After more than three decades of intentional and focused efforts, the ninth and final Beneficial Use Impairment for the Black River Area of Concern is being recommended for removal by the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and Ohio EPA.<\/p>\n
Conditions within the Black River Area of Concern continue to improve thanks to projects funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other local, state and federal investments, the release said.<\/p>\n
With concurrence from the local community advisory committee, the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and Ohio EPA are recommending the Degradation of Benthos BUI be removed.<\/p>\n
The impairment of a beneficial use indicates a change in the chemical, physical or biological integrity of a Great Lakes\u2019 waterbody sufficient to cause significant environmental degradation, according to the release.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemoving this final BUI reflects decades of collaborative restoration work aimed at improving water quality, restoring habitat and advancing the river\u2019s long-term health,\u201d said Joy Mulinex, executive director of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, in the release.<\/p>\n
The Black River Area of Concern was designated in 1987 under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.<\/p>\n
Nine Beneficial Use Impairments were identified in 1990, with the first one being removed in 2016.<\/p>\n
Significant federal, state and local investments were made through the Black River Area of Concern program to reduce sediment contamination and increase habitat within the Black River.<\/p>\n
Based on sampling results, benthic communities, which are bottom-dwelling aquatic organisms, have improved in sections of the Black River and French Creek and are expected to continue to improve as a result of Area of Concern investments.<\/p>\n
A detailed summary of the proposed recommendation is available on the Lake Erie Commission\u2019s Black River Area of Concern page<\/a>.<\/p>\n