Over the past year, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has started to develop a TMDL for the Maumee River watershed to address algal blooms and the sources of nutrients that attribute to those blooms.
A TMDL, or Total Maximum Daily Load, determines the maximum amount of a given pollutant that can be discharged into a body of water and still allow that water body to meet its water quality goals. One such TMDL is being put together right now by Ohio EPA for a big chunk of northwest Ohio, the Maumee River watershed. On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn more about how TMDLs work and what this new one could mean for Ohio agriculture.
00:00 – Joshua Griffin, Ohio EPA environmental specialist, talks about Ohio’s newest TMDL, the development process and impacts on northwest Ohio.
16:50 – Ohio Farm Bureau’s Sr. Director of Policy Development & Environmental Policy, Dr. Larry Antosch, talks about Farm Bureau’s involvement in the TMDL process and the organization’s overall policy on TMDLs.
23:50 – “To the Beat of Agriculture,” hear from the COO of a family farm in Jeffersonville. Learn about his sister, Gail Betterly and the incredible gift of a Nationwide life insurance policy she left for the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation after her passing.
32:20 – Nothing says “I love you” like a prenuptial agreement, but they are becoming an important piece of farm plans. Ryan Conklin, an attorney with Wright and Moore, explains why he is seeing more of these agreements put in place before the knot is tied.
42:20 – The Farm to School program through Ohio State University Extension has been working with farmers, collaborating with community leaders and connecting students with local food and nutrition education for decades. Farm to School’s program assistant Haley Scott explains what the program is all about.
Funding is now available from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Ohio to help Western Lake Erie Basin producers implement conservation practices on their land. Apply by Dec. 8 to be eligible for the first round of funding.
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After decades of decline, how did the community pull together to push Grand Lake St. Marys in the right direction?
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The plan establishes a total maximum daily load for phosphorus for the Maumee River Watershed.
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Gary Mescher and other farmers have not only learned, but implemented Nutrient Management Plan practices that now serve as models for how to manage agricultural runoff in the Western Lake Erie Basin.
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ODA and SWCD are hosting a series of informational meetings for farmers to learn about H2Ohio incentives, the Ohio Agriculture Conservation Initiative, best management practices and open enrollment.
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The comprehensive study found that water quality has improved tremendously over the years, with 86% of the state’s large rivers in good to excellent condition compared to just 18% in the 1980s.
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The TMDL would create a blueprint for officials to develop and implement programs and policies to improve the quality of water within the designated area.
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The 2023 algal bloom is expected to have a low severity index of 3, according to the final NOAA forecast.
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The report highlights how the improvement of nutrient management in Grand Lake St. Marys is promising for what can be accomplished in other areas of Ohio.
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This edition explores the challenges faced by Ohio agriculture due to changing weather patterns and climate.
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