Seneca Conservation District now is accepting applications for the 2026-27 cycle of H2Ohio.

H2Ohio is Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s statewide water quality initiative designed to address complex issues impacting Ohio’s waters. Its mission is to ensure all Ohioans have access to clean, safe water for generations to come.

Farmers are encouraged to apply for the state-funded program early as funding may be distributed prior to the Aug. 15 deadline. Those who are currently enrolled must reapply.

“The H2Ohio farm practices work for our Seneca County crop producers because the program helps them to be mindful of their nutrient use on each acre while adding on other optional practices that have additional conservation benefits for their farm operations,” said Clint Lease, H2Ohio technician for Seneca Conservation District.

“Those benefits can include increased soil health and reduced erosion thanks to cover crops, support to move manure further from the livestock barns to fields that need additional nutrients, and the ability to apply nutrients directly into the soil where they will be more likely to stay during large rain events.”

All cropland enrolled in H2Ohio is required to have a voluntary nutrient management plan, which shows the amount of nutrients in the soil and helps determine which best management practices would be most effective.

Completed practices in Seneca County in 2023 included Variable Rate Technology phosphorous application, subsurface phosphorous placement, manure incorporation and overwintering cover.

Since H2Ohio was made available to producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin in 2019, more than 3,200 producers across the state enrolled 2.2 million acres in voluntary conservation practices.

In 2024, there were nearly 75,000 acres in Seneca County enrolled in H2Ohio.

As of 2023, estimated phosphorus reduction in Seneca County was nearly 20,000 pounds, with completed practices totaling $1.8 million that year.

Seneca County farmers interested in applying to participate in H2Ohio can visit https://conservesenecacounty.com/h2ohio/

For more information, contact Lease at [email protected] or (419) 447-7073.