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Maumee AOC Tour Series

OctAOCtourThe Maumee Area of Concern Advisory Committee was invited on three tours this summer, highlighting restoration projects with different partners.  In August, MAAC members went on an Eastern Maumee AOC tour of projects focusing on addressing BUI 14b (loss of wildlife habitat).  This area is comprised of critical coastal wetlands and adjacent upland ecosystems.  There were four site visits including: Howard Marsh Phase II, Toussaint Marsh State Wildlife Area Phase II and III, Toussaint Parcels West and East, and the Navarre Unit at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.  In September, MAAC members went aboard the Sandpiper to tour several Maumee River restoration projects in the downtown area.  Presenters included the Toledo Metroparks who talked about recent and future Metropark projects along the river, The Mannik & Smith Group highlighted several brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects along the river, and Hull Inc. discussed the Great Lakes Dredge Material Center for Innovation. Cherie Blair with Ohio EPA and Kris Patterson with Partners for Clean Streams facilitated discussion on the importance of the work and partnerships in the AOC and within the region to improve environmental conditions.  The third and final tour showcased restoration sites in the western portion of the Maumee AOC, specifically the Oak Openings region and Maumee State Forest areas at nine site visits.  Irwin Prairie, Sandhill Crane Wetland Restoration Project, Irwin Prairie PCA Acquisition and Restoration sites, and Maumee State Forest new Site 1 and 2 were all featured on the Western AOC tour.  Thank you to those who presented their restoration projects and for those who attended the tours that exhibited the ongoing work within the Maumee AOC to address BUIs and improve local environmental conditions.

AOCmap14b

 

EPA’s Great Lakes AOC Conference

In late spring, several MAAC committee members attended the EPA’s Great Lakes AOC Conference in Sheboygan, Wisconsin held on May 16th and 17th.  Attendees got a tour of the past and ongoing restoration activities of the Sheboygan River AOC.  Later, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) program update was announced during the conference along with several Great Lakes AOC success stories. Cherie Blair with the Ohio EPA presented “Two Successful River Cleanups: Contributions from the AOC Program,” which showcased the Ottawa River Cleanup and the BUI improvements that have been made within the Maumee River AOC.  It was inspiring to see the collective progress made in the Great Lake’s Areas of Concern and the work that has been done through collaborative efforts to address water quality issues facing this region. The next US EPA AOC Conference is tentatively scheduled for September 2019 in Cleveland!

DMDS

The Data Management and Delisting System (DMDS) was created by Partners for Clean Streams and the Ohio EPA for the purpose of optimal collaboration between partners and projects within the Maumee AOC and to focus work within the Area of Concern in those stream reaches that are most impaired.  This tool showcases conceptual, planning (needing funding), in progress (funded), completed, and ongoing projects.  It allows users to filter between specific watersheds, the type and/or status of the project, which Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) each project is addressing, project endorsement, and data used. It shows the status of the progress towards removing BUIs within the AOC by meeting targets specific to the Areas of Concern in Ohio. Using the DMDS allows for better understanding of what is needed and what is being addressed throughout the AOC.  The DMDS is a one-stop-shop for monitoring progress in restoring fishable, swimmable, and drinkable waters.  Look for new improvements and more data in the DMDS within the next several months. The DMDS interactive webpage can be viewed by clicking on this link: http://dmds.maumeerap.org.

Join the MAAC Committee!

MAAC is looking for new committee members for 2019-2020.  If you are interested in being a voting member of the Maumee Area of Concern Advisory Committee, please fill out and submit the application.  Deadline for applicants is midnight on Sunday, December 16th.

September Sandpiper Tour

Join the MAAC aboard the Sandpiper on Wednesday, September 26th from 2-4pm to hear from speakers working within the Maumee AOC.  Learn about the progress of current plans and potential projects for the mainstream Maumee River restoration in downtown Toledo.  Feel free to bring other partners or colleagues who would be interested in learning about these projects addressing Beneficial Use Impairments in this area.  Please RSVP by Sept. 24th through our online signup form:  https://bit.ly/2LxexPu

Please arrive by 1:40 as the Sandpiper will leave the dock promptly at 2pm.  Parking may be limited, but there are meters along Water Street, Huron Street, and Summit Street.  You can also park in the parking garage off Summit Street on the river-side of the Maumee Tower or Commodore parking garage.  For more information or any further questions, please call Kris Patterson at (419) 874-0727.  Hope to see you on the Sandpiper!

 

  1. BUI Workshop
  2. Save the Dates – Join us on the River
  3. Ottawa River Contact Advisory Removal
  4. Toledo Lake Erie C3W
  5. MAP Project Spotlight: Toussaint Wildlife Area Coastal Wetland Restoration & Fish Passage

The Maumee AOC Committee works toward fishable and swimmable waters in the Maumee Area of Concern and delisting the beneficial use impairments. The Committee is working towards all major restoration projects being completed by 2025, through collaboration of partners and volunteer opportunities by its facilitating organization, Partners for Clean Streams. The committee is made up of representatives from various organizations, citizens, businesses and non-government agencies to build long term solutions to the area’s water quality issues.