The Division of Surface Water participates in many Lake Erie and Great Lakes-related efforts. The main focus areas are:
- The Ohio Domestic Action Plan.
- The bi-national Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) for Lake Erie.
These efforts are centered on reducing the loadings of pollutants and restoring all beneficial uses to these waterbodies. These programs are described in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States and are mandated under the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act amendment to the Clean Water Act. The Ohio Phosphorus Task Force I and II was an early Ohio effort to address renewed algae blooms. The task force members reviewed phosphorus loading data from Ohio tributaries to Lake Erie, considered possible relationships between trends in dissolved reactive phosphorus loading and in-lake conditions, determined possible causes for increased soluble phosphorus loading, and evaluated possible management options for reducing soluble phosphorus loading.
To complement these two focus areas, Ohio EPA conducts nearshore monitoring that will provide valuable water quality data to inform management decisions and actions to restore Lake Erie and its tributary streams.
Areas of Concern
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission coordinates management of Ohio's Areas of Concern, specifically the development and implementation of Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) for the Maumee, Black, Cuyahoga and Ashtabula river areas of concern.