Ohio is a "water-rich" state with 166, 962 miles of streams and 483,000 acres of wetlands. There are 110 natural lakes in Ohio with a combined area that is larger than 5 acres. Each body of water within the state either drains to the Lake Erie basin or the Ohio river basin. Under the Ohio Clean Water Act, nearly half of our waterways do not meet the fishable, swimmable, and drinkable standard required. Many of our Ohio water sources are being polluted by sediments, manure, fertilizer, wetland and stream destruction, and a variety of other pollutants. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's analysis says that that majority of Ohio's rivers, streams, and lakes are considered "impaired" because of high concentrations of bacteria from raw sewage or heavy metals. In highly polluted areas, the fish can also be unsafe to eat or use for other purposes. These pollutants can harm fish and other aquatic animals, and it could potentially make people sick. Due to pollution, Ohio has been ranked 10th in the nation for toxic chemicals. For many people, this is scary because they spend a lot of their time in the summer boating, fishing, and swimming in these lakes. Certain events have even been cancelled due to toxic algae levels in water, such as a triathlon in Alum Creek Park, Lewis Center. In highly polluted areas, the fish can also be unsafe to eat or use for other purposes. Officials have warned that people should not eat more than one fish meal a month out of the Ohio River because the fish could contain mercury or other contaminants that cause cancer or other disorders. This is a big problem for fishermen and people who fish just for fun. People who regularly go boating, tubing, swimming, etc. in lakes have recently avoided doing so in fear of getting sick from the water. Many parks have started programs to try and reduce pollution in their water sources, and stop people from dumping their trash and waste into the water.
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