Ohio

In September, EPA approved the removal of the Beach Closings Beneficial Use Impairment from the Maumee Area of Concern. BUIs are measures of environmental degradation and this removal marks a major sign of progress in restoring this AOC in Ohio.

On September 17, representatives from EPA, Ohio EPA, and other local groups celebrated the completion of a $500,000 GLRI project in the Maumee Area of Concern. The project restored approximately 600 linear feet of riparian area and stream reach.

The Lake Erie Community Grant program is now accepting applications for projects that will help restore the Lake Erie watershed and advance GLRI priorities. This round will offer grants between $150,000 and $350,000.

On June 30, 2026, EPA removed the final BUI after determining, in coordination with the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, Ohio EPA, and the Black River Community Advisory Council, that the established restoration targets and removal conditions had been met.

On August 12, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency along with state and local partners announced three projects totaling more than $37.6 million in funding to support continued restoration and remediation efforts in the Maumee Area of Concern in Northwest Ohio.

In early March, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began the second year of its cleanup project on the Cuyahoga River in Gorge Metro Park. Throughout the duration of the project, EPA expects to remove more than 850,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the river.

In Lima, Ohio, researchers at The Ohio State University are testing an innovative water retention system to passively treat runoff before recycling the water back onto the field to irrigate crops.

A GLRI demonstration project is testing the potential for cell lysis technology to protect water quality by lowering the phosphorus content of manure.

The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Lenawee County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Regents of the University of Michigan will receive $3,712,124 in grants funded under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. By providing technical assistance and outreach to farmers, these organizations will help reduce the amount of nutrient runoff entering Lake Erie resulting in harmful algal blooms.

March 2025 - Federal, state, and local agencies celebrate significant progress in Lake Erie’s shoreline expansion through the implementation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program and support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.