The H2Ohio Plan-Implementation and Available Practice Cost Share - Clark Hutson, Ohio Department of Agriculture, from the 2020 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, held March 3-4, 2020, Ada, OH, USA.

1. What is H2Ohio?
ODA Division of Soil & Water Conservation

2. What is H2Ohio?
§ H2Ohio is Governor DeWine’s initiative to invest in targeted
solutions to ensure safe, clean water in Ohio
§ Substantial funding has been committed over the next two years
to provide incentives and support for water quality improvement
efforts
§ H2Ohio is collaborating across state agencies to strategically
deploy public resources on the best solutions

3. • Ohio EPA – $8.675 M
• ODNR – $46.2 M
• ODA - $30.3 M
• Unallocated - $86.8 M
$172 Million in FY 20 & 21

4. H2Ohio & Agriculture
• H2Ohio is focusing on reducing
nutrient runoff from cropland through
a variety of nutrient management and
soil conservation practices
• 10 practices have been identified to
focus on for phosphorus reduction
• ODA has established criteria for the
first 7 practices

5. Where?
This year, ODA will focus
efforts in the 14 counties
that make up the majority
of the Maumee River
Watershed

6. Looking Ahead
2020: Maumee sub-basin
2021: Western Lake Erie
Basin
Coming Soon:
Entire state of Ohio

7. Program Framework
• Signups will be conducted through Local
SWCD’s
• Participants can signup for up to 4 years
of program BMP’s
• Dollars for each participant will be
encumbered at signup

8. Program Framework
• Program practices are viewed as an ‘A le
carte’ conservation menu
• Producers can pick and choose practices
to apply on a field by field basis
• Participants are encouraged to stack
practices

9. Program Timeline & Process
• H2Ohio signup begins in February for the 14 counties in the
Maumee Basin
• First sign-up period runs through March 31, 2020
• For the first sign-up applications will be handled on a first come
first served basis.

10. H2Ohio – Scope of Effort
• H2Ohio is the largest agricultural conservation effort ever
proposed by the state of Ohio
• ODA’s signup goals for 2020 is 700,000 acres in the 14 counties
• Currently, we are working with commodity groups, ag retailers,
and several other partners to launch H2Ohio

12. H2Ohio Targets in the Maumee Basin
• BMP targets or goals are being developed for the entire Maumee
Basin
• Targets will also be developed for the counties within the basin as
we move forward
• A similar process is planned as H2Ohio implementation is
expanded in future years