Ohio’s Nutrient Reduction
Strategy
Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water
George Elmaraghy, Chief, P.E.
Photograph by Peter Essick, Lake Erie in 2011, National Geographic
GOAL
To reduce impact of
nutrients on water quality
Background
• State nutrient reduction strategies part of
Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Nutrient Task Force 2008 Action Plan
• Ohio decided on state-wide strategy
– Grand Lake St. Marys & Lake Erie blooms
• Strategy will be used to direct funding &
Agency resources
Timeline
• Ohio submitted draft strategy framework to
U.S. EPA Region 5 in Nov 2011
• 2011-2012 Two Workgroups met & compiled
final recommendations
– Directors’ Agricultural Nutrients and Water Quality
Working Group
– Point Source & Urban Runoff Nutrient Workgroup
• Finalizing strategy & submitting to U.S. EPA June 2013
Structure
• Assessment of current efforts, outlines path
forward
• Follows basic framework for state nutrient
strategies as laid out in U.S. EPA’s 2011
guidance
• Incorporates workgroup recommendations as
appropriate
Strategic Principals
• Implement TMDLs and watershed plans
• Align resources to Ohio’s water quality goals
• Fund projects that eliminate impairments and
restore waters
• Protect high quality waters
Priorities
• General criteria for prioritizing watersheds
– Largest contributors of phosphorus to Lake Erie
and Ohio River
– Watersheds with Total Maximum Daily Load
studies
– Watersheds with watershed action plans
– Downstream impacts (hypoxia for example)
Ohio’s Priority Watersheds
Maumee River
Sandusky River
Cuyahoga River
Great Miami River
Scioto River
Wabash River
(from USGS SPARROW model output,
USEPA web page)
Load Reduction Goals
• Ohio has completed 222 nutrient TMDLs in
priority watersheds (basins listed on previous
slide) since 2002
• Serve as our measuring stick
Nutrient Sources
(Where We Will Find Load Reductions)
• Point Sources
– Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment
plants
• Nonpoint Sources
– Agricultural
– Urban & Suburban storm water
Point Sources
• Phase in water quality based effluent limits for
phosphorus derived from TMDL/WLA
calculations
– In general, P limits only if receiving stream is
impaired or threatened
• Start with limit of 1 mg/l P or current load
• allow exploration of trading or other options
– P limits not imposed if water quality improvement
not expected
Initial P NPDES Limits for POTWs >1 MGD
Condition of Water
LEB
ORB
Guidelines for Initial NPDES Permit
Content
Not impaired for
nutrients
Limit at 1.0 mg/l at design flow, per longstanding Lake Erie policy
Impaired for
nutrients
Limit at lower of 1.0 mg/l at design flow or
existing permitted load (with trading
option, habitat fixes). POTW to minimize P
discharge by optimizing existing treatment
Not impaired for
nutrients
Include existing effluent load in TMDL
WLA. No P limit; monitoring
Impaired for
nutrients
Limit at lower of 1.0 mg/l at design flow or
existing permitted load (with trading
option, habitat fixes). POTW to minimize P
discharge by optimizing existing treatment
Initial P NPDES Limits for POTWs <1 MGD
Design Flow
(MGD)
Condition of Water
WLA and NPDES Permit Content
Not impaired for nutrients Include load in TMDL WLA. Monitoring
1.0
to
0.15
0.15
To
0.025
Less than
0.025
Impaired for nutrients (P);
source is predominant
contributor
Impaired for nutrients (P);
source is one of multiple
contributors
Not impaired for nutrients
Limit at 1.0 mg/l at design flow
Impaired for nutrients;
source is predominant
contributor
Impaired for nutrients;
source is one of multiple
contributors
Any situation
Limit at 1.0 mg/l at design flow
Limit at 1.0 mg/l at design flow if P limits
will improve biology. Monitoring if no limit
Include load TMDL WLA. Monitoring
Include load in TMDL WLA. Monitoring
Include load in TMDL WLA. Monitoring
Nonpoint Sources
• Key point – doing more of the same will not
fix today’s problems
• Strategic framework
– Reduce nutrient loadings
– Improve assimilative capacity of streams
Broad Strategies for Ag NPS
• Upland management
– Limit nutrients to agronomic needs
• Livestock management
– Improve manure management
• Drainage water management
– Reduce rate & amount of runoff
• Riparian management
– Install effective buffers
• Groundwater protection measures
• Outreach & education – 4Rs
Ag NPS Cont.
• Target conservation funding in small area (HUC
12) to effective conservation practices
• Will require real adjustments to federal, state
and county level programmatic thinking
Nutrient Reduction Demonstrations
Sandusky River - Loss Creek Subwatershed
Project Partners
Crawford County SWCD
Ohio State Extension
Sandusky Watershed Coalition
Ohio EPA
US EPA – Great Lakes Office
Funded under provisions of an
FY11 Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative Grant to Ohio EPA
Engaging agriculture in innovative
ways to reduce phosphorus loss
to the Sandusky River
Nutrient Reduction Demonstrations
Maumee River - Powell Creek Subwatershed
FY12 US EPA Great Lakes Initiative Grant to Ohio EPA
Partnership with Defiance SWCD, Defiance Health Dept. & ODNR
Implementing Powell Creek TMDL by engaging agriculture to
implement nutrient reduction activities in highly targeted ways
Urban & Suburban Nonpoint Source
• Gray solutions are out,
green infrastructure is in
• Encourages specific practice examples in
following categories:
– Low impact development & other green design
strategies
– BMPs to slow down, store and infiltrate runoff
from impervious surfaces
– Sediment control BMPs
Urban Nutrient Reduction Demonstrations
Cuyahoga River – Cuyahoga County GLRI
FY 10 and FY12 GLRI-SWIF Grant Program
More then 30 NPS
management
projects have
been funded with
GLRI & SWIF
grants and many
are already
completed
Accountability and Verification
Measures
• Ohio will provide accountability & verification of
progress by tracking:
– Restoration of beneficial uses in targeted watersheds
– Impact of nutrients on water quality and beneficial
uses
– Annual nutrient loading estimates for six priority
watersheds and point sources
– Implementation actions
Nutrient Water Quality Criteria
• March 2013 – released the rulemaking notice
of Early Stakeholder Outreach
– Includes criteria for streams, rivers & lakes (does
not include large rivers)
– Initial feedback in support of Ohio’s approach
• Expect to continue rulemaking process
through 2014
Questions?
George Elmaraghy, Chief, P.E.
Division of Surface Water
614-644-2001
george.elmaraghy@epa.ohio.gov
www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw
For more information on nutrient strategy, go to:
http://epa.ohio.gov/dsw/wqs/NutrientReduction.aspx