A Plan for Ohio’s Watersheds
60,000
Existing Miles of
Rivers & Streams
430,000
Existing Acres of
Wetland Areas
125,000
Existing Lakes,
Reservoirs & Ponds
Launched by Governor Mike DeWine in 2019, H2Ohio is a comprehensive water quality initiative that is working to strategically address serious water issues that have been building in Ohio for decades. Such problems include harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie caused by phosphorus runoff from farm fertilizer, failing drinking water, wastewater, and home sewage treatment systems due to aging infrastructure, and lead contamination from old water pipes and fixtures.
H2Ohio was first funded by the Ohio General Assembly with an investment of $172 million in the 2020-2021 biennium. This funding has allowed H2Ohio to begin the long-term process to reduce phosphorus runoff from farms through the use of proven, science-based nutrient management best practices and the creation of phosphorus-filtering wetlands. H2Ohio also passes funding on to local communities that need help paying for important water infrastructure upgrades and aids in the development of other innovative water quality solutions.
Ohio’s water quality issues took time to develop, and it will take time to reverse course. Continued investment by the General Assembly will allow H2Ohio to continue building on its progress.
H2Ohio was created through unprecedented collaboration, using strategies that are long-term, sustainable, science-based and cost-effective. The Governor, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the Lake Erie Commission, and many partners, including the Ohio Agriculture Conservation Initiative (OACI) have worked together to invest in projects across Ohio that will reduce nutrients and provide other long-term economic and water quality benefits to communities statewide.
H2Ohio By the Numbers
H2Ohio Announcement, November 14, 2019
“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.”
About H2OHIO
A collaborative approach to the issues facing Ohio’s water.
About H2Ohio
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
ODNR Dedicates Two H2Ohio Wetland Projects in Northwest Ohio
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) dedicated two new H2Ohio wetlands in northwest Ohio on Friday, July 16. The Fruth Wetland Nature Preserve restoration project in Seneca County and the Redhorse Bend Wetland Restoration in Sandusky County were completed...
ODNR to Dedicate Two H2Ohio Wetland Projects in Northwest Ohio
After more than a year of planning and work, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will be dedicating two H2Ohio wetland projects in Northwest Ohio. The Fruth Outdoor Center Wetland Restoration project in Seneca County and the Redhorse Bend Wetland...
H2Ohio Farmer Informational Meetings Set to Begin
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is hosting a series of virtual informational meetings for farmers to learn about Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative in the newly added 10 counties. The program, which incentivizes farmers for implementing proven conservation...