The deadline for H2Ohio applications for the 2026-2027 cycle is about two weeks away.
Launched in 2019, H2Ohio is Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s statewide water quality initiative designed to address complex issues impacting Ohio’s waters.
H2Ohio supports good water quality, managing nutrients, restoring river health, improving water infrastructure and exploring innovative technologies. Its mission is to ensure all Ohioans have access to clean, safe water for generations to come.
H2Ohio partners with farmers to implement science-backed Best Management Practices that reduce nutrient runoff and protect water quality while supporting strong yields and profitability. It provides resources, technical support and financial incentives to assist farms of all sizes.
Enrollment is open for farmers in the 10 Western Lake Erie Basin counties – Crawford, Erie, Huron, Marion, Ottawa, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby and Wyandot – for crop years 2026-2027. The deadline to apply for the state-funded program is Aug. 15. 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.”
The Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio EPA and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission each have a significant role to play including reducing nutrient runoff, creating wetlands and improving access to clean drinking water and quality sewer systems.
Here are the conservation practices H2Ohio offers and how they can benefit a farm:
- Precision and Basic Voluntary Nutrient Management Plans: Producers develop field-specific nutrient plans using soil testing, by working with their ag retailers and Seneca Conservation District, or developing them themselves. The incentive is $10 per acre for basic plans or $15 per acre for Precision Plans upon approval and implementation.
- Subsurface Phosphorus Placement: Farmers are encouraged to use nutrient application equipment that places phosphorus below the soil surface in accordance with their approved VNMP. The incentive is $20 per acre per year on all eligible acres, for up to two years, after completion of all practice requirements.
- Manure Incorporation and Utilization: Producers apply manure using low-disturbance methods to reduce nutrient runoff and better use nitrogen and phosphorus. The incentive is $35 per acre per year for dry manure and $60 per acre per year for liquid manure. A $15 per acre per year bonus payment will be
made to fields that have a field average of less than 25 ppm
Mehlich-III. - Overwintering Cover: Producers plant off-season cover to reduce
erosion, improve soil health and retain nutrients. The incentive is
$40 per acre per year after verification that all program
requirements are met.
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.
