Ohio’s plan for
clean water

60,000

Existing Miles of
Rivers & Streams

430,000

Existing Acres of
Wetland Areas

125,000

Existing Lakes,
Reservoirs & Ponds

A Collaborative Approach to the Issues Facing Ohio’s Water

About H2Ohio

H2Ohio is Governor Mike DeWine’s comprehensive, data-driven water quality plan to reduce harmful algal blooms, improve wastewater infrastructure, and prevent lead contamination.
“As a state, we are committed to helping farmers adopt the practices that can make a real difference. We will invest in creating more wetlands. And, we will help communities improve their water systems and remove decrepit septic systems.”
Mike DeWine

Ohio Governor

The Importance of Partnership

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency each has a significant role in H2Ohio through the creation of wetlands, the reduction in phosphorus runoff, and access to clean drinking water and quality sewer systems.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Ohio Department of Agriculture

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

What’s Happening

Latest Developments

ODA Extends H2Ohio Deadline to Plant Cover Crops

Producers have until November 15 to plant cover crops  REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (October 31, 2023) – Due to a late harvest and adverse weather conditions, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is extending the 2023 H2Ohio program deadline for planting overwintering cover...

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Producers, Now is the Time!

H2Ohio enrollment is open, and it is as important as ever to sign up The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced a new round of H2Ohio open enrollment for producers in the 14 counties of the Maumee River Watershed project area. Producers in the following...

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ODNR, University of Toledo Break Ground on New H2Ohio Project

The project will restore wetland and stream channels for more effective water quality filtration. As part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the University of Toledo held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday...

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Learning Comes to Life with New H2Ohio Wetlands Project

As part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative, students will have the unique opportunity to learn about ecology and water quality at a restored wetland in northwest Ohio. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) joined the Otsego Local School District and...

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What’s Happening

Upcoming Events

H2Ohio Dashboards on the DataOhio Portal 

Below are links to dashboards showing the progress of H2Ohio projects and overall phosphorus reduction estimates. Simply click on the links below to be redirected to the dashboards on the DataOhio Portal.

 Estimated Phosphorus Reduction

This dashboard shows total estimated phosphorus reduction in pounds by county. Projects implemented by ODA, ODNR, and Ohio EPA are represented.

Agricultural Best Management Practices  
This dashboard breaks down agricultural BMPs in each county by producers enrolled, acres enrolled, acres completed, and amount of funding awarded.

Voluntary Nutrient Management Plans

This dashboard breaks down Voluntary Nutrient Management Plans (VNMPs) by producers enrolled, acres completed, acres enrolled, percentage of acres completed, and amount of funding awarded. Users can view VNMPs by county or by watershed and in the Maumee Watershed and Western Lake Erie Basin.

Regional Watershed Program

This dashboard shows Ohio’s seven watershed regions with land use percentages and outlines the conservation priorities in each.

Wetland Project Funding and Metrics

This dashboard details wetland projects by county including project status, total project acres and funding awarded.

Map of Wetlands Projects

This dashboard shows the locations wetland projects by county and includes project status. Users can also filter by legislative districts.

Lead Service Line Replacements  

This dashboard includes the number of, and funding awarded for lead service line replacement projects and lead service line inventory and mapping. Users can filter information by county, project status, and project type.

Water and Sewer Improvements

This dashboard breaks down drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects by county and includes project status and funding awarded.

Home Sewage Treatment Systems

This dashboard shows total funding awarded and metrics of home sewage treatment system repairs, replacements, and connections by county.

USGS Rain Gages and Nutrient Monitors

This dashboard demonstrates metrics associated with US Geological Survey (USGS) rain gages and nutrient monitors, which regularly measure rain totals and nutrient levels in Lake Erie.  

H2Ohio Agency Story Maps

H2Ohio is highly collaborative, including work from ODA, ODNR and Ohio EPA to achieve improved water quality. Wetland projects and water infrastructure projects are being constructed and completed statewide. Agricultural best management practices are being implemented on farmland across the Western Lake Erie Basin. A comprehensive look at H2Ohio efforts across the state can be viewed in one place here on the H2Ohio Story Map.

Click the map to view H2Ohio Story Map. 

“It was an amazing opportunity to partner with ODNR, ODA, and Ohio EPA to celebrate Earth Day and inspire the next generation around H2Ohio. Together, we delivered fun, hands-on experiences to engage kids around water and nature. We are thankful for the leadership of the state to showcase how science can be fun, but also how families and youth can learn and contribute to the world around them.”

Stephen White

Esq. Chief Strategy Officer, COSI

“What continues to be impressive about H2Ohio is the willingness of stakeholders to come together to find success, not only in the program but also in the way we can support producers to manage their land more sustainably for the future. H2Ohio is giving all of us – the environmental groups, the agriculture groups, the decision makers and the landowners – the reason to try something new to make a lasting difference.”

Jessica D’Ambrosio,

The Nature Conservancy

“H2Ohio has given graduate students at the University of Toledo an opportunity to expand their remote sensing and GIS skills beyond the classroom and to work on a critical research project for Lake Erie.”

Dr. Kevin P. Czajkowski,

College of Arts and Letters, University of Toledo

Click image above for full H2Ohio Annual Report

“We haven’t been able to drink our water since 2019. (We) purchased bottled water to start, and then when that was starting to become too cumbersome, my husband decided to put a central line filter on our house, we were replacing the filter every week, but we’ve noticed a significant change since the temporary system has been put in.”

Dayna Pitzer

Village of Lowell Resident

Governor DeWine’s 2019 H2Ohio Announcement