Ohio River Foundation wins $1.4M state grant to protect wetlands

The Cincinnati-based Ohio River Foundation secured a $1.4 million state grant to build a 30-acre wetlands complex along the Scioto River in Pickaway County, aimed at improving water quality and reducing flooding in a watershed that supplies drinking water to more than 1 million people.

The funding comes through the H2Ohio Program, which works to curb algal blooms, reduce pollution and expand access to clean water through farming practices, runoff control, litter cleanup, dam removal and land conservation. The program relies on collaboration among the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio EPA, the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, and nonprofit and community organizations supported by grant funding.

ORF will use the site, owned by Chris Mullins, to create off-channel wetlands that filter stormwater, trap sediment and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. The wetlands will remain connected to the Scioto River through an open channel, ensuring continued state and federal protection despite recent regulatory rollbacks.

“We applaud the landowner, Mr. Mullins, for having the vision and ambition these integral river protection and restoration projects require,” said Rich Cogen, ORF’s executive director. “Creating and restoring wetlands is crucial to environmental and public health.”

Protecting local water, communities through conservation

Ohio River Foundation, based in Blue Ash, works across the 14-state watershed on conservation projects and environmental education aimed at improving water quality and habitat health. The nonprofit describes wetlands as natural filtration systems that can reduce nutrient pollution, store floodwaters and stabilize streambeds critical for freshwater mussels and small fish.

Those functions are increasingly important as nutrient loads rise throughout the Ohio River basin, contributing to algal blooms that harm aquatic species and threaten drinking water sources.

Wetland loss has been extensive across the country, according to ORF. The organization noted that more than half have disappeared in the lower 48 states, and more than 90% of Ohio’s original wetlands have been eliminated. 

A 2024 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report found national loss rates have increased by 50% since 2009.

With so much wetland acreage already lost, the Scioto River project marks a small but significant move in the opposite direction. 

Cogen said the work will improve habitat and water quality in a heavily used watershed. He added that sustained progress will depend on continued community commitment and “landowner initiative.”

“At ORF, we’ve created a straightforward process to help landowners and communities raise the necessary funds to achieve the social, environmental, and economic benefits of barrier removal,” Cogen said. “We hope this project will encourage other landowners to take similar action.”

Ohio River Foundation