Ohio's major waterways' water quality have vastly improved over the last 35 years per over two years from 2020 to 2021.
In 1987, the study found that while only 18% of large rivers in Ohio met the state's standards for a healthy river, excluding the Ohio River, that number increased to 86% in this recent study. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel announced the results of this study Tuesday at the Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus.
DeWine said the study examined 1,300 miles of river and found 1,176 are now considered healthy. He said only five miles of river in east-central Ohio near Coshocton are considered unhealthy while another 190 miles are considered partially unhealthy.
DeWine was blunt about how bad the water quality was a few decades ago.
"A few decades ago, many of our rivers were much different than they are today. Candidly, they were unhealthy. They were contaminated sewage, oil chemicals were dumped in the water, fish were dying. Swimming in many, many places was totally out of the question," he said.
The study's top-line findings is that the biological condition of Ohio's large rivers has improved dramatically since surveys were first conducted in the 1980s and the dramatic reversal is the direct result of investments in improved wastewater infrastructure and treatment and agricultural soil conservation measures.
The other findings include:
- Over-enrichment, characterized by excessive levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, and high biological oxygen demand, was identified as the most pervasive stressor impacting water quality and in so