Trading Program Measures of Success and Benefits
There are numerous direct and ancillary benefits measured to determine the success of the Trading Program. Measures of success for the Trading Program include:

• Attainment of Ohio’s water quality standards
• Reduction in nutrient loading to rivers and streams
• Increased money invested in agricultural management practices and money saved on wastewater treatment

Direct benefits include:

• Increased use of management practices that benefit water quality
• More sustainable operations with lower costs for agricultural producers
• Reduced compliance costs for wastewater treatment plants
• Increased number of stream miles that meet Ohio’s water quality standards
• Increased recreational use of the Great Miami River Watershed’s rivers and streams

The Trading Program will also result in many ancillary environmental benefits that would not be realized from just decreasing pollutant discharges by upgrading wastewater treatment plant technology. The benefits include increasing water quality data, utilizing trading ratios to insure that the benefit to water quality is more than what would occur from technology upgrades at treatment plants and increasing direct benefits to the environment.

The additional water quality data can be utilized throughout the Watershed by other organizations and projects. Although NPDES permits are scheduled to be renewed on a five year rotation, the Ohio EPA has resource limitations which prevent the collection of data every five years. To ensure that a comprehensive and effective water quality management strategy is being implemented, it is necessary to have access to data that is as current as possible.

Trading ratios will insure that the benefit to water quality is more than what would occur from technology upgrades at treatment plants. In addition, there are incentives in the Trading Program for eligible buyers to fund nutrient reduction efforts in advance of their permit requirement. These strategies produce ancillary benefits that result in better water quality sooner.

The following table lists other direct benefits to the environment.