Mailing Address:
Division of Soil & Water Resources
2045 Morse Rd
Building B-3
Columbus, OH 43229
Phone (614) 265-6610
FAX: (614) 262-2064

Location Map

Contacts

For general information about the Division of Soil & Water Resources, e-mail your questions here.

OHIO WATERSHED PROGRAM

Ohio Watershed Action Plans Go to interactive map of watershed action plan status.
Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grants Go to interactive map of watershed coordinator grant status and coordinator contacts.

2009 Annual Report Now Available Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grant Program
“Educating citizens about watersheds is crucial. Considering the major role that water plays in the lives of every Ohioan, continuing to support watershed partnerships and their coordinators should be a priority for the state”   - Karen Chapman, Regional Director, Environmental Defense Fund   Download 2009 Report Now (1.3 megabyte PDF)

Watershed Action Planning and Implementation

Watershed coordinators across Ohio work with diverse partnerships of stakeholders to develop and implement watershed action plans (WAPs), which are reviewed and endorsed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) Division of Surface Water.

The goal of each plan is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of water resources within the watershed. Implementation of these plans can include:

• targeting of “best management practices”;
• installation of restoration projects such as dam removal and stream restoration;
• upgrading local land use policies; and/or
• protection of high quality resources through easement purchase and other voluntary set-aside programs.

Because all implementation occurs locally, without mandate or regulation, another essential element to watershed action plan implementation is employment of a well-coordinated education and outreach campaign.

If you have any questions about developing a watershed plan, ODNR, Ohio EPA, and OSU Extension are willing to assist you. Contact: Greg Nageotte (614) 265-6619, Matt Adkins (419) 609-4102, or Constance White (614) 581-5954.

Here are some helpful sites:

• A Guide to Developing Local Watershed Action Plans in Ohio (1.4 MB pdf)
• Appendix 8 Update  (244 KB pdf)
• Appendix 8 WAP Review Checklist (84 KB pdf)
• USEPA Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans...(Web Page)
• State Endorsed WAPs ( Browse our FTP list of files)
• Soil & Watersheds (Web Page)

Estimating Load Reductions For Agricultural and Urban BMPs

• Load Reduction Spreadsheet v2.2 (76 KB Microsoft Excel File 2004 or newer)
• Region 5 Model (updated 11-17-05) (888 KB Microsoft Excel File 2004 or newer)
• Pollutants Controlled Calculation and Documentation for Section 319 Watersheds Training Manual (340 KB pdf )
• RUSLE Erosion Prediction - Ohio (2.6 MB pdf)

Ohio Watershed Coordinator Grants

Watershed coordinator positions are made possible by Ohio's Watershed Coordinator Grants Program (36 KB pdf), which provides salary and fringe to local governments and non-profits to support a watershed coordinator.

The program is supported by a diverse state and federal partnership including Ohio Department of Natural Resources divisions of Soil and Water Conservation, Mineral Resources Management, Wildlife, Office of Coastal Management; and Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water. Nearly half of the funding originates from Section 319 of the Clean Water Act administered by U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA.

Click here for a current listing of watershed coordinators (12KBPDF)

If you want to know more about what watershed coordinators are doing, read individual Watershed Coordinator Grant Annual Work Plans by browsing a variety of plans in several file formats in our ftp directory.

Ohio Watershed Network

Ohio supports watershed coordinators and partnerships through a nationally recognized education program administered by Ohio State University Extension - the Ohio Watershed Network (OWN). 

OWN has 3 primary components:

• An Ohio Watershed Network website containing information about specific watersheds and a variety of helpful tools and information resources.
• Ohio Watershed Listserv with a current membership of over 400 subscribers. Go here and subscribe today!
• The Ohio Watershed Academy is a professional-development course designed to help watershed professionals and volunteers develop and execute watershed action plans that involve, excite, and commit their community. The Academy includes Web-based lessons and in-person meetings with peers and instructors and is typically offered twice a year.
• EPA Newsleter: Watershed News at: http://www.epa.gov/watershed/news.html

Experience Ohio's Watersheds

For questions or additional information concerning Ohio Watershed Programs, please contact Greg Nageotte, (614) 265-6619.