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Watershed Action Planning and Implementation in Ohio
The Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grant Program began a decade ago as a result of the collaboration of several partners including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Ohio Environmental Council, and others. Their goal was to advance watershed management in Ohio by fostering a new type of natural resources professional whose job it is to focus and magnify the energies and resources of many to solve difficult water resource issues on a watershed basis. The grant program provides three or four year grants; four year grants are available to coordinate development of a local watershed action plan that meets Ohio endorsement criteria. Once a watershed action plan is endorsed, a 3-year grant may be awarded to coordinate the implementation of the plan.
Sixty-seven grants have been awarded during the first decade of this program. In that time, over 50 watershed action plans have received state endorsement, and over $80,000,000 has been leveraged by watershed coordinators to implement watershed action plans...an 800% return on the state and federal investment in the program.
Watershed coordinators ensure all the people, organizations, and agencies that need to talk to each other are invited to watershed discussions. They work with these stakeholders to collect the important scientific data, analyze the information and communicate the status of their watershed to all those involved. They help the community make decisions about the best ways of improving and protecting local water resources. Finally, watershed coordinators do whatever is necessary to promote implementation of the watershed action plan. This may entail writing grant applications, reaching out to decision-makers, educating key constituencies, or even knocking on doors to talk to individual watershed residents.
Watershed coordinators have worked with thousands of stakeholders across Ohio to implement projects on every kind of landscape. They help farmers install filter-strips, change tillage practices, apply fertilizer more efficiently, and adopt a myriad of other "best management practices" to prevent polluted runoff. Watershed coordinators help communities in urban watersheds restore and protect wetlands and floodplains, which naturally prevent flooding, protect stream habitat, and filter pollutants from the water.
Whether the job is to remove an abandoned dam impeding the natural flow of water, help fish return to streams written off as forever dead from coal mine drainage, or transform a city stream from an eyesore into an attractive and valuable asset, watershed coordinators are forging relationships and finding creative ways to get the job done.
Because of their work, Ohio is regarded as a national leader in this field, and countless connections and opportunities have been created that would not have otherwise occurred to benefit Ohio waters and communities. Most importantly, the idea of comprehensive watershed management has taken root in Ohio...we can work together to ensure clean, healthy water.
To learn more about the Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grant Program or contact a local watershed coordinator, please visit the following Web site: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/soilandwater/water/watershedprograms/default/tabid/9192/Default.aspx
You may also contact Greg Nageotte, Watershed Program Manager, at 614-265-6619, or by email at greg.nageotte@dnr.state.oh.us.
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