Federal Investments are Producing Results in Ohio

From 2009 through 2017, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has invested $246 million in 334 projects in Ohio to restore habitat, fight invasive species, clean up toxic pollution, and reduce polluted runoff. Habitat protection for rare species, like the Lake Erie Watersnake, has led to their return. From Toledo to Cleveland to Ashtabula, toxic pollution in places like the Cuyahoga River is being cleaned up and contained, bringing people back to their waterfronts.

But Serious Threats Remain

Lake Erie continues to be threatened by toxic algal blooms caused by polluted runoff and heavy spring rains. Invasive plants crowd out native species in wetlands. And to keep drinking water and wastewater safe, Ohio needs $27 billion over the next 20 years to repair and replace crumbling infrastructure. We need the federal government to continue partnering with Ohio to invest in Great Lakes restoration and affordable water infrastructure to protect our lakes.

Contact Your Member of Congress

Let your members of congress know they should take action to protect the Great Lakes! Find out how to contact your senators and representative here. Tell them:

• The Great Lakes are our most important source of fresh water, providing drinking water to 30 million people. We must continue our efforts to clean and restore them.
• Although we have made progress the lakes still face serious threats.
• We can’t afford to stop now. These projects to clean up our lakes will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait.