The Ribeck Lake Chain falls within the Michindoh Aquifer. An Ohio company, Artesian of Pioneer, plans to drill into the aquifer and then sell and supply water to several Toledo, Ohio suburbs.
What is an aquifer?
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials. Groundwater can be extracted using a water well.
Where is the Michindoh Aquifer?
Our lake is within the Michindoh Aquifer. The aquifer is located in 9 counties within Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. This is an area of underground water that has provided drinking water to these counties. Parts of Hillsdale and Branch Counties are in the aquifer area.
What does this mean to me?
Artesian of Pioneer plans to drill into the aquifer and then sell and supply water to several Toledo, Ohio suburbs. This project involves state and federal laws. It has been proposed for years, but recently the Ohio EPA made tentative approval for the site of a first production well.
Opponents have raised the concern that pumping water from the aquifer will deplete it and that this project opens the door for more withdrawal projects in the future. Proponents counter that there is plenty of water and there would be no negative impact.
Learn more
We encourage you to check out the following links for more information and to learn how you can be involved in the local groups if you wish.
What is an aquifer?
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials. Groundwater can be extracted using a water well.
Where is the Michindoh Aquifer?
Our lake is within the Michindoh Aquifer. The aquifer is located in 9 counties within Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. This is an area of underground water that has provided drinking water to these counties. Parts of Hillsdale and Branch Counties are in the aquifer area.
What does this mean to me?
Artesian of Pioneer plans to drill into the aquifer and then sell and supply water to several Toledo, Ohio suburbs. This project involves state and federal laws. It has been proposed for years, but recently the Ohio EPA made tentative approval for the site of a first production well.
Opponents have raised the concern that pumping water from the aquifer will deplete it and that this project opens the door for more withdrawal projects in the future. Proponents counter that there is plenty of water and there would be no negative impact.
Learn more
We encourage you to check out the following links for more information and to learn how you can be involved in the local groups if you wish.
- Save Michindoh Water
- Residents worry 'water war' looms as regulators consider plan to tap Michindoh Aquifer (Article, Toledo Blade)
- Early tests on Michindoh Aquifer reveal robust supply (Article, Toledo Blade)
- Hillsdale County officials meet with USGS (article, Hillsdale News)