The Toussaint River Improvement Incentive Program was developed to reduce sediment and nutrient loadings into the Toussaint River and Lake Erie. As a part of Phase I (1997 - 2000), incentives were available to landowners along the 36-mile mainstem of the Toussaint River. Landowners made a five-year commitment to maintaining newly installed conservation practices. Twenty-seven miles of filter strips and 233 acres of floodplain were set-aside under Phase I. Phase I activities and events included the creation of two full-color booklets illustrating the success of the project, media/information events, and conservation buffer area signage. Water quality assessments of the river were made before practices were put into place and then again after they were established. As a part of the Phase I program, a streambank stabilization project was also conducted.

Phase II began in 2000 and ran through 2004. This Phase provided financial incentives to landowners to establish filter strips along streams and in concentrated flow areas and set aside floodplain lands for all rivers, streams and ditches in the Toussaint River and Packer Creek watersheds. Forty-seven miles of filter strips were installed in Phase II. The project also included rebates for 106 homeowners who attended septic system education sessions and then properly pumped their systems.

Financing for Phase I was through a Ohio EPA 319 Grant with local match assistance from the Ohio DNR Division of Soil and Water Conservation and many other partners. Phase II was financed through a second Ohio EPA 319 Grant and many other partners. The Wood County Commissioners provided a bonus incentive payment to encourage landowner sign ups. This very successful program is highlighted as one of US EPA's 319 success stories. Fact sheets on these projects are available on our resources page.