Maumee Area of Concern Water Quality Database Development

 

Background

In 1987 the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC) in northwest Ohio was designated as an Area of Concern based on the identification of ten Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs). The Maumee AOC consists of five separate river systems: Ottawa River, Swan Creek, Lower Maumee River, Lake Erie Tributaries (Otter, Wolf, Cedar, Crane and Turtle Creeks), and Toussaint River. Currently, the status of many BUIs for each of the fiver river systems is unknown due to a lack of background data.

Goals

The goal of this project is to compile an extensive water quality and biological data set for the Maumee AOC. These data can then be used for BUI assessment and delisting. In addition to serving raw data online, a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) is utilized so that the spatial trends of biological, habitat and water quality conditions can be visualized across the AOC. This project utilizes secondary datasets acquired from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's (OEPA) Lake Erie Biological Criteria and Habitat Evaluation Project that was conducted from 1993-1997. The data sets include macroinvertebrate and fish sampling data, fish anomalies as well as Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), Invertebrate Community Index (ICI), and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) scores. In addition, the databases provide a platform upon which comprehensive water quality data can be compiled by a range of organizations. The data can be accessed in both a database format and a GIS format by general public and research and monitoring organizations.

Funding and Partners

The Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toledo, Ohio conducted this project as part of the ongoing activities of the Maumee Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Stage II Committee, which is currently undertaking review of the Beneficial Use Impairments for the five river systems within the Maumee AOC. Funding was provided by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office (USEPA GLNPO) with matching funds provided by the University of Toledo. Computer equipment, software, data management and storage, and technical support are provided by the Geographic Information Science & Applied Geography (GISAG) Research Center in the Department of Geography and Planning.

Water Quality Monitoring

For additional information on this project or if you are involved in monitoring and are interested in contributing data to the database contact:

Patrick Lawrence: patrick.lawrence@utoledo.edu

Kari Gerwin: kgerwin@UTNet.UToledo.Edu

GISAG Lab: 419.530.4716 or 419.530.2699