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
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
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...
Ohio Department of Agriculture Hosts H2Ohio Enrollment, Expansion Event in Putnam County
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) discussed open enrollment for the H2Ohio program in the original 14 county Maumee River Watershed at a press event today in Putnam County. Producers are now eligible to enroll or re-enroll acreage into proven, science-based,...
H2Ohio Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2023
ODNR Celebrates First Completed H2Ohio Project in Franklin County
Collection of wetlands will filter water along Walnut Creek. As part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) was joined by the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks to celebrate the completion of the Walnut Creek...
Governor DeWine Announces Statewide H2Ohio Expansion Plans
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Brian Baldridge today announced the statewide expansion of H2Ohio’s incentive program for agriculture producers. The program, led by ODA, provides funding to producers to help offset the...
ODA Announces H2Ohio Open Enrollment in Maumee River Watershed
Producers are eligible to earn incentives for implementing practices to improve water quality The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) today announced a new round of H2Ohio open enrollment for producers in the 14 counties of the Maumee River Watershed project area....
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.
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.
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.
This dashboard breaks down drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects by county and includes project status and funding awarded.
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.”
“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.”
“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.”
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.”
Governor DeWine’s 2019 H2Ohio Announcement