H2Ohio Regional Watershed Program

H2Ohio is Governor Mike 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. It is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). H2Ohio focuses on encouraging agricultural best management practices, restoring wetlands, and replacing home septic systems to reduce nutrients that contribute to harmful algal blooms.

House Bill 7, which was passed by the General Assembly in April 2021, created a statewide watershed planning and management program to be administered by ODA to improve and protect the state’s watersheds. ODA’s Division of Soil and Water Conservation oversees the Watershed Program which provides watershed planning across the entire state, with a dedicated manager for each of seven regions. The program considers all water quality issues within each region, with special attention given to nutrient loss from both agricultural and non-agricultural activities. This program offers long-term collaborative support and focuses on water quality for the future. Click “Visualize” to view the dashboard.