Ohio's Western Lake Erie Watershed Project

A Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

CREP is a local, state, federal, and private partnership to reduce sediment pollution in Lake Erie and its watersheds by installing 67,000 acres of:

• filter strips,
• riparian buffers,
• wetland restoration,
• hardwood tree plantings,
• wildlife habitat, and
• field windbreaks

CREP ABSTRACT

The Ohio Lake Erie CREP is a Local, State, Federal, and Private Partnership to Create 67,000 Acres of Riparian Area and Upland Practices to Reduce Sediment Pollution in Lake Erie and its Watersheds

Project Area: The Western Lake Erie Watershed is defined as the land draining into the U.S. portion of Western Lake Erie. It encompasses the following major watersheds: Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky River, Huron River, Vermilion River, Black River, and the Lake Erie Direct Drainage.

Summary of Existing Conditions: Lake Erie is divided into 3 basins -- Western, Central, and Eastern -- with the Western being the shallowest, at <25 feet of depth, and the smallest. Since the Western Basin is so shallow, it is readily affected by pollution from watershed activities.

The Western Lake Erie Watershed is intensively cultivated and land use is approximately 85 percent cropland. Because of the large numbers of intensively cropped acres, this watershed transports much higher sediment than other agricultural watersheds of similar size.

Project Description: The project will improve water quality by reducing sediment pollution and field runoff through installation of filter strips, riparian buffers, wetlands, hardwood tress, wildlife habitat, marginal pastureland buffer/wetlands, filter recharge and escarpment practices, protecting rare and declining habitat with oak savannahs and field windbreaks. The improved water quality will enhance terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat, especially for federally listed/candidates for the endangered species list.

Eligible producers will receive a payment based on 225 percent of the base annual soil rental rate from USDA for riparian buffers, hardwood tree planting, rare and declining habitat and field windbreaks.

USDA will pay 155 percent of the base annual soil rental rate payment for cool season grass plantings on filter strips, escarpment/recharge filters and wildlife habitat. USDA will pay 175 percent of the base soil rental rate payment for warm season grass plantings on filter strips, escarpment/recharge filters, and wildlife habitat. Also USDA will pay 200 percent of the base annual soil rental rate payment for wetlands.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), in exchange for a voluntary 15-year contract extension on riparian buffers, tree plantings, and wetland restorations, will pay a one time $500 bonus incentive payment per acre.

Wetland restorations are limited to a $5,000 maximum bonus payment per FSA tract. ODNR will pay a one time bonus incentive payment of $100 per acre as a tree planting bonus on all tree type practices (field windbreaks/riparian buffers/hardwood).

ODNR will pay up to an additional $40 per acre bonus incentive payment for installation of warm season grasses; up to an additional $500 bonus incentive payment for wetland restoration in exchange for a 15-year contract extension.

Riparian Buffers may be offered up to a 180' width, tree planting and wildlife habitat may be offered up to a 150’ width, filter strips may be enrolled at a 120’ width along watercourses and up to a 300’ width on alluvial floodplain soils.

Field windbreaks and wetland restorations may be installed on suitable sites throughout the watershed. All practices must be enrolled in CRP for a minimum of 15 years.

Project Area: The goal is to enroll 67,000 acres along watercourses and suitable sites within the Western Lake Erie Watershed (approximately 600,000 acres are eligible for enrollment).

The Ohio counties affected are: Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Lorain, Marion, Medina, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, and Wyandot.

Up to 22.5% of the State cash ($450,000 annually/$4,500,000 over 10 years) would be provided for technical assistance, project coordination, and cover project related expenses for implementation, marketing, and monitoring.

* CRP-SIP (Signing Incentice Payment) is a one-time payment up to $150 and the PIP (Practice Incentive Payment) is a one-time payment equal to 40% of the eligible cost-share.
Incentives are subject to availability.