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
New H2Ohio Coastal Wetland Project Under Way in Sandusky Bay
Unique project aims to restore water quality and improve wildlife habitat As part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) began construction of a unique barrier...
ODNR Accepting Project Applications for 2024 Wetland Grant Program
As part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is accepting applications for the 2024 statewide wetland grant program. H2Ohio seeks to fund high quality natural infrastructure projects aimed at improving water...
Ohio Department of Agriculture Extends Statewide Deadline for H2Ohio Enrollment
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is extending the H2Ohio enrollment deadline for row crop producers who farm in Ohio’s 64 counties outside of the Western Lake Erie Basin. Farmers will have until Friday, May 31, 2024, to enroll. ODA will enroll 500,000 acres,...
Governor DeWine Announces $1.7 Million in H2Ohio Grants for Road Salt Management
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio EPA today announced $1.7 million in grants for more than 30 municipalities and counties as part of the H2Ohio Rivers Program. The grants are the first to be awarded under the new H2Ohio Rivers Chloride Reduction Grant program....
Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted, ODNR, and Intel Announce New H2Ohio Partnership
Intel donates funding for a new H2Ohio wetland restoration project Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), and Intel announced today a new H2Ohio partnership to protect and improve water quality in the...
H2Ohio and COSI Partner to Celebrate Clean Water Ahead of Earth Day
As part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, agency directors from the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) partnered for a...
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