Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz announced today more than $7 million in grant funding to support 12 new H2Ohio wetland projects.

“Wetlands are a vital component of H2Ohio to improve water quality across our state,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Every new wetland we create or restore continues to build on all the progress we’ve been making over the years through H2Ohio.”

The 12 new wetlands projects will be located in 10 counties including Athens, Butler, Clark, Delaware, Franklin, Greene, Holmes, Lake, Richland, and Summit counties. The projects range from wetland restoration to enriching stream corridor forested areas. These projects were selected through a competitive grant process, and H2Ohio grant awards will fund up to 100% of the project costs.

“We are successful in these projects because of our partners and their dedication to improving water quality,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “In addition to filtering the water, these wetlands provide habitat, allowing animals and plants to continue to thrive in Ohio.”

DETAILS: List of 12 H2Ohio Wetland Projects

Governor DeWine announced the new wetland projects while attending today’s ribbon cutting ceremony for the new H2Ohio Rainbow Run Wetland near Springfield.

The new H2Ohio Rainbow Run wetland restored 8 acres of private land that was previously an unfarmed pasture. The new wetland gets its name from the nearby Rainbow Run tributary, which flows into the Little Miami River, a National and State Scenic River. The wetland will improve water quality and address flooding and erosion issues with a newly established channel of ponds and pools to filter sediment and nutrients before flowing into the Rainbow Run.

Tecumseh Land Trust partnered with private landowners, Tom and Susan Miller, to bring the water quality-focused wetland concept to fruition. Tecumseh Land Trust submitted the project for funding consideration through H2Ohio and ODNR, and the project was awarded for funding due to its cost effectiveness and anticipated benefits to water quality.

“Tecumseh Land Trust was eager to participate in H2Ohio and was thrilled to have a project selected in the first statewide round,” said Tecumseh Land Trust Executive Director Michele Burns. “We are proud to be a part of water quality improvements in the Little Miami River watershed and beyond.”

“We realized the land played an important role in the natural world,” said landowner Susan Miller. “We began restoring that scrap of land and talking to anyone who would listen to us, and that’s how we ended up meeting a whole lot of terrific people, which led us to this wetland restoration project.”

To date, there are 183 H2Ohio wetland sites across Ohio that are either in progress or complete. Wetlands are scientifically proven to improve water quality by trapping, filtering, and removing excess nutrients, like phosphorus, from the water before flowing into other waterways.

H2Ohio is Governor DeWine’s statewide water quality initiative designed to address complex issues impacting Ohio’s waters. Launched in 2019, H2Ohio uses a comprehensive approach guided by science and data to reduce algal blooms, stop pollution, and improve access to clean drinking water by supporting best farming practices, road salt runoff reduction, litter cleanup, dam removal, land conservation, and water infrastructure revitalization. For more information visit h2.ohio.gov.