The Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer supplies water to 400,000 people within the region. But the Miami Conservancy District wants to know what would happen if we shared our water across watersheds or state borders.
It’s trying to answer this question through a study.
“What we're looking at is, what's the impact of that water–instead of returning into the great Miami River as a return flow–what if we don't return it? What if it goes someplace else?” said Mike Ekberg, manager of water data and analysis for the Miami Conservancy District.
The district received a $100,000 grant from the Ohio Water Development Authority to pursue this research. It will match that, for a total cost of $200,000.
Climate change and development could stress water resources, said Ekberg. He said the research will assess several scenarios on how water exporting from the aquifer could play out.
Numerical models using existing MCD data as well as projections for land use, climate change and other risk factors will be used to determine water levels in the aquifer over time.
“Ultimately we're going to want to be able to propose management scenarios that could put our region in the best possible shape to be able to deal with potential future situations in the most sustainable manner,” Ekberg said.
Ekberg said he’s not aware of any plans to divert water to another location or state.
Pursuing this research garnered support from state Rep. Andrea White, of Kettering, who said the study will be useful.
“I look forward to partnering with them as the data and the analysis comes out of their research to help inform what, if any, changes Ohio might want to make to preserve the quantity as well as the quality of our water supply for generations to come,” White said.
The conservancy district is to create a final report in five years.
The Miami Conservancy District will seek input on the direction of the research through a research advisory panel, said Ekberg.
