Ohio EPA Samples Water in Mahoning Watershed
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is collecting water samples in the lower Mahoning River basin to gather information that will be part of a plan to maintain and, where necessary, restore the quality of the river and its tributaries, the state EPA has announced.
The watershed lies in northeastern Ohio and crosses the Ohio-Pennsylvania border; Youngstown, Warren and Lordstown are major municipalities in the watershed.
Mosquito Creek Lake and Meander Creek Reservoir are also in the watershed. The Mahoning River joins the Shenango River in Pennsylvania to form the Beaver River, which flows into the Ohio River.
Sampling will assess the condition of the water quality and aquatic life in the river and its tributaries, the agency said. These data will give the Ohio EPA a picture of where the water is healthy and where to focus work with local governments and landowners to find solutions for any problems.
Sampling locations tend to be chosen upstream and downstream from sewage treatment plants, sites of industrial discharges, tributaries, streams, dams and where there have been significant changes in land use practices. Samples will be collected from the same sites several times, the agency said.
Ohio EPA employees carry photo identification and will request permission from private landowners if access to their property is needed.
The federal Clean Water Act calls for a water quality plan, called a Total Maximum Daily Load for all impaired water bodies. The TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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