The Auglaize River joins the main stem of the Maumee River at Defiance, Ohio. Downstream of this confluence is the Lower Maumee watershed, which empties into the western basin of Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio. The Lower Maumee watershed encompasses 1082 mi2/2,802 km2, 66.7% of which is dedicated to cropland. The watershed, which includes the Ohio counties of Lucas, Fulton, Henry, Defiance, Putnam, and Hancock, was home to 278,000 people in 2000.*
The Lower Maumee region score was based on ten indicators with adequate data. The highest-scoring indicator was source water toxin, while the lowest-scoring indicator was total phosphorus. Read more about the individual indicator scores here.
*Information from the Rapid Watershed Assessment of the Lower Maumee Watershed.
