to enhance up to 137,000 acres
in the Lake Erie and Scioto watersheds.”
“Participants receive financial incentives from the USDA
to voluntarily enroll environmentally sensitive cropland or pastureland in
contracts for a period of 15 years. In return for annual rental payments that
average approximately $154 per acre, participants can convert the land to
native grasses, trees and other conservation vegetation.”
Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Watershed Program and
Conservation Action Project
ODA’ s
Conservation Action Project (CAP) is exploring the precision application of phosphorus
and other phosphorus management practices. CAP was established in 2021 and is a
collaboration of ODA, farmers, soil and water conservation districts, agronomists,
and agricultural consultants. They are involved in long-term water quality research
projects. The Watershed Program includes the development of detailed Regional
Watershed Plans. It also develops Non-Point Source-Implementation Strategy
(NPS-IS) plans for agricultural and stormwater runoff management.
“This year ODA dedicated funding to research and demonstration
sites to challenge traditional phosphorus management practices by showing how
reduced phosphorus applications maintain yield and crop productivity. CAP is
currently managing nine research plots and has released four reports detailing their
conservation research. The group is also leading outreach efforts to producers,
sharing its research results with the agricultural community and hosting field
days for farmers to discuss reduced phosphorus application, cover crops, and soil
health.”
Projects include:
“…conservation programming for grazing and livestock
lands across the southeast portion of the state, solutions for equine manure
storage in the northeast, and targeted implementation for phosphorus load
reduction in the Western Lake Erie Basin.”
The program offers nutrient management training to farmers.
H2Ohio also
involves modeling, monitoring, and analysis of edge-of-field data to measure
the continuing decrease of phosphorus runoff throughout the state.
Encouraging and assisting in the utilization of best management practices for addressing agricultural runoff and soil erosion is also a major H2Ohio focus.
A summary of H2Ohio project funding by agency is shown below.
References:
Improving
Ohio’s Water and Wastewater Infrastructure. H2Ohio. Improving Ohio’s Water and Wastewater
Infrastructure
H2Ohio
Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2024. H2Ohio. Ohio.gov. H2Ohio-FY24-Report-Final.pdf
More
than 200 wetlands are now complete or in progress in Ohio. Jane Imbody.
Mansfield News Journal. February 14, 2025. More than 200 wetlands are now
complete or in progress in Ohio
H2Ohio:
Ohio’s Strategy for Clean Water. H2Ohio | Ohio.gov
Dam
Removal on Big Indian Creek: Removing low-head dams promotes habitat and
recreation safety. The Nature Conservancy. December 24, 2019. Low
Head Dam Removal
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