NEWS

Group seeks millions to protect Ohio’s water

Daniel Carson
Reporter

COLUMBUS — A statewide coalition of farmers, environmentalists and business leaders put out an ambitious plan Thursday to protect Ohio’s water sources, with proposals that include a public and privately funded Ohio Water Trust and boosting public awareness on water quality issues.

Healthy Water Ohio began its work on the plan in November 2013, with a goal of identifying needs and finding funding sources to protect the state’s rivers, streams and lakes for future generations.

The plan’s release comes as cities along the Lake Erie coast are keeping a close eye on the lake’s toxin levels after drinking water scares. Charter boat captains in Ottawa County and other Lake Erie coastal areas and a wide swath of regional tourism-linked businesses have felt the hit this summer from prominent algal blooms along the coastline.

The coalition’s plan calls for funding of $250 million annually through the creation of a public-private Ohio Water Trust. A portion of the trust funding would be accrued through the sale of state bonds, according to the group.

“We are suggesting $250 million to put a dent in this issue,” said Josh Knights, executive director of the Nature Conservancy in Ohio and a Healthy Water Ohio member.

That money would be spent on areas such as water quality monitoring, research and long-term improvements on water-related infrastructure and education efforts

Dave Spangler, an Oak Harbor charter boat captain, gave a presentation to Healthy Water Ohio members about the effect of water quality problems in Lake Erie.

Spangler said he was not opposed to the creation of a trust fund, but he said he wanted to see some of the money.

“I’m a little concerned with doing the same thing over and over,” Spangler said, stressing that he hoped a sizable chunk of any funding generated by the coalition would go toward industries such as his that had suffered disproportionate economic damage.

Spangler also hoped charter boat fishermen and other impacted businesses could get some relief through low-interest or no-interest loans.

“That’s not available to any of the small business people,” he said.

He mentioned a Port Clinton fish cleaner he knew as one example of a business that had lost several thousand dollars because of reduced fishing activity.

The Healthy Water Ohio coalition received input from more than 200 individuals and organizations with diversified interests in Ohio water, according to the group. Its 16-member steering committee represents conservation, business, universities, water suppliers, agriculture, human health and members of the public.

Other parts of the plan released Thursday include establishing a formal Ohio water research group, emphasizing the value of Ohio’s existing watershed districts, recommending voluntary water quality and quantity management practices for agriculture, and advocating for improved coordination among government agencies.

Fremont farmer Roger Wise, past president of Ohio Farmers Union, said he was not opposed to the basic idea of the trust fund’s creation or making additional efforts to strengthen the state’s waterways. He had not had a chance to read the report.

The projected $250 million in annual funding for the trust fund could come from water quality trades, agriculture and business funding, government bond sales, water user fees, a portion of boating and fishing license fees, philanthropic contributions, and other sources, according to the group.

Wise said the coalition, if it is able to generate significant funding, needed to make sure user fees are applied fairly and across the board.

He said the Farmers Union felt there should be more targeting, in terms of water quality improvement efforts, of areas such as Northeast Ohio, because of fracking, and the Western Lake Erie Basin, which contends with agricultural runoff.

Wise said the elephant in the room for the lake’s water quality issues was the phosphorus present in the Maumee River Watershed. He said he thought there needed to be firmly established and regulated goals and benchmarks for phosphorus reduction in place.

“Lake Erie has demonstrated that voluntary has not been a good way to keep the problem from occurring,” Wise said.

Larry Fletcher, executive director of Lake Erie Shores & Islands, said in a Healthy Water Ohio release that clean water was critical to the well-being of Ohio’s residents and also to the nearly 200 million visitors the state welcomes each year.

Fletcher said those visitors generate annual spending of $31 billion and $5.8 billion in taxes, and the businesses they support employ more than 400,000 employees.

“The Healthy Water Ohio report creates a road map that will keep the necessary focus on efforts to protect Ohio’s water resources,” Fletcher said.

The plan is available at www.HealthyWaterOhio,org.

dacarson@gannett.com

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