Agricultural Nutrients and Water Quality
"ODNR’s mission is to ensure a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all." - ODNR Director James Zehringer
ODNR, ODA and OEPA Water Quality Recommendations
Lake Erie is a valuable natural resource to the state of Ohio as well as a driving force for economic development. Lake Erie has an $800 million sport fishery and a $10 billion tourist industry. Over the past several years, there has been an increased concern in the occurrence of harmful algal blooms. While agricultural nutrients, and specifically, dissolved phosphorous, are not the only cause of harmful algal blooms, they are a contributing factor. Therefore, the Governor instructed the directors of Natural Resources, Agriculture and OEPA convene the Directors’ Agricultural Nutrients and Water Quality Working Group to identify the best ways to address agricultural nutrient loading in Ohio’s water bodies.
Recommendations include ways to reduce excess agricultural nutrients from affecting or entering the western basin of Lake Erie.
http://ohiodnr.com/portals/12/docs/waterqualityreport.pdf
Ohio’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Programs
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/8867/Default.aspx
http://ohiodnr.com/?TabId=23450
Agriculture Pollution Abatement Program, APAP
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/8856/Default.aspx
Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Nutrients and Water Quality
Director Zehringer
While Director of Agriculture, he worked with the Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources to develop local solutions to problems impacting Grand Lake St. Marys and to establish the Ag Nutrients Working Group to examine ways to reduce phosphorus from agricultural sources that impact Ohio’s waterways.
http://www.agri.ohio.gov/topnews/waterquality/
Lake Erie Phosphorus Task Force
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/lakeerie/ptaskforce/index.aspx
Ohio EPA
Harmful Algal Bloom Response Strategy
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/HAB.aspx
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/portals/47/nr/2011/december/NutrientStrategy2011.pdf
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/portals/35/documents/ohio_nutrient_reduction_strategy.pdf
Ohio Watershed Network
http://ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/