H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program Publishes 2025 Annual Report
August 31, 2026
Columbus, OH – The H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program (WMP) has released its 2025 Annual Report, which offers timely recommendations for the design, installation, and maintenance of nutrient retention wetlands. The report draws on data collected from over 50 wetland restoration projects across Ohio from 2021 to 2025 to analyze how restored and constructed wetlands trap excess nutrients and mitigate harmful algal blooms.
To access the full report, please visit H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program 2025 Annual Report.
“The H2Ohio Wetland Program continuously improves its project selection and operation strategies each year, relying on the WMP’s extensive and accurate data, which is presented clearly and practically in annual reports. This allows resources to be allocated to the most effective practices for enhancing Ohio’s surface water quality,” shares Nazli A. Yilmaz Wodzinski, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources Professional Engineer who implements the H2Ohio Program.
Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Ph.D., Research Lead of the WMP, adds, “As we monitor these newly restored and constructed wetlands over multiple years, we’re continuing to see that wetlands, even relatively small ones, are effective at preventing nutrients from moving further downstream. Our data is demonstrating that designers and managers can design wetlands and leverage features that maximize nutrient storage, especially where wetlands are well connected to nutrient sources from upstream.”
H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program
The H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program is a research group that spans seven universities and collaborates with almost 39 conservation agencies and organizations. Its goal is to assess nutrient removal by wetlands restored or constructed through Governor Mike DeWine’s statewide H2Ohio Initiative. Since its inception in 2020, the Program has published six peer-reviewed papers and given over 50 presentations to inform and guide wetland site selection, design, and maintenance for nutrient mitigation. To date, the Wetland Monitoring Program has employed 18 principal investigators, five post-doctoral researchers, 32 staff scientists, and almost 100 students. Learn more at https://lakeerieandaquaticresearch.org/research/learn-initiatives/h2ohio-wmp/ .
Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network (LEARN)
The Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network (LEARN) is a group of field stations, scientific laboratories, and diverse researchers within Ohio working together to promote collaborative research, education, and networking to address the challenges and opportunities facing Ohio’s freshwater resources. Learn more at https://lakeerieandaquaticresearch.org/ .
H2Ohio
H2Ohio is Governor DeWine’s statewide water quality initiative designed to address complex issues impacting Ohio’s waters. Launched in 2019, H2Ohio uses a comprehensive approach guided by science and data to reduce algal blooms, stop pollution, and improve access to clean drinking water by supporting best farming practices, road salt runoff reduction, litter cleanup, dam removal, land conservation, and water infrastructure revitalization. For more information visit https://h2.ohio.gov/ .
For media inquiries, contact: Lauren Kinsman-Costello, H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program Research Lead, Associate Professor, Kent State University, h2ohiowetlands@kent.edu