MOUNT VERNON — Knox County farmers are among the more than 3,000 producers protecting Ohio’s water quality through the H2Ohio nutrient management program.
Gov. Mike DeWine launched the initiative in 2019. The catalyst was the harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie caused by phosphorus runoff from farm fertilizer and manure.
H2Ohio started in the Western Lake Erie Basin in northwest Ohio. In April, DeWine expanded it to all counties.
“When they obtained money for the Western Lake Erie Basin, they had to promise roll it out statewide,” Rob Clendenning, director of the Knox Soil and Water Conservation District, said. “This is the third stage to include the Ohio River basin.”
The goal was to enroll 500,000 acres outside the WLEB, allotted between counties. Twenty counties did not apply, so others enrolled the unused acres.
“Some of those counties don’t do row crops,” Clendenning explained.
Knox County farmers enrolled 16,000 acres. The incentive to join the nutrient management program is $10 per acre.
Farmers will develop and implement a Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan (VNMP).
“They look at farmers’ yield goals, soil test values, and fertilizer application programs. They try to put together a plan that balances those three things,” Clendenning explained.
“Once plans are developed, we think we will have the opportunity to enroll for additional incentives.”
The plans cover two years.
“If the soil tests show phosphorus is higher than the suggested maintenance range, we’ll recommend they try and draw down (use up) the nutrients in the soil,” Clendenning said.
KCSWCD staff have 26 plans to write, which includes customizing maps.
“That gets to be kind of a long process,” Clendenning said. “Our goal is to have the plans written by December.”
Twenty-four of the farmers enrolled are planting winter wheat, which is planted in the fall.
About H2Ohio
Knox County’s 16,000 acres increase statewide enrollment to more than 2.2 million.
“Since the very beginning of H2Ohio, farmers have shown that they are dedicated to our mission and that they want to be part of the solution for better water quality,” DeWine said in a press release earlier this month.
“… it was important to expand on this progress and offer the program to farmers in the rest of the state.”
“Time and time again, Ohio farmers continue to demonstrate their dedication to conserving our most precious resource,” said ODA Director Brian Baldridge. “To provide quality and quantity crop yields to feed Ohio’s families, farmers must have healthy soil and clean water.
“H2Ohio is directly connected to that effort, and we are thrilled to see the tremendous support from producers across the rest of the state.”
In addition to the Lake Erie algae blooms, Ohio’s water problems include lead contamination from old water pipes and fixtures. Failing drinking water, wastewater, and home sewage treatment systems due to aging infrastructure are also issues.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and The Ohio Department of Natural Resources are working with the ODA to improve water quality by creating wetlands and access to clean drinking water and quality sewer systems.
The WLEB covers portions of Indiana and Michigan. Those states are also undertaking efforts to improve water quality.
