News

2024 was a busy year for the Maumee AOC! We could go on and on about all the progress, completed projects, and groundbreaking that happened this year, but for now we’ll share some of the highlights.✨ MAPs and BUIs Public Involvement and Outreach

The Ohio EPA and Partners for Clean Streams invite passionate individuals to apply for the Maumee AOC Advisory Committee (MAAC). Find the application here. If you’re committed to enhancing our region’s ecosystem health, we encourage you to get involved. MAAC advises state and federal partners on key projects to improve the Maumee Area of Concern […]

The Maumee Area of Concern and surrounding waterways are making progress towards their restoration goals thanks to recent developments. BUI 7: Restrictions on Dredging Activities has now been approved for removal from the list after acceptance from US EPA and the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)! This is the fourth of ten beneficial use […]

Starting in 2021, a stream restoration project was developed for Lathrop Park located in Berkey, Ohio. The proposed work for this project includes restoration of 0.75 acres of riparian buffer, stabilization of 600 feet of eroding streambank, creation/enhancement of 165 feet of riffle habitat, restoring a riffle-pool sequence across the site, and enhancing in-stream habitat […]

The Hill Ditch Restoration at Toledo Natural Science Technology Center project is nearly complete! These efforts focused on creating instream and floodplain habitat for fish and benthos by stabilizing streambanks against erosion, targeting BUI 6 and BUI 14a. This site is utilized by Toledo Public Schools and their Natural Science Technology Center (NSTC) as an […]

The beginning stages of construction for the Clark Island and Delaware/Horseshoe Islands restoration projects are underway! Construction of the first temporary construction causeway began on January 8, 2024. Construction groundbreaking celebration events were held on January 23 that included a media event with speakers followed by an open community reception. The community has demonstrated their […]

One of the fundamental pieces of improving Beneficial Use Impairments is locating and addressing significant chemical contamination in the sediments in the waterways of the Area of Concern (AOC). Those chemicals of concern in the sediments are often from historical industrial contamination of the past. In the Maumee AOC, there is ongoing Great Lakes Legacy […]

(Via Ohio Lake Erie Commission) Conditions in the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC), one of the largest AOCs in the eight Great Lakes states, have vastly improved over the last 30 years, bringing the Maumee AOC one step closer to full restoration. These improved conditions are a result of reducing sources of oil, grease, and […]

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission and Ohio EPA are recommending the removal of BUI 11, Degradation of Aesthetics, in the Maumee Area of Concern. At the May MAAC meeting, the Committee will be asked for concurrence with the recommendation before it moves to US EPA and the International Joint Commission for approval. A public comment […]

Maumee Bay State Park is a 1,336-acre public recreation area on the shores of Lake Erie. In 2021, work began on the park’s inland lake swimming beach to address BUI 10: Beach Closings. Persistent, elevated fecal indicator bacteria frequently cause this beach to have an advisory posted against it being used for recreation. Studies showed […]

Hill Ditch Restoration at Toledo Natural Science Technology Center: This project focuses on creating instream and floodplain habitat for fish and benthos by stabilizing streambanks against erosion.