06/04/2026
Mercer SWCD received a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant through the Ohio EPA's Western Lake Erie Basin Agricultural Nutrient Trapping program to install several drainage water management structures in the St. Marys River watershed. In working with one local landowner, four structures were installed, effectively controlling 75 acres of drainage.
Drainage water management utilizes water control structures in line with subsurface drainage tile to manage timing and elevation of the water table. This practice can optimize soil moisture, reduces nutrient runoff and can boost crop yields.