water quality

Cuyahoga River Area of Concern Bi-Annual Symposium Scheduled for October 26

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It’s time again for Cuyahoga River stakeholders, watershed stewards, and anyone else who is interested in the health of the Cuyahoga to get together and learn what’s happening in the Area of Concern (AOC) at the 2018 Cuyahoga River AOC Symposium! The Symposium provides a forum for sharing ideas, reviewing Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) status, showcasing successes and challenges, reviewing recent developments affecting the AOC program and strengthening linkages among state and local AOC participants.

Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC)

Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC)

Not only will we talk about all the progress that has been made in the Cuyahoga River watershed, but we’ll also hear from a panel of experts on new developments and future projects. There is a lot to celebrate this year, especially given that the United States Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the removal of “Degradation of Aesthetics” and “Public Access and Recreation Impairments” from the list of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC). This suggests that aesthetics have improved dramatically in the decades since the Cuyahoga was named one of the 27 federally-designated U.S. waterways that have experienced severe environmental degradation. Public access and recreation have been helped by the development of trails, rowing clubs, fishing areas, boating and paddle sport amenities, and dining and entertainment facilities that now line the river banks.

Symposium attendees will have an opportunity to discuss all of the work being done to restore the river, to connect with a wide variety of partners and interested stakeholders, and to contribute to the progress being made. The Symposium will take place on Friday, October 26 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium. Registration is $35 per person and includes coffee, breakfast snacks and lunch, table talks, panels, and a whole lot of updates on how we’re getting closer every day to delisting the entire Cuyahoga River AOC.

Cuyahoga River AOC Advisory Committee

Cuyahoga River AOC Advisory Committee

For additional information, please visit the website for the AOC’s facilitating organization, Cuyahoga River Restoration and the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is made up of representatives from Ohio Sea Grant and other organizations including nonprofit community groups, businesses, government agencies, and local residents concerned with the health of the watershed.

Scott Hardy is an Extension Educator for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

It’s Hot Out There! Tips for Safe Swimming in Ohio’s Water Bodies

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With all the recent news around swimming advisories and beach closings – it is easy to become concerned about our local water bodies where we go to swim, fish, or enjoy the view. Ohio Sea Grant, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and many other state and local agencies work to provide up-to-date information on our local water resources. Here’s some more information about your water quality and where to look to find information about keeping you and your family safe while also being able to take advantage of the wonderful recreational water resources Ohio has to offer.

Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory will host a free public webinar on Thursday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to explain NOAA’s 2018  Seasonal Forecast of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) for Lake Erie, including expert commentary, a discussion of the history of this issue on Lake Erie, Ohio’s response to the problem, and a Q&A session. 
Registration is required.

Harmful Algal Bloom – what’s that?

This image shows a color spectrum of bloom density in Lake Erie on July 4, 2018, based on satellite detection of cyanobacteria. Grey indicates clouds or missing data.

Microcystis, and Planktothrix, and Dolichospermum oh my! Those names may sound foreign to you, but those are all species of harmful algal blooms, or HABs – any large increased density of algae that is capable of producing toxins. The HABs sighted on Lake Erie – and in some inland water bodies – tend to be cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae.

Where and when do HABs start in Lake Erie?

Because blue-green algae prefer warm water and high concentrations of phosphorus, they usually occur first in Maumee Bay at the mouth of the Maumee River and in Sandusky Bay at the mouth of the Sandusky River. Both bays are very warm and shallow and the watersheds of both rivers have very high percentages of farm land (the Maumee is the largest tributary to the Great Lakes and drains 4.2 million acres of agricultural land). As a result, both streams contain very high concentrations of phosphorus. E coli at beaches is the result of sewage, pet, or livestock waste from a nearby discharge or stream, and is not related to a harmful algal bloom.

How do I know whether it is safe to swim?

  • Before traveling, it may be a good idea to google the beach you’re visiting, and if possible call them to ask about any active advisories or warnings. One good resource is the ODNR Office of Coastal Management’s list of publicly accessible Lake Erie beaches at http://coastal.ohiodnr.gov/gocoast.
  • See Ohio Algae Information for Recreational Waters – http://epa.ohio.gov/HAB-Algae for the most up to date information, and see the Ohio Beach Guard Recreational Swimming Advisories – http://publicapps.odh.ohio.gov/beachguardpublic/ page for beach advisories.
  • At the beach, look for orange or red signs – those indicate the two types of harmful algal bloom advisories/warnings.
    • An orange sign (advisory) means the water contains some toxin. Children and the elderly, people with health problems, and pets should avoid contact with the water.
    • A red sign (warning) means toxin levels are too high and everyone should avoid contact with the water.
    • If there are no signs, but the water looks bright green or has floating green scums, the Ohio EPA recommends a “when in doubt, stay out” approach.
  • Even if a beach has an advisory or warning posted, activities on land are perfectly safe, so there are still ways to enjoy a day at the beach.

What do toxin levels mean?

The World Health Organization (WHO) sets the maximum allowable concentration of microcystin in drinking water at 1 part per billion (ppb) — about equivalent to 1 drop of toxin in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Ohio has followed that recommendation so far, but is expected to convert to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines soon, which advise microcystin limits of 0.3 ppb for children under 6 and 1.6 ppb for the general population.

If toxins have been detected in one part of the lake, is the water in the whole lake unsafe?

Blooms are generally limited by water currents, winds and where nutrients enter the water. Toxin can persist in the water for more than 30 days, but is rapidly diluted and quickly reaches safe levels when the bloom dissipates and as one moves away from the bloom. Water treatment plants in Lake Erie’s western basin routinely monitor the water they bring in for human use, so affected areas can know about a problem quickly.

How is toxin removed from the water?

Water treatment plants use activated charcoal (also called activated carbon), as well as UV rays and other techniques, to remove toxic substances from the water. The toxins, such as microcystin, bind to the charcoal particles, which are then filtered out of the water again.

What about Lake Erie fish? Are they safe to eat?

The Toledo Blade has reported on this question. As long as standard guidelines are followed, such as properly cleaning and rinsing fish fillets, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources considers fish from the lake safe to eat.

What about drinking water advisories?

You can find a list of drinking water advisories on Ohio EPA’s Drinking Water Advisory GIS tool: http://oepa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5b1c1a32a7954cedb094c11dc7fd87b7

Be sure to follow Ohio Sea Grant for the most up to date info this summer! I recommend taking a look at our recent video on Harmful Algal Blooms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvEJHzFzIL4.

Resources:

NOAA Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/HABs_and_Hypoxia/bulletin.html

Frequently Asked Questions about Harmful Algal Blooms: http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research/issues/habs/faqs

Ohio Algae Information for Recreational Waters: http://epa.ohio.gov/HAB-Algae

Contact: Sarah Orlando, Ohio Clean Marinas Program Manager for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program
(419) 609-4120, orlando.42@osu.edu, @SarahAOrlando

Restoring a Burning River – 50 years later

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We all know the Cuyahoga River caught on fire. What’s being done to clean it up?

There’s lots of buzz starting to generate these days around the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, as local residents and water enthusiasts begin gearing up for the 50 year anniversary of the last time the river caught on fire in 1969. Since then, many changes have taken place along the Cuyahoga and much effort has been made to restore the river and its watershed.

Mayor Carl Stokes – 1969 Cuyahoga River News Conference (clevelandhistorical.org)

The infamous 1969 fire was actually the last of a series of occasions in which the river “caught on fire.”  In reality, it wasn’t the river itself that was burning, but the oil, sewage, industrial waste, and flammable debris floating on the water’s surface. In addition to the spectacle of a burning river, all of this contamination heavily degraded water quality, damaged terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitats, and ultimately led to a major loss of biodiversity.

Since 1969 much as been done to clean up the Cuyahoga and other rivers like it. The passage of the Clean Water Act came a few years later in 1972 and sought to make all of America’s rivers ‘fishable and swimmable’ by establishing the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants and by setting quality standards for surface waters. Fifteen years later in 1987 a binational agreement between the United States and Canada called the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) sought to bring more attention to the most polluted waters specifically in the Great Lakes. According to the GLWQA, each of the polluted rivers, called Areas of Concern (AOC), were required to develop Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) that identify all of the environmental problems (called Beneficial Use Impairments, or BUIs) in the area and enlist local advisory committees and environmental protection agencies to restore them.

For the Cuyahoga River, only the lower 46.5 miles are included in the Area of Concern. So are all of the tributaries that drain into that section of the river and the shoreline adjacent to the river’s mouth, including tributaries that flow directly into Lake Erie. The entire AOC covers an area that stretches from Big Creek on the western edge of Cuyahoga County to Euclid Creek in the east, and from the shore of Lake Erie south all the way to the City of Akron. In total, the area spans parts of Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Portage, Summit, and Medina counties, and includes 10 BUIs that the RAP has targeted for restoration:

  • Restrictions on Fish Consumption
  • Degradation of Fish Populations
  • Fish Tumors or Other Deformities
  • Degradation of Benthos
  • Restrictions on Navigational Dredging
  • Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae
  • Beach Closings (Recreational Contact)
  • Public Access and Recreation Impairments
  • Degradation of Aesthetics
  • Loss of Fish Habitat

In short, lots of people are working to clean the river up and delist the BUIs. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is collaborating with the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern Advisory Committee to lead restoration actions. The Advisory Committee is facilitated by the nonprofit Cuyahoga River Restoration, and is made up of representatives from Ohio Sea Grant and other organizations including nonprofit community groups, businesses, government agencies, and local residents concerned with the health of the watershed.

Some of the restoration activities that have taken place are complex and expensive undertakings, such as removing dams or installing green stormwater infrastructure to reduce combined sewer overflows (during heavy rains untreated stormwater and wastewater combine and discharge directly into the river). Other activities are much smaller in scale, like restoring riverbank vegetation, working with landowners to plant riparian buffers, and developing fish habitat along barren stretches of the shipping channel close to the river’s mouth. Ultimately, much of the progress to delist BUIs will be dependent on education and outreach that informs the public about the problems facing the Cuyahoga River and encourages local residents to contribute to potential solutions.

If you are interested in learning more about the Cuyahoga River, or would like to contribute to restoration efforts, there are plenty of opportunities. To get started, check out the website for the AOC’s facilitating organization, Cuyahoga River Restoration, or the Cuyahoga Valley National Park located in the river’s headwaters. You will be able to read about all of the great things happening to keep the Cuyahoga fishable and swimmable and see how you can personally make a difference. We have come a long way over the past several decades!

See you on the river!

Scott Hardy is an Extension Educator with the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

Collaboration critical to success of water quality project

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During OSU Extension’s 2015 Annual Conference where educators, specialists, and program staff gathered across our four program areas, results of the Vice President’s Conversation on the Future of Extension were shared. Listed under Environment and Natural Resources was this: “responsible practices and a focus on sustainability related to water, air, energy development, soils, waste disposal, and agriculture.”

Stream 12-14 Blog postThis blog provides a description of a project that I have been involved with that implements the mission of the Land Grants as they address 2035 needs by taking research-based information through outreach to help community leaders and residents. What makes this project unique is it integrates the tremendous depth of interdisciplinary focus and collaboration offered within the Land Grant system.

Beginning over a year ago, this project’s focus was to improve drinking and recreational water quality in an Ohio metro area. The diversity of project partners included the private sector, OSU Extension, the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the OSU School of Environment and Natural Resources and the City.

  1. Engineering: A private engineering firm is under contract with the City Department of Water to evaluate and develop a plan to improve their drinking and recreational water quality. The firm is sub-contracting parts of the plan to OSU Extension and private consultants.
  2. Outreach: Extension’s role is to analyze agricultural management practices regarding nutrients and herbicides and develop strategies to improve water quality. To fulfill this role, the core OSU Team includes a CD Educator, a Faculty Emeritus, an Extension/SENR Program Specialist, and CD Unit office administrators. Extension is also working closely with another private sector sub-contractor whose role is to analyze and make recommendations regarding natural resource strategies to improve water quality.
  3. Research: CFAES, SENR, USDA/Agricultural Research Service and the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering researchers contributed information and data regarding alternative management practices and their effects on water quality.
  4. Municipality: City employees in the Department of Public Utilities review and comment on strategies presented by the Engineer, OSU Extension and other sub-contractors. When the project is completed, the City will take on its implementation.

The depth of interdisciplinary focus and collaboration was critical to the success of this project. The Extension Team identified the potential agricultural areas of concern based on research studies conducted by departmental faculty. Additionally, this faculty identified potential management practices leading to the development of strategies to address these concerns.

ANR Field Specialists assisted in understanding researcher’s studies, more deeply identifying issues, capturing current educational practices and initiatives, and identifying current agricultural management practices being used by agricultural producers.

The 2015 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, led by an Emeritus Ag Engineer and County Extension Educators, was extremely valuable in helping the Extension Team understand the complicated relationships between water quality and agricultural practices. It also helped in connecting with the key players in the agriculture industry, including producers, researchers and Certified Crop Advisors. Throughout the project, both Field Specialists and County Educators helped the Extension Team think through specific questions raised by the Engineer and the City and provide data to help with the Engineer’s water quality modeling.

Throughout the project, progress meetings were held with the City and the engineer. The City provided feedback that focused the Extension Team’s work. The Extension Team has helped the City and Engineering firm adjust perceptions about the nutrient topic leading to a better understanding of agricultural producers’ needs and current changes in practices. We also provided some planning techniques and tools that the Engineering firm is using within the planning reports.

The Engineering firm concludes that this project provides a program design that many municipalities are going to use in the future to address their water quality issues.

We believe this project effectively demonstrates the results of a Land Grant’s mission when we integrate research, outreach and partnering across disciplines. As Extension uses this interdisciplinary approach, we will be successful in implementing initiatives that will provide what Ohioans will need to thrive in 2035.

(Submitted by Myra Moss, Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Heart of Ohio EERA)