COLUMBUS, OH -- Fourteen grants have been awarded to soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) across Ohio to spur awareness of how nonpoint source pollution impacts local watersheds. The $20,798 in state mini-grants, when combined with local matching funds, will generate a total investment of more than $52,000 towards watershed awareness programs.
"We have made significant strides in reducing pollution from sources such as factories, refineries and sewage plants. But now it is the actions of everyday citizens that are the number one source of pollution afflicting our lakes and streams," said Larry Vance, chief of the ODNR Division of Soil & Water Conservation. "Every spilt quart of used motor oil and every over-application of lawn fertilizer or garden insecticide contributes to the needless contamination of our public waters."
The consequence of this negligent behavior is the excessive growth of algae and aquatic weeds, oxygen reduction in waters, increases in sedimentation, and higher levels of pathogens that can lead to closed beaches, expensive dredging activities and loss of wildlife.
Administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Soil & Water Conservation, mini-grants are awarded for as much as $1,000 for individual SWCD projects and up to $5,000 for activities involving multiple conservation districts. The grants are issued twice each year.
Funded projects include educator workshops, student field days and water festivals, watershed awareness initiatives and programs targeting landowners and the general public.
Called nonpoint source pollution since it comes from no one discernible spot, these pollutants come from a variety of sources such as: eroded sediments from bare farm fields and construction sites; improper disposal of used oil and chemicals into storm drains; runoff from roads and parking lots; and contaminants from litter, pet waste and malfunctioning on-site septic systems.
Since 1997, more than 140 projects totaling more than $138,000 have been funded by mini-grants in 70 of Ohio's counties to promote watershed protection.