Ohio helping farmers keep water sources clean

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The state is putting millions of dollars into ensuring clean water in Ohio.

A program called H2Ohio is expanding and hoping to reach across the entire state, meaning wetland, water and sewer projects, and making farming more sustainable.

What farmers are doing at farms involved in the program is work that will improve waterways across the state, keeping the dirt in place so rivers and streams run clean.

Jan Layman has owned and worked his farm in Hardin County for 39 years. It’s a corn and soybean farm and the work can have a big impact on water.

"We've got to do what we can to make sure soil stays on the land where it should be and not in the waterways," Layman said. 

There are a few ways to tackle the problem.

"Water runoff takes silt with it, which takes nutrients with it, which ends up in the lake, which causes an algae bloom," Layman said. 

When soil is swept away, it takes what farmers put into it, which affects the water.

One way Layman works to stop this is by keeping plants in the ground as much as possible. This means when his soybeans and corn aren’t fully grown, other plants are there to keep the soil in place, especially when it storms.

"If you ever cross some of the major rivers when there's a big rain event, they look like chocolate milk, and then that's soil moving," Layman said. 

Another method Layman uses is grass waterways. When water runs off the farm, the grass catches the dirt and acts as a natural filter. 

"We've got to try to get out in front of this and, you know, everybody has a right to expect clean water," Layman said.

The state is putting money into helping farmers do this through H2Ohio, seeing it as a way to make sure Ohio has clean water for future generations.

“Agriculture is everybody's business,” Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Brian Baldridge said. “What did you have for breakfast, lunch or dinner yesterday? So, food and ag. It's a great industry.”

The state is investing $270 million for the 2024-2025 year to help H2Ohio expand as well as build wastewater projects and restore wetlands.

"We're so fortunate here in Ohio to have an abundance of water, and, you know, if we were out west, we'd be talking about quantity, but here in Ohio, we're talking about making sure that it's quality for the future," Balridge said. "We're around 3,000 actual producers. We know we have over 2 million acres enrolled in H2Ohio. So those are great numbers, but we keep pushing forward with getting 100%.”