Students Explore Area Watersheds

For 25 years, junior high and high school students working in and around the Maumee River watershed have been testing for nutrients in the water. Students and teachers will be back at work October 15 collecting water samples for the Student Watershed Watch. This work has taken on new urgency since the City of Toledo water crisis in early August that resulted from elevated levels of an algae toxin in Lake Erie. Studies have indicated that silt in the Maumee River carries large amounts of phosphorus and deposits it in Lake Erie where it feeds toxic algae.

 

A mentor from Chrysler helps a Navarre School student put on waders. 

Construction Maps Updated

Updated maps showing road construction projects in the TMACOG region have been posted here. Also see the accompanying data for details of the type of construction planned and the jurisdiction or agency in charge of the project. This map reflects work planned through the rest of 2014.

There will be construction at three of the four regional system interchanges (where interstate meets interstate) in 2014. 

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

Lucas County Health Department Updates Capabilities

A year-long project funded by the Ohio EPA allowed TMACOG staff to train Lucas County Health Department staff on how to use GIS to identify critical sewage areas. The department has been transitioning from paper records to digital records and has now improved their searching and mapping ability with the training. Matt Horvat, TMACOG’s Maumee River coordinator, provided one-on-one training in the health department’s offices using their data and equipment.

The GIS software allows technicians to search for information more efficiently and to map their results in a way that allows for better analysis. Horvat explained that now, when the department gets a complaint about possible sewage contamination, the health department is better equipped for quick response. When technicians know the location of a spill and the age of area septic systems they can map possible sources of contamination and its reference to streets and waterways. 

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org