On July 27, 2021, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that $5 million in grants is now available for local wetland restoration projects aimed at improving water quality and wildlife habitat in the Ohio River Basin.
H2Ohio is Governor DeWine’s initiative to ensure safe and clean water in Ohio. It is a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving water quality over the long-term. H2Ohio focuses on restoring and enhancing wetlands, encouraging agricultural best management practices and replacing home septic systems to reduce nutrients that contribute to harmful algal blooms.
Wetlands help improve water quality by trapping, filtering, and removing excess pollutants and nutrients, such as phosphorus, from the water before they flow into waterways and contribute to harmful algal blooms. Right now, there are nearly 60 H2Ohio wetland projects underway or complete.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is administering the Ohio River Basin H2Ohio Wetland Grant Program as part of Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative. The program is funded as part of Ohio’s 2022-2023 budget which the Ohio General Assembly passed and Governor DeWine signed earlier this summer.
The Ohio River Basin H2Ohio Wetland Grant Program is a competitive, reimbursement grant program that provides up to $500,000 per project for wetland projects that address nutrient loading and contribute to water quality improvement. Eligible projects include wetland creation, wetland restoration on hydric soils, and existing wetland and floodplain water quality enhancements.
The deadline to apply is September 30, 2021.
Photo of covered bridge in Ohio by LRuss from Pixabay.