GRANT START July 1, 2018

SPONSOR

Perry Soil and Water Conservation District

Sebastian Teas, Watershed Coordinator

740-743-1325

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Nutrient management
• Stream restoration
• Wetland restoration

• Received Ohio EPA approval of Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategies (NPS-IS) for the two drainage areas to the lake: Buckeye Lake and Buckeye Lake Reservoir Feeder sub-watersheds. Approved NPS-IS incorporate U.S. EPA "9-key-elements" for watershed-based plans and include science-based, shovel-ready projects identified by the Buckeye Lake community as important water quality solutions.

• Design work has begun on a 5,000-ft petition ditch that will feed into a constructed wetland north of I-70. 600 feet of the mid-section of Honey Creek has been identified as needing streambank improvements. A community working group has been established for Honey Creek, residents, developers, Buckeye Lake Region Corporation and other interested parties who have expressed interest in reducing sediment and nutrient loads from the stream. With ODNR taking part in the discussions, opportunity may be available to utilize H2Ohio funding for projects. Next steps for the group include meeting with prominent landowners and developing a comprehensive sub-watershed plan for Honey Creek.

• Construction was nearly complete as of June 2021 on the H2Ohio-funded Brooks Park wetland on the southwestern end of Buckeye Lake, which will function as a wetland treatment train similar to those constructed to reduce nutrients from entering Grand Lake St. Mary’s. Fairfield SWCD captured drone footage of the wetland’s creation and will produce a timelapse video of the project. The wetland now moves water from Murphy’s Run into two cells using a solar-powered pump. Murphy’s Run was transformed into a meandering stream closer to the mouth. It had been highly channelized before construction. Kent State University will partner with ODNR to monitor H2Ohio sites around the state, including Brooks Park. Perry and Fairfield SWCDs will join this collaboration by providing existing data and advertising KSU’s volunteer-led data collection program. A wetland on the north side of Buckeye Lake has been approved for Ohio EPA 319 funding. The wetland will treat high nitrate laden waters before the entering a second wetland. While waiting for US EPA to release funds, Perry SWCD has sent out Requests for Qualifications to three engineering firms and has initiated the permitting process with  U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Water from the new petition ditch will be pumped into the 1.6 acre wetland during base flow.

• The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District provides cost-share funding for cover crops within its jurisdictional boundaries. Because the Licking County portion of Buckeye Lake falls within this range, the Licking SWCD is actively recruiting new sign ups for cover crops. MWCD is encouraging participating SWCDs to increase sign ups by 20%. Last year, the Licking SWCD had 380 acres enrolled in the program.

• HSTS inspections of Orchard Island were completed and in collaboration with the Fairfield Health Department. Ammonia and nitrate samples were also collected. No obvious violations were observed. The Fairfield Health Department has since signed an agreement with the Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District to conduct HSTS inspections in the Fairfield County portion of the Buckeye Lake watershed.

• Worked with local non-profit Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow (BLT) with implementation of bubbling aerators in stagnant lake canals. These aerating units will break up algae and introduce dissolved oxygen into the water using a punctured tube and pump system. Each aeration unit is estimated to cost $5,600. An aerator is currently running in Millersport Canal, and aerators were installed at Heron Bay. The aerators operated as expected, however, the Heron Bay aerators were removed due to noise complaints. Other sites around Buckeye Lake have expressed interest in installing aerators of their own.

GRANT START July 1, 2018

SPONSOR

Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District

Meg Hennessey, Watershed Coordinator

216-524-6580

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Stream restoration
• Riparian reforestation
• Floodplain restoration

• The Baker Creek Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategy (NPS-IS) and the Cahoon Creek - Frontal lake Erie revisions were approved. A revision of the Euclid Creek NPS-IS was also submitted for review, and development of the the West Branch Rocky River and Plum Creek NPS-ISs is underway. Updates to the Baldwin Creek - East Branch Rocky River NPS-IS were also approved.

• Coordinating with the City of Rocky River to develop a stream restoration project for Spencer Creek at Bradstreet's Landing, which is among the city's highest priorities. Three streamside management presentations were provided to 25 streamside landowners within the Rocky Fork Watershed. A fourth, planned, hands-on training for streamside landowners was postponed due Covid-19. Also, identified four sites and received landowner permission for streambank restoration with bioengineering techniques. Western Reserve Land Conservancy / Dominion Energy will provide funding to plant 2000 live stakes on the four project sites.

• Cuyahoga SWCD actively promotes stream and wetland restoration including riparian tree planting:
  • Healy Creek in Brunswick - 120 linear feet of stream was stabilized using a combination brush mattresses, live fascines, and live stakes 
  • Strongsville Backyard Habitat Preserve - 1,500 linear feet of stream was stabilized using 300 feet of live fascines and 1,200 live stakes
  • Willowughby Eastlake School of Innovation - 600 live stakes were added to 1,600 feed of stream bank and 800 wetland plugs
  • Hawken School in the Euclid River watershed - 75 trees and shrubs were added to 175 linear feet of riparian area
  • NASA Glenn Research Center within the Rocky River watershed - 500 linear feet of riparian area were planted with 1,000 wetland plugs and 98 shrubs
  • Abram Creek in a conservation easement held by Cuyahoga SWCD - 98 trees and shrubs were planted
  • Cleveland Metroparks Hinckley Reservation - 45 trees were planted along a cold water tributary to the East Branch of the Rocky River
  • North Royalton Farms along the Upper East Branch of the Rocky River - restored 1600 feet of streambank and 800 feet of habitat using bioengineering techniques and installing nine in-stream structures

GRANT START July 1, 2016

SPONSOR

Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District

Becca Theaker, Watershed Coordinator

740-526-0027

PRIORITIES

• Watershed Planning
• Riparian protection
• Stream restoration
• Livestock exclusion

• Completed reinforcement of the Township Road 194 crossing of Bend Fork on October 25, 2019. Articulated concrete block mat was used to prevent pooling and channel erosion from vehicle traffic, and reduce sedimentation of exceptional stream habitat. Partnering with U.S. Fish & Wildlife resulted in receiving $42,000 for the project.

• Work continues to replace a submarine bridge currently altering stream habitat and hindering fish passage on Crabapple Creek. Replacement with high vent-to-area culverts will protect the biological integrity of this excellent stream. A provisional mitigation agreement was signed between Belmont SWCD and Norfolk Southern Railway, which will provide $175,000 to complete the project.

• Received a $4,500 grant from the Gulfport Energy Fund to expand Captina Creek Stream Team water quality monitoring. The addition of pH strips, conductivity monitors and macroinvertebrate sampling equipment will enhance chemical sampling and add biological monitoring capability at eight sights over two years. SWCD staff also assisted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources with monitoring macroinvertebrate communities within the watershed. Planning for the macroinvertebrate monitoring is on hold to protect the health and wellness of volunteers during the Covid-19 outbreak.

• At the Belmont County meeting of the East Central Grazing Alliance, the watershed coordinator presented on the Captina Creek Livestock Exclusion Fencing Program and offered assistance to those interested after which the Belmont SWCD was approached by landowners to discuss the program and set up site visits. As a result one contract will be executed in 2020 and a second contract is in the early planning stages.

• Coordinating development of the Pea Vine Creek Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategy (NPS-IS). This watershed action plan, submitted to Ohio EPA for review on May 4, 2020, identifies specific acid mine drainage clean-up, stream crossing upgrade, and other projects to prioritize for grant seeking. One project, the Lynn Gob Pile Restoration, would reclaim approximately 7.7 acres of abandoned coal refuse and eliminate a major source of acid mine drainage discharge directly to Captina Creek. Negotiations are underway to purchase nearly 400 acres surrounding this site to create a natural area open to the public for passive recreation such as hiking and fishing.

• Partnered with Captina Conservancy to obtain a Spotlight Grant from the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Dominion Gas for restoration of riparian zones and floodplains at three locations within the South Fork sub-watershed. The Captina Conservancy has also protected 484 acres with conservation easements. A partnership with Ohio University and Blue Feather Land Trust will has resulted in riparian restoration in the South Fork Sub-watershed. Socially distancing volunteers planted over 250 bare root trees and shrubs at Rainbow's End along the South Fork Captina Creek, which reinforces the existing riparian buffer and provides additional water quality protection and wildlife habitat.

Festival

GRANT START July 1, 2019

SPONSOR

Hamilton Soil and Water Conservation District

Adam Lehmann, Watershed Coordinator

513-772-7645 ext. 15

PRIORITIES

• Watershed Planning
• Stormwater management
• Stream and floodplain restoration

• Storm sewer retrofitting has the most promise for improving Cooper Creek by detaining water in a pipe system until water levels reach water quality release level.  A prototype of the retrofit has been constructed at USEPA’s Test and Evaluation Facility. Partners are currently developing a spreadsheet tool to screen potential retrofit sites and to use in conjunction with U.S. EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) for retrofit design. Hamilton County Planning and Development approved design of the flow control devise, filtration system, and U.S. EPA agreed to incorporate a fish passage ramp.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will provide funding for two stormwater retrofit projects, a new flow monitoring station, and three years of macroinvertebrate identification within an 85-acre industrial/commercial area of the watershed.

• Investigating retrofitting detention basins for passive groundwater recharge. Coordinated with U.S. EPA scientists researching best practices and interested in monitoring wells associated with detention basin retrofits. This partnership may result in U.S. EPA installation of wells and passive groundwater recharge systems at no cost to local partners.

• Initiated the first phase of a Large woody debris (LWD) installation program. Most of the creek-front property in the Cooper Creek Watershed is on single family residential property; so obtaining support and buy-in from these stakeholders is critical for success. Concepts will be introduced with a demonstration project and accompanying education. Received permission from Sycamore Township Maintenance Superintendent and approval from township trustees to install fallen trees from Bechtold Park into the creek with educational signage.

• Investigating whether road and driveway crossings function as migration barriers to fish in Cooper Creek. There has been interest in pursuing culvert replacement funds from the USFWS’s National Fish Passage Program; however, more data is needed to determine whether these culverts are really limiting fish diversity in the creek. Completed a map of road and driveway crossings in the Cooper Creek Watershed and a monitoring plan.

• Designed and installed a raingarden to receive stormwater from Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School, and coordinating with science teachers to incorporate the new green infrastructure into hydrology and ecology lesson plans. Green Umbrella funded signage with a grant received from Duke Energy Foundation.

• Conducting outreach, project planning and modeling efforts to develop a tree planting initiative within the one square mile demonstration project in the watershed. If successful, the project will result in tree plantings on both public an public properties prioritized by proximity to impervious surfaces and higher slopes over multiple years. A potential site database and map has been produced.

GRANT START July 1, 2018

SPONSOR

Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District

Becky McClatchey, Natural Resources Specialist

513-732-7075

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Wetland restoration
• Nutrient management
• Farmland preservation
• Stream restoration
• Stormwater management

• Coordinated a partnership between Village of Williamsburg and Ohio EPA to remove the Williamsburg Low-head Dam in October 2018, which restored more than 85 miles of the East Fork Little Miami River to free-flowing condition. More than 60 volunteers participated in a mussel relocation event. Funding was provided through the Ohio EPA Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program for a total project cost of $674,911. Approximately 4 acres of riparian area was protected permanently with a conservation easement.

• Removed a low-head dam on the East Fork Little Miami River in the Village of Batavia in partnership with Valley View Foundation.

• Development of the Glady Creek watershed plan is underway. OKI is working with Clermont SWCD to complete a riparian analysis of an additional three East Fork subwatersheds to support NPS-IS development. Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) modeling has been completed for seven of the 11 subwatersheds to Harsha Lake, including Glady Creek. The ACPF analysis will help identify priority areas and projects for restoration and protection. Additionally, US EPA office of Research and Development completed a SWAT model run for Solomon Run watershed which shows average annual loads of nitrogen and phosphorus for different areas throughout the watershed. The Solomon Run NPS-IS will be developed in Year 3. A student from Miami University's Institute the Environment and Sustainability (IES) is assisting with plan development.

• Clermont SWCD worked with area SWCDs and partners to complete the Southwest Ohio Agricultural Conservation Menu, a new agricultural conservation website supported by Ohio EPA Environmental Education Fund. Over 600 area farmers were involved in site development through a series of focus groups, regional workshop, and other events. The site went live February 2020.

• Awarded a $158,950 grant from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to fund an Upper East Fork wetland treatment feasibility analysis, and the construction of an off-channel wetland at the site of the Village of Williamsburg’s old drinking water reservoir, which was drained as part of the low-head dam removal project. The district is partnering with the Clermont Office of Environmental Quality to develop a water quality monitoring plan for the constructed wetland. Auto-samplers and a nitrate sensor will be installed at the inflow and outflow channels of the wetland to analyze sediment and nutrient removal capacity. The dam was removed and reservoir drained in 2018. In February 2020 the Ohio Department of Natural Resources awarded H2Ohio funding of $290,000 to supplement the Williamsburg wetland demonstration project, watershed analysis and modeling for wetland siting. A contractor began wetland design in June 2020.

• Partnering with the largest producer in the Harsha Lake sub-watershed and Clermont OEQ to demonstrate a combine modification allowing cover crop planting during harvest. The intent is to scale the technology up and bundle with nutrient management, variable rate application and no till. The grant of $66,015 is from the USDA Conservation Innovation Grant program. A minimum of 600 acres will be planted with the modified combine during each year of the project. The project includes a monitoring component carried out by the East Fork Watershed Cooperative to assess the effectiveness of the combined practices in reducing nutrient and sediment loads to nearby streams.

• Partnered with the Clermont County Park District to develop a stream restoration (day-lighting) and wetland enhancement project along a tributary to Avery run in Shore Park, and was awarded $135,080 from the Ohio EPA section 319 grant program. 500 feet of buried stream will be restored with a design completed and permit application submitted to U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The district is also developing a second application for the Ohio EPA Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program to restore nearly four thousand linear feet of stream along the East Fork Little Miami River. This will address stream bank erosion contributing an estimated 1.6 tons of sediment per year and impairing fish habitat.

• Contracted with a consultant to prioritize detention basins in the Hall Run sub-watershed for retrofits. Six of 37 basins were identified for which the SWCD will seek grants and other funding and coordinate with stakeholders to implement water quality volume upgrades.

GRANT START July 1, 2019

SPONSOR

Lake Soil and Water Conservation District

Caitlin Ormsby, Resource Protection Technician

440-350-2049

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Restore stream and wetland habitat
• Establish riparian buffers
• Promote low impact development practices

• Nonpoint Source Program (319) grant funds from Ohio EPA were used for a floodplain project in North Perry Village including 1800 linear feet of streambank restoration, removal of invasive species and re-establishment of native floodplain grasses. After completing this work under budget, the project was expanded to restore an additional 800 linear feet of streambank with floodplain species management as described. A conservation easement is under development for the section of stream. Another 319 project recently approved by Ohio EPA will restore an unstable agricultural ditch to stream habitat during the summer or fall of 2021. 

• Coordinated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to visit several wetland restoration project sites for potential funding. A site on Lake Metroparks property was identified as suitable for U.S. F&W assistance. A conceptual plan and draft budget has been completed. Also completed a restoration project at Springbrook Gardens Park, which repurposed a previously channelized agricultural ditch with installation of sand seepage berms to create a small wetland complex.

• Coordinated with USDA-NRCS and a landowner to develop a two-stage channel and riparian forest restoration project with Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funds. A conceptual plan and draft budget have been developed to restore a nursery ditch. The wider and and more substantial riparian buffer will allow more in-floodway storage and reduce erosion and downstream sedimentation.

• A North Perry Village project revision was approved by Ohio EPA resulting in 900 linear feet of streambank to be restored with bank stabilization and invasive species removal. Engineering plans, easement descriptions and budget have been completed.

• Low Impact Develop (LID) practices are encouraged on private and public property to reduce flash flows of floodwaters that accelerate stream erosion and damage habitat. An application was submitted to the U.S. Forest Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for a tree planting on City of Mentor property.

• Lake SWCD assists with many research projects and data collection efforts. The district recently initiated an assessment of all streams with the Arcola Creek Watershed using the Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index (HHEI) developed by Ohio EPA. Stream health scores may be compared to baseline HHEI scores collected in 2000 to show  changes.

• The district partners with many organizations to improve the wetlands of the Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve. Working in collaboration with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Youngstown State University, Lake SWCD routinely collects data in and around Mentor Marsh including salinity, flow, dissolved oxygen, and water level.

GRANT START July 1, 2018

SPONSOR

Mercer Soil and Water Conservation District

937-335-7645

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Nutrient management
• Stream restoration
• Wetland restoration

• Completed construction of the West Branch Beaver Creek Stream Restoration Project with a grant from Ohio EPA Nonpoint Source Grant Program (319) and a grant from the Electric Power Research Institute. Construction was completed in 2019 and final trees and grass seed were planted in the spring of 2020. A 40-year conservation easement on the project was recorded in May 2020. The project will wrap up with a public tour in July 2020. Another potential project site is located in Chickasaw Creek Subwatershed.

• Secured Ohio EPA 319 grant funding for the Phosphorus Reduction Edge of Field Practice Plan. Mercer SWCD has certified and paid incentives for 89 acres in the double-cropping portion of the project. A saturated buffer was installed in the Beaver Creek Subwatershed in April 2020. Mercer County and Wright State University Lake Campus will be monitoring the efficacy of the saturated buffer for three years using a grant from the Blanchard Demonstration Farms Network.

• Completed the Deerfield Wetland Construction Project with Ohio EPA 319 funding.

• Completed construction of the Windy Point wetland restoration and creation project resulting in 15.3 acres and wetland and upland buffer. An environmental covenant was recorded with the property deed in the spring of 2020.

• $1.5 million of ODNR H2Ohio Wetlands Program funding will be used to develop nearly 90 acres of land into a wetland conservation area in the Coldwater Creek Subwatershed. Another $1.1 million of Clean Ohio funding will be used to purchase the property. In addition, conceptual plans and permitting requirements are being developed by the Grand Lake St. Marys Lake Facilities Authority for a wetland conservation area on big and little Chickasaw Creeks.

• Mercer SWCD is coordinating with Tetra Tech on development of several Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategies (NPS-IS) for sub-watersheds of St. Marys River watershed. Yankee Run, Black Creek, Little Black Creek, Bleirdorfer Creek, and Coldwater Creek NPS-ISs have been approved by Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Agriculture.

• Received two Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grants, $60,000 to establish 5,748 lineal feet of grassed waterways in the Yankee Run Subwatershed, and $29,600 to establish 1,719 lineal feet of grassed waterway in Black Creek Subwatershed.

• The Grand Lake St. Marys Restoration Commission, along with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources completed a beach improvement project on the north side of Grand Lake St. Marys, which involved eight acres of lake dredging and rock wall extension. Microcystin toxin monitoring has been conducted weekly since completion in August 2019.

GRANT START July 1, 2019

SPONSOR

Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District

Erica White, Watershed Coordinator

419-281-7645

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Agricultural nutrient management
• Cover crops
• Conservation tillage
• Soil testing

• Implemented 880 acres of cover crops through promotion of incentive programs including the those offered by Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), and a farmer funded aerial seeding program coordinated by the SWCD. The Ashland SWCD Board of Supervisors also offered reduced rental rates for use of the districts two no-till drills. Presentations were provided to Sunrise Cooperative's "Tech Talk" training for in-house agronomists and sales representatives and at the Soil Health Symposium.

• Enrolled 275 acres in both Winfield United's field forecasting tool and in Adapt-N nitrogen modeling. Both are useful tools for helping producers make the best conservation decisions environmentally and economically. Also hosted a winter meeting on "Extreme Farming" with guest speakers from Adapt-N and OSU for roughly 70 participants.

• Completed a livestock exclusion stream fencing project with funding from MWCD and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which will protect 1750 linear feet of stream riparian habitat, reduce erosion, and keep nutrients out of the stream. The SWCD is also focused on reducing manure runoff through promotion of good manure management and use of Adapt N and Field Forecasting Tool through various outreach venues. A proposal to expand this outreach was submitted to the Ohio EPA Environmental Education Grant Program. Videos were produced and posted to the SWCD website and Facebook page on how to collect manure samples for analysis and how to use the OnMrk nutrient application record keeping app. The board is also offering one free manure analysis for any Ashland County producer with current application records.

• Coordinating with representatives of local townships, Ashland University, Ashland City Council, Ashland County Commission, residents, business owners, Ohio EPA and other stakeholders to develop a Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategy (NPS-IS) for the Lang Creek Subwatershed. Three well-attended stakeholder meetings and nearly 100 survey responses helped inform projects for the NPS-IS plan.

• Secured a $44,000 grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts to conduct urban conservation education and outreach activities with special emphasis on the Lang Creek Subwatershed. The grant will also allow the SWCD to install rain gardens and pollinator habitat at county head start centers.

GRANT START July 1, 2018

SPONSOR

Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District

Karen Gotter, Watershed Coordinator

330-600-3107

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Nutrient management
• Riparian restoration
• Livestock exclusion
• Stormwater management

• Developing a stream restoration project on a section of Rush Run, which is currently undergoing extensive aggradation* resulting in frequent flooding of county roads. While very costly for the county, the build up of sediment in the stream also causes water quality and stream habitat problems for aquatic wildlife. The SWCD partnered with the county engineers office to secure project designs and submittal of a 319 grant proposal. The Muskingum River Watershed Conservancy District funded an engineering study.

• Supported completion of the Tea Run NPS-IS with assistance capturing stakeholder input for critical area and project development.

• Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District awarded $10,000 to restore a stream through the Holmes County Home property with livestock exclusion fencing, watering systems, spring development, and two stream crossings. The project will also include a walking path adjacent to the stream, which will provide educational opportunity for visitors. The fencing and watering system components of this project are complete and the stream restoration will be completed when weather permits.

• Coordinating with the Holmes County Planning Department to begin documenting stormwater controls and verifying their function. Also coordinating with the Holmes County GIS Department and the East Central Ohio Building Authority to develop a stormwater control inventory to be made available to multiple county departments. The SWCD provides educational materials to landowners visiting the office for stormwater permits. All lot splits, replats and subdivisions in the county are reviewed by the SWCD, which results in applicants receiving best management practice advice during construction.

• Demonstrated the rainfall simulator during a quarterly meeting of the Holmes County Township Trustees Association and talked about water quality and quantity impacts to road, ditch and stormwater projects.

• Participating in a multi-agency coordination effort led by Holmes County Emergency Management to identify initiatives and projects for collaborative implementation.  The planning department identified land acquisition and wetland creation efforts along the main stem of the Killbuck for a flooding mitigation and recreation opportunity. The SWCD will stay engaged to support proposal development.

• Promoting agricultural conservation apps, On-Field Ohio! (estimates soil erosion and attached phosphorus using various management scenarios) and OnMRK (nutrient application documentation tool). Nine participants are using On-Field Ohio! to manage 3307 acres, and twelve are using OnMRK on 4131. Completed three comprehensive nutrient management plans for dairy farmers covering 1800 acres. Initiated a manure storage inventory to facilitate efficient manure management.

​GRANT START July 1, 2016

SPONSOR

Columbiana Soil and Water Conservation District

Josh Emanuelson, Watershed Coordinator

330-332-8732

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Livestock exclusion
• Stream restoration
• Low-head dam removal
• Riparian restoration
• Habitat restoration

GRANT START July 1, 2019

SPONSOR

Paulding Soil and Water Conservation District

Patrick Troyer, Watershed Coordinator

419-399-3841

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Agricultural nutrient management
• Stream and wetland restoration
• Septic system upgrades
• Soil health practices

• Paulding SWCD is actively promoting and locally administering cost-share to producers for a range of nutrient management practices through the ODA Lake Erie Phosphorus Reduction Program and H2Ohio. A participant list is maintained and updated so that interested producers can be quickly contacted when incentive programs become available. The list was used recently to survey producers for wanted conservation projects on their land, which will be used to develop cost-share incentive programs and offer technical assistance.

• Received a $100,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant through the Ohio Lake Erie Commission to implement soil-specific practices, 5 blind inlets and 20 drainage water management structures.

• Precision nutrient placement equipment was purchased by the SWCD with a grant from the U.S. EPA through the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. The equipment has been utilized on 117 acres in the Prairie Creek, Lower Blue Creek, and Upper Blue Creek subwatersheds.

• Developing two waterways totaling 3,106 feet of gully erosion abatement. One is in Sixmile Creek watershed funded with NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Program, and  the other in Flatrock Creek funded with USDA Farm Service Agency Conservation Reserve Program incentives.

• Coordinating with the Paulding County Health Department and Ohio EPA to identify and abate pollution from home sewage. Four instances of sewage entering waters of the state were discovered and reported.

• Received a Lake Erie Restoration Fund grant from the Ohio Lake Erie Commission of $41,000 to support development of NPS-IS watershed plans. Technical document preparation is being completed by a consultant while Paulding SWCD leads stakeholder involvement in the planning process.

• Established a pollinator prairie garden a the Black Swamp Nature Center.

SPONSOR

GRANT START July 1, 2018

Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District

Joey Sink-Oiler, Watershed Coordinator

419-893-1966 ext. 1#

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Nutrient management
• Riparian restoration
• Agricultural runoff prevention

• Partnered with the Maumee Area of Concern Advisory Committee (MAAC) to develop a list of riparian habitat and protection project proposals to Ohio EPA for Great Lakes Area of Concern funding. SWCD staff identified high-priority parcels, contacted landowners, reviewed project descriptions and proposed site-appropriate conservation practices. Four sites approved by MAAC are located in the Swan Creek Watershed.

• Partnered to submitted two riparian habitat protection and restoration project proposals. The first was submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency seeking funding to identify and protect flood-prone areas in Lucas County. An inventory of parcels currently available for purchase was developed. The second proposal was a result of partnering with University of Toledo engineering students to develop design and cost estimates for wetland and riparian habitat restoration in the Heilman Ditch sub-watershed.

• Worked extensively with local officials on the new Lucas County Hazard Mitigation Plan, which established the Lucas SWCD as a coordinating agency for riparian and wetland habitat restoration and protection, and assisting townships with policies to restrict development in flood-prone areas.

• The SWCD continues to work with five horse stable owners utilizing the district's state-certified Blue Creek Equine Composting Facility. Initiated development of nutrient management plans for each stable and conducting site visits. Over 120 cubic yards of manure as been removed from the Swan Creek watershed and composted to Ohio EPA standards for distribution to local community gardens. Additionally, the SWCD used county auditor resources and aerial imagery to complete and updated inventory of Swan Creek properties with stables and developed a new section of the SWCD website to provide manure management planning and information to landowners.

• Expanded the Ag BMP Incentive Program from the Heilman Ditch sub-watershed to the entire of Swan Creek watershed. Recent work resulted in agreements with seven producers in the Swan Creek watershed to install water management structures, cover crops, blind inlets, and vegetated buffers. Sources of funds for these practices include: Ohio EPA Lake Erie Tributary Program, Lake Erie Phosphorus Reduction Program and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding. The SWCD is focused on developing farm conservation plans with the goal of implementing all the water quality conservation needs on those farms in the watershed. The SWCD is also actively promoting farmer enrollment in H2Ohio agricultural conservation incentives.

GRANT START July 1, 2016

SPONSOR

Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District

Logan Moon, Watershed Coordinator

740-264-9790

PRIORITIES

• Watershed planning
• Riparian restoration & protection
• Stream restoration & protection
• Wetland restoration & protection
• Low-head dam removal
• Improve stream access