In response to the water challenges recently faced in the city of Toledo, Gov. John R. Kasich and members of his Cabinet announced major new multi-agency initiatives that make available significant resources to local communities and the agriculture community to help further strengthen protections for Lake Erie water quality and local drinking water supplies.
The initiatives were unveiled by the directors of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources at the Kris Swartz Farm in Perrysburg.
“Lake Erie is one of Ohio’s most precious resources and each day millions turn to it for drinking as well as their livelihoods. Ohio has been increasingly aggressive in protecting it and we’re building on those efforts with new resources for those on the front lines of this battle. There’s more work to be done and we’re going to keep pushing forward,” Kasich said.
Highlights of the initiative include:
• $150 million in no-interest loans for improvements to local drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities, reconfirming a single statewide testing protocol for microcystin approved by the Ohio EPA and US EPA, $1 million for local water systems for testing equipment and training, and testing support from Ohio EPA’s lab for any system that requests it;
• Support for agriculture of $1.25 million for farmers to plant cover crops or install controlled drainage devices that protect against nutrient runoff and help support water quality, and;
• $2 million to Ohio universities for further research on algal blooms.
The nutrient reduction program for agriculture will be operated through the Ohio Clean Lakes Initiative, which has already helped protect more than 40,000 acres in northwest Ohio. The Ohio Phosphorus II Task Force report highlighted cover crops and controlled drainage structures as especially effective strategies for managing nutrients, and these practices will be targeted by the new $1.25 million effort. Cover crops improve soil health and decrease runoff, and some crops even store nutrients in the soil, thereby reducing the need for as much fertilizer in the spring. Controlled drainage structures and blind tile inlets are also especially effective as they reduce runoff and result in less nutrient loading into the watershed.
Nearly 30 Counties Could Benefit from the New Program: Grants will be available to Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Lorain, Marion, Medina, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties. Starting immediately, producers in these counties can sign up for this program and are encouraged to contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District for more details.
Ohio Farm Bureau expressed appreciation for the Governor’s response to the situation in a statement.
“As we have seen in recent weeks, the importance of protecting our water resources is of the highest priority. We know that solving the problem will require a comprehensive approach that addresses all of the factors that are contributing to our water quality challenges,” Farm Bureau said in a statement. “Ohio farmers are committed to doing their part to address our water quality challenges, and we’re glad to see the governor’s multifaceted approach includes $150 million in investments for upgrades to drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure and $2 million in additional research.”
Over the past four years, Ohio has taken significant steps to protect the lake, including:
• Restricting water amounts that can be pumped out of the Lake Erie watershed;
• Enacting new regulations on fertilizer application to reduce the nutrient runoff that contributes to algal blooms;
• Reducing open-water dumping of Maumee River dredge material and prohibiting open-water dumping of Cuyahoga River dredge material;
• Banning oil and gas production under Lake Erie; and
• Helping combat invasive species via mutual aid agreements with nine other Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces.