ODNR AWARDS MORE THAN $192,000 TO SUPPORT WATERSHED PROTECTION
IN NORTHEASTERN OHIO
COLUMBUS, OH - Chagrin River Watershed Partners of Lake County recently received a $192,000 watershed coordinator grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
The grant supports a watershed coordinator position for the river group, which formed in 1996 to provide technical advice and assistance to member communities on ways to minimize flooding, erosion and water quality problems in land areas drained by the Chagrin River. Portions of the Chagrin are designated as a state “scenic” river.
“Watershed coordinators play an important role in preserving and protecting Ohio's most vital streams and lakes,” said David Hanselmann, chief of the ODNR Division of Soil & Water Conservation. “They build public ownership of watershed protection across the state.”
The watershed group receives a total of $192,000 over the next six years to cover salary for a watershed coordinator. Watershed coordinators perform public outreach and lead their communities in the creation of watershed action plans, with the goal of bringing all waters within their area into compliance with accepted water quality standards. They also identify areas where the water quality is excellent, and work with local residents to raise awareness of these areas and formulate protection strategies.
Increasing urbanization and the runoff that is a by-product of that growth pose a threat to the Chagrin River. And the watershed group aims to address that threat, and others identified in its watershed inventory, with coordinated action.
Funding for Ohio’s watershed coordinator grants comes from Clean Water Act money, administered by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and state general revenue. This partnership offers operational support to 30 local programs around the state. Grants were awarded on a competitive basis.