By 1808Delaware
In 2019, Governor Mike DeWine unveiled the H2Ohio Plan, an effort aimed at providing clean and safe water to all residents of Ohio.
One of the several component projects of that effort is in northern Delaware County.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the Ohio Environmental Project Agency are all playing as part in this collaborative effort. Each has a significant role in H2Ohio through the natural infrastructure of wetlands, a reduction in nutrient runoff, and increasing access to clear drinking water and quality sewer systems.This includes reducing phosphorus runoff and preventing algal blooms through implementing agricultural best practices and by creating new wetlands, improving wastewater infrastructure, replacing outdated home septic systems, and preventing lead contamination in daycare centers and schools.
Locally, work is being undertaken on the Delaware Wildlife Area O’Donnell Treatment Train. According to ODNR:
“This project has two components: The first will convert 46 acres of cropland to a wetland which will accept drainage from adjacent cropland. The second will convert 18 acres of upland to a wetland. These two wetlands will add on to two existing wetlands to form a four-cell wetland treatment train in which water pumped from Delaware Lake will pass through all four wetland cells before returning back to Delaware Lake.”
The local partner on the project is Ducks Unlimited.
ODNR Director Mary Mertz said, “The support and assistance of our partners allows us to extend the momentum of H2Ohio and strengthen its impact across the state.”
