Tag: H2Ohio

Near the end of the legislative session, Dec. 17, House Bill 7 passed its final vote. As the state approaches the end of the H2Ohio program’s first year, supporters say the bill will create more infrastructure for monitoring and managing those efforts. The bill establishes a State Watershed Planning and Management Program.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources's new Water Quality Incentive Program, part of the H2Ohio initiative, will encourage farmers to take cropland out of production and establish conservation practices.

COVID-19 certainly hasn’t helped water quality work this year, but it hasn’t stopped it, either. Despite budget cuts and social distancing challenges, researchers have still been collecting and testing water samples in and around the lake. But despite a smaller bloom this year, more work is needed to achieve water quality targets.

The H2Ohio program is continuing to face budget challenges due to the pandemic. In the mean time, researchers say solving Lake Erie’s water quality problems will require long-term investments and work to reduce nutrient runoff. And some are suggesting that phosphorus built up in soil, rather than phosphorus from new fertilizer applications, might play a bigger role in those problems than previously thought.

Despite major budget cuts across state agencies, the Ohio Department of Agriculture will have $50 million available for Ohio farmers to improve conservation practices this year, through the H2Ohio initiative.

Between unexpectedly high sign-up numbers, and COVID-19-related budget issues, it appears the H2Ohio funding set aside for farmers this year could shrink.

On March 30, the application deadline for farmers for the H2Ohio program moved back to its original March 31 date, walking back a COVID-19 deadline change.

The deadline for farmers to apply for the H2Ohio program has been extended to June 2, in response to Gov. DeWine's orders regarding COVID-19.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture said farmers will be able to apply for H2Ohio funds to help reduce phosphorus runoff from their farms beginning Feb. 1.

H2Ohio, Ohio's water quality plan, is meant to help Lake Erie and farmers, Gov. Mike DeWine said as he kicked off the Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting.