Ohio's Coastal Management Program (OCMP) integrates management of Ohio's 312-mile Lake Erie coast in order to preserve, protect, develop, restore, enhance and balance the use of the state's coastal resources. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources serves as the lead agency in administering the program which involves many partners to achieve OCMP's goals.

Ohio's coastal boundary is quite varied and runs through the nine counties bordering Lake Erie and its tributaries. The boundary width ranges from about an eighth-of-a-mile to 15 miles depending on features, such as coastal wetlands and bluffs.

The Coastal Program policies address nine management areas listed below. Each of these areas is further defined by a collection of strategies that are detailed in documents on the OCMP Website.

1. Coastal erosion and flooding
2. Water quality
3. Ecological sensitive regions
4. Ports and shore area development
5. Recreation and cultural resources
6. Fish and wildlife management
7. Environmental quality
8. Energy and mineral resources
9. Water quantity

The OCMP provides a variety of funding opportunities to local governments, state agencies, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations (501c3) for projects as defined by the OCMP. Grant projects must preserve, protect and enhance Lake Erie area coastal resources or improve public access to them. The Coastal Program Website provides links to detailed grant program information listing goals, priorities, eligible projects, and summaries of past project.

A convenient source for maps and data about Lake Erie and its watershed is the "Ohio Coastal Atlas." The Atlas includes a printed version (2007), plus an interactive map viewer and various data theme viewers. The Ohio Coastal Atlas can be accessed from the OCMP Website.