Since the Maumee RAP launched into Stage 2 with the formation of the MRIC in 1991, activities to improve the AOC have been varied in size and focus. The Maumee RAP Committee and its extensive partnerships have made great progress toward achieving the goals of restoring the Maumee Area of Concern to "fishable and swimmable" condition. Annual summaries of the Maumee RAP Committee and Action Group activities, as well as a 10 year summary of the Activities and Accomplishments in the Maumee Area of Concern (1991-2001) are available for downloading from the Publications and Documents section of this web site. More research than can be described on this page are underway in the Maumee Area of Concern. Selected activities are outlined below.

• Ottawa River Risk Assessment and Hot Spot Delineation Project
  This study assessed the current human health and ecological risks posed by Ottawa River sediments and further delineated "hot spots" in the Ottawa River. Results of the assessment include: 1)Consolidated sediment, chemical and aquatic stream data from Ohio EPA; 2)Analysis of PCB data according to total PCB and congener specific toxicity and identify areas with elevated PCB concentrations; 3)Analysis of risks to human health based on river uses and potential pathways; 4)Analysis of risks to ecological receptors, including fish-eating birds and mammals; 5)Established risk-level baseline for the lower Ottawa River; 6)Recommendation for priority areas for riverbed remediation. The project was lead by TMACOG and conducted by an assessment team from LimnoTech, Intertox,and Parametrix. The Maumee RAP, Ottawa River Remediation Team, and Ohio EPA also provided assistance. The project was funded through a grant from the US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office. The final reports from this project are available on the publications & documents section.

• Ottawa River Dredging Limited Re-evaluation Report Update
  This report is an update of the US Army Corps of Engineers Final Limited Reevaluation Report from 1992. In late 2000 the City of Toledo announced their willingness to be the local sponsor for recreational/navigation dredging of the lower Ottawa River. Following that announcement the City of Toledo appropriated funds to the Toledo/Lucas County Port Authority and their contractor to conduct the report update needed. The report was completed in June 2002 and submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers - Buffalo District for their additions and the required public/agency reviews. A final report is expected from the Corps in Spring 2003. The Limited Reevaluation Report Update includes similar information to the 1992 report: a survey of area boaters and businesses, proposed channel locations, and a benefit/cost analysis. The latest information on dredging the Ottawa River is available on the City of Toledo's Ottawa River Dredging web site.
• Maumee Area of Concern Project
  Ohio EPA has been awarded numerous grants from US EPA and the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) to assess current conditions in the Maumee AOC and characterize some of the many uncontrolled waste sites. The largest was the MAOC Project which was to assess the health of the lower Maumee River and Maumee Bay ecosystems and to characterize uncontrolled sources affecting the Maumee AOC. This extensive sampling project was conducted from 1993 to 1998 and has enabled the RAP community to secure additional grants to conduct inventories, risk assessment studies, and prioritize sites for remediation.
• Toledo Metropolitan Area Storm Water Utility Study
  This study was sponsored by the Urban Runoff Action Group and looked at the feasibility and the benefits of stormwater management on a watershed basis, instead of only within individual city limits. A local policy board of supportive elected officials was established to provide input on existing stormwater problems and management activities and to steer the direction of the study. The study was funded through a $50,000 Implementation Grant from the Lake Erie Protection Fund and was completed in December 1998. This project was supported by a local match totaling $50,000 from the City of Toledo, Lucas County and TMACOG.
• Tracing Diffuse Sources of Fecal Contamination Through Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of E. Coli Isolates
  The University of Toledo received a grant to study the possible sources of bacteria contamination in Maumee Bay area. In particular, the "fingerprinting" project linked sources of the bacteria problem in Maumee Bay State Park to the culprits. A trial run of the project was completed first before the full, $140,000 project, funded by the Lake Erie Protection Fund, began in 1997.
• Cost of Reducing Sediments Delivered to the Toledo Harbor
  The Ohio State University Department of Agricultural Economics, received a grant from the Lake Erie Protection Fund to support initial research on the benefits and costs of soil reduction in the Maumee River basin. The study proposed to map, using economic modeling and GIS technology, the spacial distribution of the costs of several types of sediment reduction practiced in the basin. As a result, reduction efforts can be targeted to areas providing the greatest benefits at the least cost. In the future, incentive packages may be developed to achieve reduction goals with limited budgets. This study was conducted in collaboration with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Services and Heidelberg College. A large portion of the research was completed by June 1998 and final research concluded by June 1999.