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ODA announces statewide H2Ohio conservation ditch program

By
Ohio Department of Agriculture, Press Release

As part of Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) announces $5 million available in grants for a statewide conservation ditch program.

Ohio county engineers and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are eligible to apply for funding to construct two-stage and self-forming ditches.

“We are continuously improving and expanding our H2Ohio practices to reach our water quality goals,” said ODA Director Brian Baldridge. “Conservation ditches play an important role in improving Ohio’s waterways right at the edge of the field.”

ODA’s Conservation Ditch program is an expansion of last year’s Two-Stage Ditch program that reserved $4 million for 11 ditch projects in Northwest Ohio. More than 16,500 acres of watershed will benefit from the 8 miles of conservation ditch projects, which will be completed by the end of 2024. Projects approved in this year’s sign-up will have until the end of 2025 to be completed.

Conservation ditches provide environmental benefits and improve water quality by slowing water flow, processing nutrients and removing sediment.
Applications must be submitted by Oct. 31, 2023, via email to Justin.McBride@agri.ohio.gov.

H2Ohio is Governor DeWine’s initiative to ensure safe and clean water in Ohio. It is a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving water quality over the long term. It is a collaboration between ODA, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the Ohio EPA. H2Ohio focuses on encouraging agricultural best management practices, restoring wetlands, and improving water infrastructure to reduce nutrients that contribute to harmful algal blooms.

For more information on the H2Ohio initiative, please visit h2.ohio.gov.