LORAIN, Ohio — Ohio is making strides in the effort to clean up our rivers. On Monday, the Ohio EPA announced another milestone in the work toward improving water quality in the Black River. The Black River is one of three rivers in the state considered an Area of Concern (AOC), along with the Cuyahoga and Maumee Rivers. The Ashtabula River was already cleared of all its Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) and delisted as an AOC.
There are 15 BUIs used to track progress in an AOC. They measure impairments like the loss of habitat or restrictions on fish consumption. Monday, the EPA agreed to remove the BUI concerning fish tumors and deformities from the Black River. News 5 anchor Katie Ussin spoke with Joy Mulinex, the Executive Director of the Lake Erie Commission, about what this means for communities along the river.
“That means that some of the work that’s been done in the river to clean it up, some of the dredges, some of the land use changes in the community are paying off in terms of better water quality," Mulinex said. "And the fish are getting healthier and that means that the residents of Lorain will be able to fish and use their river more.”
Mulinex said the effort to clean up our rivers isn’t only good for the health of the water and habitats, it’s good for the bottom line as well.
"Overall, in the state of Ohio, the eight counties that are adjacent to Lake Erie account for $17.2 billion in travel and tourism,” she told Katie.
The Black River was initially cited for 9 BUIs. Monday’s announcement marks the fifth that’s been cleared. Mulinex said the next steps will involve creating more habitat for fish and wildlife and on restoration projects. She said the goal is to have the Black River delisted as an AOC in the next few years.
