COLUMBUS – H2Ohio funding totalling $30 million will be available for Ohio farmers in more than a dozen
counties, including Wood, beginning next month.
The funds will be awarded as part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio plan to reduce agricultural phosphorus
runoff and prevent algal blooms in Lake Erie.
“Since announcing the details of my H2Ohio plan in November, we’ve had a great deal of interest from
farmers in the Maumee River Watershed who want to do their part to improve the health of Lake Erie,”
DeWine said. “H2Ohio will provide farm-by-farm support to help farmers minimize phosphorus runoff while
increasing profit over the long-run.”
Farmers living in the following 14 northwest Ohio counties will be eligible to apply for funds at their
local Soil and Water Conservation Districts starting on Feb. 1: Wood, Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Fulton,
Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert and Williams.
H2Ohio will fund investments in 10 scientifically proven interventions to reduce nutrient runoff from
agriculture, which is the primary cause for algal blooms in Lake Erie and elsewhere. Algal blooms can
threaten drinking water and impact the health of both people and animals.
“Ohio farmers want to be part of the solution to water quality concerns in our state,” said Ohio
Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda. “The Ohio Department of Agriculture is excited to
work with our partners to help farmers implement these best practices which is a critical first step
toward achieving better water quality through H2Ohio.”
The Ohio Department of Agriculture, in partnership with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and
the Ohio Agriculture Conservation Initiative, will host informational meetings next month to outline the
application process, explain the H2Ohio certification process, and answer questions.
The local meeting is set for Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. at Owens Community College, Veterans Hall, 30335 Oregon
Road, Perrysburg.
The H2Ohio phosphorus reduction plan will focus first on reducing runoff into the Maumee River Watershed
and Lake Erie but will eventually be offered to other parts of the state.
The $30 million is part of an overall $85 million provided by the Ohio General Assembly for H2Ohio in the
first year of the biennium. The remaining first-year funds will focus on reducing phosphorus runoff
through the creation of wetlands, as well as on improving water quality by preventing lead contamination
and addressing failing septic systems.
H2Ohio is a partnership between the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency,
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Lake Erie Commission, and a broad coalition of agriculture,
education, research, conservation and environmental partners.
For more information on H2Ohio plan, visit h2.ohio.gov.