After years of restoration work in the Maumee Area of Concern, EPA officially approved removing the Beach Closings Beneficial Use Impairment designation in September 2026. BUIs are measures of environmental degradation and this removal marks a major sign of progress. With this removal, Ohio has now restored half of their original ten BUIs in the Maumee AOC.
After monitoring and observing beach advisory trends for the last five years, partners in the AOC found that the water quality is improving. Officials determined that some of the bacteria issues came from waterfowl, including at the inland beach at Maumee Bay State Park. To address this, partners completed a project to discourage waterfowl from gathering along the public beach. Partners also used Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to help trap sediment, nutrients, and bacteria before they reach Maumee Bay by widening ditches and restoring streams.
The Maumee Area of Concern is one of the largest AOCs in the United States, covering 787 square miles in northwest Ohio, including 1,900 miles of streams and 45 miles of Lake Erie shoreline. To date, EPA and partners have completed 42 of 53 planned management actions in the Maumee Area of Concern, including the removal of more than 300,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and the restoration of more than 3,500 acres of habitat.
To learn more, read the full press release on the Ohio Lake Erie Commission’s website: Maumee Area of Concern Shows Improvement