(COLUMBUS, Ohio) (7-28-22) —Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz today announced plans for more than two dozen new H2Ohio wetland projects to naturally improve water quality across Ohio. 

Governor DeWine

“Our water is such an incredibly valuable resource, and building and restoring wetlands brings us closer to having cleaner water throughout the state. We are making great strides through the work of H2Ohio, and I look forward to seeing even more progress in the years to come.”

Twenty-five new wetland projects will soon launch in 22 counties including Allen, Athens, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Franklin, Henry (2), Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Mercer (Coldwater Wetland Park), Montgomery, Ottawa, Pickaway, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Summit (3), Wayne, and Wyandot. The projects will be funded through ODNR’s $25 million H2Ohio allocation in the current state operating budget. 

Wetlands help improve water quality by trapping, filtering, and removing excess pollutants and nutrients, like phosphorus, from the water before the materials flow into waterways and contribute to harmful algal blooms. So far, ODNR has completed or restored 23 wetlands in Ohio. The 25 new wetlands announced today bring the total number of projects underway or complete to 113.

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