Larry Ault,Northeast District Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Specialist
Ohioans should take steps to ensure the cleanliness of their ground water supply.
About half of the U.S. population relies on ground water for its drinking water, and more than 90 percent of the rural residents of the United States get their ground water through a well or spring.
Over the years, ground water was thought to be a relatively pristine source of water that is cleaner and better protected than surface water supplies. But in recent years, nitrate and bacterial contamination has been found in some ground water locations.
The ground-water layer where cracks and other spaces between bedrock and soil is filled with water is called the saturated zone. The rock and sand through which ground water flows is commonly referred to as an aquifer. Water enters the soil through a process called percolation and moves downward toward the saturated zone if it is not used by plants, evaporated into the atmosphere or held within soil pores.
Many people are interested in developing environmental programs to protect ground water. However, water is far easier and less expensive to manage on the surface than it is after it disperses into the underground water supply and becomes less accessible.
Farmers use a variety of soil and water conservation techniques to protect the quality of water before it percolates into the soil. Filter strips--grassy strips 15 feet to 50 feet wide that filter sediment and nutrients from water--and grassed waterways that reduce soil erosion are two typical examples of conservation practices Ohio farmers use.
Farmers also use practices such as no-till crop production to reduce erosion. But no-till farmers tend to use more chemicals than traditional tillage farmers to control weeds and other unwanted vegetation. Proper application rates, proper timing of the application, use of buffer zones and other approved soil and water conservation techniques help farmers maintain high ground water quality.
Urban and suburban Ohioans also can help protect the ground water supply through the use of proper application amounts and techniques when they use pesticide and fertilizer products around the home.
For more information on protecting ground water, contact your local Ohio State University Extension office. Most county offices have locally prepared fact sheets about the county water supply.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868