Maumee River AOC Boundary MapThe Maumee River was designated as an Area of Concern under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The environmental problems were primarily due to sediment contamination and agricultural runoff. The runoff was causing large amounts of phosphorus to enter the river, ultimately leading to cultural eutrophication in Lake Erie.

AOC Boundaries

The Maumee AOC covers 775 square miles and has been extended over the years to include several creeks. The Maumee AOC begins in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and travels more than 130 river miles to Lake Erie. 105 miles of the river are in Ohio. At 8,316 square miles, the Maumee River has the largest drainage area of any Great Lakes river.

Sources of Pollution

Agriculture runoff was causing large amounts of phosphorus to enter the Maumee, ultimately leading to cultural eutrophication in Lake Erie. Excessive amounts of nitrate and sediment also caused further pollution. Further investigation revealed there were other contaminents of concern including PCBs, heavy metals, phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from different sources such as:

• Old dumps
• Contaminated industrial sites
• Combined sewer overflows
• Disposal of dredged materials

Beneficial Use Impairments

Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs

• Added Costs to Industry and Agriculture - REMOVED 2015
• Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption
• Eutrophication or undesirable algae
• Degradation of fish and wildlife populations
• Beach closings
• Fish tumors or other deformities
• Degradation of aesthetics
• Degradation of benthos
• Restriction on dredging activities
• Loss of fish and wildlife habitat

Restoration

Restoring Maumee AOC (timeline)

Partners

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Buffalo District

The following links exit the site Exit

Ohio EPA - Lake Erie Programs 
Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources - Office of Coastal Management - Maumee River 
Ohio Sea Grant