By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

LEBANON, Ohio — Earlier this spring, Gov. Mike DeWine rolled out his H2Ohio water quality initiative, which he introduced as part of his proposed budget for the 2020-21 biennium. Water quality concerns and public outcry has prompted him to take immediate action.

“Water is vital to everyone, yet communities throughout the state face these real and different challenges,” DeWine said. “We cannot continue to lurch from water crisis to water crisis. This initiative will allow us to invest in targeted, long-term solutions to ensure safe and clean water across our state.”

The H2Ohio initiative will be used to protect the state’s water quality over 10 years and amount to approximately $900 million. Rather than borrow to pay to fix water issues, DeWine will created a special account where funds will be used specifically for water quality.

There are water conservation districts in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. One group helping with this water conservancy effort is the Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), which held its 75th annual meeting last month.

“This is our county’s 75th anniversary of existence, and the water conservation strategies in this county are ongoing and have been since 1944,” said Roy Miller, chair of the Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District. “The H2Ohio initiative is a new tactic to address many of the water quality issues, like the algae blooms in Grand Lake St. Marys and even on the Ohio River.”

While H2Ohio proposes a new slogan and new fight against poor water conditions, Miller said the efforts have been going on for some time.

“This is a new effort to address these hot-button issues pertaining to our water issues, and rightly so there’s been a lot of public outcry about our water quality here in the state,” he explained. “Seventy-five years ago the issues facing our water was soil erosion and the great Dust Bowl. Things have certainly changed over the years.”

This three-part H2Ohio initiative will include prevention and land-based management programs, such as funding efforts to minimize the introduction of nutrients and other runoff into Ohio’s waterways. Additional staffing at SWCDs are likely, and more aggressive action will be taken to address failing septic tanks.

It also includes restoration programs, such as the creation of more wetlands in targeted areas to naturally filter out nutrients and sediment, and to treat polluted water. Third, science, research and measurement will occur – this includes supporting ongoing research and data collection to advise on metrics and measureable goals, and to stay updated on and use new prevention and treatment technologies.

“We have so much to appreciate,” DeWine said. “We are faced with some significant challenges here. We need to support and expand efforts that are working to preserve and protect our state’s natural wonders, from Lake Erie to all our lakes and rivers.”

Ohio has 60,000 miles of rivers and streams, 430,000 acres of wetlands, and 125,000 lakes, reservoirs, and ponds.

Award winners

Those receiving awards at this year’s Warren County celebration were Harry Schoellman, Anne Schipper, and Eric B. Partee.

Schipper, Educator of the Year in the county, teaches AP Environmental Science at Kings High School. She started environmental clubs at her church and her children’s schools. In both cases, she started facility recycling programs and focuses on environmental education.

Schoellman Farms was honored as Cooperator of the Year. The Schoellmans have been established since 1954 and are big on implementing conservation practices on their farm. The family tends to corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay on 500 acres, as well as caring for 50 head of beef cattle. They are the last owned and operated dairy farm in Warren County.

Partee, Conservationist of the Year, is executive director of the nonprofit river conservation organization Little Miami Conservancy (LMC) FKA Little Miami, Inc. He also held the position of River Basin Planner with the Ohio River Basin Commission from 1974-81.

In his position with the LMC, he has actively promoted the restoration and protection of the river ecosystem of the Little Miami National Wild & Scenic River, a 105-mile river in southwestern Ohio.