Advocates urge restoration of H2Ohio funding to sustain wetlands, nutrient-reduction work

Advocates for wetlands, water quality and farm conservation urged the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday to restore full funding for H2Ohio, the state program that pays for wetlands, tile‑drain and nutrient‑management practices meant to reduce the phosphorus and nitrogen that fuel harmful algal blooms.

H2Ohio sponsors and scientists told the panel that the program is producing measurable improvements but that the work is not yet mature enough to survive steep budget cuts.

"Water quality issues related to harmful algal blooms ... have ramped up considerably over the past few decades," said Dr. Steven Jackman, a professor of water quality at Wright State Lake Campus, who testified for the Grand Lake St. Mary's Restoration Commission. "Water quality can be improved and real benefits can be realized," he added, but only with continued investment.

Committee members heard a series of examples from county restoration leaders, university researchers and nonprofit conservation groups showing how H2Ohio funds are used: to build and monitor constructed wetlands that filter nutrients, to cost‑share conservation practices on farmland, to support dredging and wetland design, and to leverage federal grants and private donations.

"H2Ohio has been the first program to provide the most meaningful and consistent funding for the greatest variety of practices that improve water quality," said Theresa Dirkson, Mercer County agricultural and natural resources…