Water Resources and Nonpoint
Source Pollution
Ohio's water resources include more than 29,000 miles of named and designated rivers and streams, a 451-mile border on the Ohio River, more than 188,000 acres among more than 450 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs (118,000 acres publicly owned), and more than 230 miles of Lake Erie shoreline. These resources are critical not only for drinking water, but also for much of the state's industry.
Over the last two decades, the most obvious point sources (PS) of pollution have been addressed, and now management efforts at the local, state and federal levels are addressing water quality concerns with a broader perspective that includes nonpoint sources (NPS) of pollution. NPS pollution is caused when rainfall or snowmelt runs over land or through the ground, picks up pollutants and deposits them into rivers and lakes or introduces them into ground water. NPS pollution also involves adverse changes to animals, vegetation, the shape and flow of streams, and other aquatic systems.
Agriculture, forestry, grazing, septic systems, recreational boating, off-road vehicles, urban runoff, construction, physical changes to stream channels (hydromodification), and habitat degradation are potential sources of NPS pollution. Careless or uniformed management of households, lawns, and gardens also contributes to NPS pollution. The four leading sources of NPS pollution in Ohio are: agriculture, hydromodification, mining, and urban runoff. Causes of NPS pollution are the actual agents that affect water resource quality. The four leading causes of NPS pollution in Ohio are: habitat alteration, organic enrichment/low dissolved oxygen, siltation of stream channels (fine soil particles), and plant nutrients.
Ohio Nonpoint Source Assessment User's Guide Bulletin 873-99
This Program includes a comprehensive water quality assessment of the nature and extent of NPS water pollution problems, as well as sources and causes of problems. NPS assessment in Ohio is coordinated by theOhio Environmental Protection Agency; Assessment results for streams are available at the Ohio EPA website. To obtain a copy of this publication contact: Dr. Larry C. Brown, The Ohio State University.
Surface and Ground Water Terminology