REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently hosted a discussion around water conservation with agricultural leaders from Indiana and Michigan to focus on improving water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB).

ODA Director Brian Baldridge joined Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Dr. Tim Boring for a Tri-State Water Quality meeting to explore opportunities for collaboration.

The Western Lake Erie Basin watershed is shared among the three states, covering nearly 7 million acres of land.

“Our priority in this conversation was water quality from the agricultural mindset,” Baldridge said. “To know that when it comes to agriculture and when it comes to water quality in these issues there are no state lines. 

“We in the ag community are in this together. Doing best practices and finding out what our friends and neighbors to the north and to the west are doing is key for all of us in doing the best we can when it comes to water quality,” he said.

Ohio is fortunate to have the support of the governor and the legislature with the H2Ohio program, Baldridge explained. The agency’s part of the initiative reduces phosphorous runoff by incentivizing farmers to implement proven, scientific Best Management Practices (BMP).

Indiana and Michigan are also doing monitoring, cover crops, and other types of programs. Their farmers are participating in various USDA NRCS programs and doing a variety of different things.

“It was really great to pull those together in discussion and compare notes as to what each of us is doing,” Baldridge said. Some of the questions that we looked at were, how can we gather the data on some of the practices, even if they’re not the same practices, to help show the great work that the agricultural community is doing to protect water quality.”

When the ag community as a whole starts talking about precision application of nutrients, whether it’s right time, right place, right amount, right location, those are all of those things that are best practices in general, Baldridge said. 

There was a lot of discussion about that data that is being gathered and being able to model what that looks like,” Baldridge said. 

“I was really energized by being part of my colleagues,” Baldridge said. “It is unique that all of us are at that one-year mark or just under so we have all been in our roles as directors in our three states for about the same amount of time. So we have had an opportunity to build relationships, really setting down around the table and having a deep dive into water quality and what we’re all doing and there will be continued conversations.”

Baldridge also pointed out that it was not only the three directors in attendance but also their core leadership teams involved in water quality were there. It was an opportunity for them to build relationships across our state lines as well.

Collaboration is key to soil conservation success, especially where all three state”’ watersheds feed into the same body of water,” said Lamb. “This meeting brought to light ways we can work together to increase soil conservation efforts while ensuing practices installed are economical for farmers. I am looking forward to future successful partnerships between our states and landowners.”

“Improving water quality is among our highest priorities in Michigan. We’re committed to advancing the science, expanding monitoring activities, and leveraging new approaches such as a focus on soil health,” said Boring, MDARD Director. “These are big complex issues, making collaboration and information exchange all that much more important.”

Finally, Baldridge said: “We are here to be part of the solution. The ag community will continue to grow the H2Ohio program which we know makes a difference with water quality. So we keep going in a positive direction and we continue to grow our acres (in that initiative).

Future meetings are being planned among the states to address additional topics and continued collaborations.