Additional Funding Enhances Ohio’s Water Quality Improvement Efforts
COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio will receive $7.4 million in federal grants to continue successful water quality initiatives already underway and reduce harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recently announced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding after a meeting between U.S. EPA leaders and the Directors of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).
“Ohio truly appreciates the financial commitment and our partnership with U.S. EPA,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer. “When we met, we emphasized the positive impacts our efforts are having, and this funding will allow us to enhance our programs and make positive steps toward a healthier lake.”
Ohio has committed substantial efforts and resources toward improving water quality, including:
– More than $150 million for water treatment plant upgrades, water testing and HABs research
-Mandatory fertilizer application certification for Ohio farmers, with classes starting this month
-Implementation of agricultural best management practices in the Lake Erie Watershed
-Reduction of open lake disposal of dredge material
The additional funding will be administered through the Ohio Clean Lakes Initiative and will target soil testing, the planting of winter cover crops, installation of controlled drainage structures, precision soil testing and fertilizer management, the construction of manure storage and roofed feedlots and expanded tributary monitoring.
ODNR will work with soil and water conservation districts in the Maumee Watershed to connect with farmers and implement the above best management practices. Previous Ohio Clean Lakes Initiative programs have waiting lists of farmers wanting to participate, and ODNR anticipates great interest in the enhanced programs. Ohio EPA will initiate the enhanced monitoring to continue to track the effectiveness of these best management practices.
