Ohio Water Sentinel 2017 Report
Sierra Club envisions a country where all communities have access to clean drinking water and where the quality and quantities of water in our rivers, streams, lakes, and aquifers are protected and managed to sustain the ecosystems on which all life depends. Our goal is to improve access to clean water, producing healthier and stronger communities through awareness, action, and grassroots advocacy. Thanks to your support we accomplished our goals through volunteer water monitoring, mentoring student leaders, direct service, and raising awareness about water pollution issues.
Together we are working to fulfill the promise of the clean water act. There is a demonstrated need for monitoring public waterways, as over 100 water advisories were issued in Ohio in 2017. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s (OEPA) 2016 Clean Water Act 303d report found that, of Ohio’s 1,538 watersheds, only 27 percent were safe for aquatic life, 14 percent were safe for human health (fish contaminants), and only ten percent were considered safe for recreation. Access to clean water is a human right and we should have waterways that are safe for drinking, recreation, and wildlife.
The Water Sentinel Program is Ohio’s only statewide volunteer water monitoring program. Water Sentinels take streamside samples and keep a watchful eye over local waterways. More than 200 participants collected over 500 data points and reported eight pollution incidents in 2017. We use this data to alert authorities to pollution spills, incidents of concern, and to help develop strategies to repair impacted waterways.
In 2017, the Water Sentinel Program engaged participants through numerous Water Sentinel workshops. In addition, volunteers partnered with local watershed groups to offer new opportunities, and utilized resources provided through these opportunities to expand sample parameters. The following report highlights the work accomplished through the Water Sentinel program, as well as an analysis of particular water quality parameters collected through participant efforts.
Water Alert Reporting Network
The Water Alert Reporting Network (WARN) generated eight reports of pollution by trained volunteers in 2017. Sierra Club staff follow up to ensure each incident is resolved. Additionally, we are developing better relationships with local soil and water agencies, sewer districts, and Ohio EPA as trained volunteers are providing credible reports of pollution. Stormwater pollution from ill-managed construction sites accounted for over 70% of the pollution incidents reported in 2017. In 2018 we are adding new trainings on 401 and 404 permits.
In 2017, we hosted over 20 Water Sentinel workshops with 215 participants in attendance. Many of our Water Sentinel volunteers have partnered with local watershed groups to expand monitoring efforts to include stream habitat assessment. In addition to taking water chemistry samples, biological and water insect samples are also taken, providing a greater understanding of waterway health.
We also engage Water Sentinels and other water supporters through monthly statewide calls. Over 60 individuals participated throughout the year. These calls covered a wide range of topics including: turtle harvesting in Ohio, the current state of the Great Lakes, Tremont barrel fill superfund site, Rover pipeline violations, freshwater mussel concerns in Darby Creek, and more! These monthly calls allow Sentinels to not only gain information on current issues from experts but apply the knowledge locally to improve the health of our waterways.
Methods and Data Collection
The Clean Water Act requires states to test their waterways regularly. Unfortunately, the Ohio EPA does not have the capacity to monitor all of Ohio’s 199,000 miles of rivers and streams. Thus it is critical for groups to record and report on the health of our waterways. More than 200 participants collected over 500 data points in 2017, bringing our total data points collected to over 3,000.
Water Sentinels collect and submit water quality data quarterly. We strive to have each data point tested at least three times in order to provide spring, summer, and fall water quality data. Each data point contains up to 12 different parameters or readings including; conductivity, temperature, salinity, total dissolved solids, PH, chlorine, nitrate/nitrite, and phosphate. Sierra Club staff vet and clean data to ensure quality, map data, and make it available to agencies and the public in order to improve watershed planning and generate public awareness and advocacy. Over time, we can glean more information from each data point, to better understand the waterway.
Mapping Phosphorus
We focused our data analysis on phosphorus because it is a limiting factor for benthic growth and too much phosphorus is having a detrimental impact to the health of Ohio’s waterways, particularly Lake Erie. The primary sources of phosphorus are runoff of fertilizers, animal manure, sewage treatment plant discharges, stormwater runoff, car and power plant emissions, and failing septic tanks. Approximately 48 percent of Ohio's watersheds are degraded by nutrient loading from phosphorus and nitrogen, many of these experienced Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs). Nutrient pollution in Ohio's surface waters has reached a critical situation impacting our ability to have clean water for drinking, recreating, and wildlife.
The Federal EPA has set guidelines for water nutrient quality including phosphorus, but Ohio, along with 25 other states, has yet to adopt a numeric standard.
The EPA recommended limits for total phosphate are;
0.01 - 0.03 ppm - the level in uncontaminated lakes
0.025 - 0.1 ppm - level at which plant growth is stimulated
0.1 ppm - maximum acceptable to avoid accelerated plant growth
> 0.1 ppm - accelerated growth and consequent problems
The health hazards of increased phosphate stem from the growth of Harmful Algae Blooms which can create toxins that sicken and even kill people and wildlife.
Total Phosphate
Statewide the phosphate levels exceeded the 0.1 ppm in every region tested. The map below, and all subsequent maps, show data point locations as their corresponding phosphate measurement on a map illustrating land use. Particularly noteworthy are high levels of phosphate (large red dots) close to major rivers that lead directly to large bodies of water.
Phosphate Outliers
There was a total of 1767 data points, and the average phosphate sample was 9.78 ppm for the entire state. Of those data points, 1079 data points were located in urban areas. These averaged a phosphate sample of 8.35 ppm. Rural areas accounted for 688 of the data points, with an average phosphate sample of 12.02 ppm. The rural samples averaged 30.5 percent higher phosphate readings than urban samples, and 18.6 percent higher than the statewide average.
Phosphate in Northeastern Ohio
Phosphate for Northeastern Ohio was consistently high and in greater concentrations in rural waterways than urban. The average for the area out of 1400 data points was 10.53 ppm. Urban areas account for 907 of those data points, and the average sample was 8.73 ppm. The average phosphate level for rural areas in Northeast Ohio was 13.84 ppm, averaged from 493 data points.
Phosphate Northwestern Ohio
The next area of interest is Northwestern Ohio. The sample size is smaller, at 299 data points, and the average phosphate sample for Northwest Ohio overall was 6.42 ppm, with a few outliers greater than ten ppm. The average phosphate sample for Urban Areas was 5.13 ppm. Rural areas, however, again averaged higher than both the urban and statewide average at 7.25 ppm. Additionally, most outliers greater than 10 ppm were recorded from rural samples.
Growing
The Ohio Water Sentinels strive to develop genuine partnerships that not only protect and strengthen communities affected by water pollution and environmental degradation, but also improves the quality of life for the entire community. We work closely with community members, local partners, and municipal/agency officials to identify vulnerable areas of concern.
We currently have a diverse group of partners which range from middle school students to retirees. In Cleveland and Toledo we have a partnership with the area metroparks, and water monitoring is focused within the park boundaries. We work with two watershed groups in the Columbus area: Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed and Friends of the the Ravines, primarily monitoring for stormwater overflows and degradation from development. Together we have expanding beyond monitoring efforts to also include clean-ups, tree plantings, and more!
In the Akron area, the Portage Trail Group has a Water Sentinel team who have developed a robust plan to monitor the Little Cuyahoga River and tributaries for early detection of pollution. They partner with the Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization and provide copies of data to help promote the Balanced Growth Initiative Plan.
Water Sentinels are also found in schools across the state, ranging from Hawken Middle School in Cleveland to college student groups in Columbus. Our latest partnership is with Outdoor Source, an outdoor supply and gear merchant. This partnership provides us the ability to reach individuals who are outdoor enthusiasts, and interact with the environment on a regular basis.
The Water Sentinel Program will continue to thrive and grow with thanks to the dedication of participants and partnering organizations. The engagement of concerned citizens to monitor their waterways and track pollution is vital to understanding and protecting Ohio waterways. We are grateful to the dedicated members of Sierra Club for keeping a watchful eye on our streams and making the Water Sentinel Program a success.