DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Sorry, California. Too bad, Arizona. Quit watering your lawns, Nevada.

One by one, Great Lakes states are signing onto a deal that will put a lockdown on future plans to divert water from Lakes Erie, Superior, Michigan, Huron, or Ontario or the St. Lawrence River.

After nearly eight years of negotiation and discussion, the Ohio Senate voted 33-0 in favor of joining the Great Lakes Compact on Tuesday, June 10. The bill now goes to Gov. Ted Strickland, who is expected to sign it.

"This is one of these issues that 10 years from now as we see more and more water shortages develop in the western and southwestern states that we'll be thankful that we did," said House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering. "This is one of the more important things that I think we've done to protect the long-term interests of our state."

Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York and Michigan have already signed on and Pennsylvania is debating the compact. The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec approved a similar pact.

The Great Lakes Compact sets uniform rules for the eight states to manage lake water and any water that drains into the Great Lakes Basin. It regulates water export and use to protect against over-use, said Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council.

Lake Erie, which supplies drinking water to 3 million Ohioans, gets 80 percent to 90 percent of its water from the upper Great Lakes. "So, we can't go it alone. This helps Ohio to join this compact," Shaner said.

Ohio's participation in the compact almost came undone over a related resolution sponsored by state Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chesterfield. Grendell wants Ohioans to vote on a state constitutional amendment in November that would specify that the compact has no influence on property owners' reasonable use of pond and stream water on their land. Lawmakers agreed to put the question to voters in the fall.

Once all eight states sign on, the compact must be approved by Congress.

Grendell said the compact sends a message to other states: "If you want to whet your whistle with Lake Erie water, come home to northern Ohio and you can drink to your heart's content."

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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