Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District
29 Triangle Park Drive, Suite 2901, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-3411
Phone: 513-772-7645
Summer Edition Fax: 513-772-7656
2005 Website: www.hcswcd.org
Urban Conservation Tour
Urban growth and land conservation may not seem like
compatible subjects, but that is why it is critical to take
local decision makers out on the land to show and
demonstrate that land development can and should include
conservation elements.
The District held an Urban Conservation Tour on May 6,
2005, for 36 attendees. Those present included Senator Bob
Schuler, Kara Joseph, Aide to Representative Tom
Brinkman and Ms. Lisa Webb, Aide to Commissioner Pat
DeWine, David Hanselmann, Chief of ODNR, Div. of Soil
& Water Conservation, William Brayshaw, Hamilton
County Engineer, and other local officials and dignitaries.
During the tour, we discussed the value of Mt. Airy Forest
for headwater protection for the West Fork of the Mill
Creek and the I-74 Scenic Greenway Plan being
implemented by the Hamilton County Conservancy
District, Green Twp. and Hamilton County Parks.
Taylor Creek was then examined. This rapidly developing
watershed had plenty of examples of both good and bad
development. Since 1997 there has been over 40
developments totaling over 1,000 acres in this watershed.
Stream bank erosion, hydro modification and mining
obviously took their toll. However, there were also
examples of good development that conformed with the lay
of the land and provide shared greenspace.
The group enjoyed visiting the newly built Walnut Creek
Stables in Colerain Township. This 136 acre farm is a
Editor: Holly Utrata-Halcomb
Layout: Barbara Connole
model for the region. District Superior, Tom Reininger and his
family installed a manure handling facility, gutters cistern with
a dry hydrant for fire protection, heavy use roads and pads,
fencing and implemented several pasture management tech-
niques. The group then enjoyed a tour and lunch on the Delta
Queen River Boat that was in town for the day to change over
passengers. (picture to the left.)
60th Anniversary of the District
Join Us for the Annual Meeting
The District is holding its Annual Meeting September 29,
2005, (Thursday evening) at 6:00 p.m. It will be at Windows
on the Green (G.E. Park) at 12110 Princeton Road, Cincinnati,
Ohio. A public election will be held during the District's 60th
Anniversary - Annual Meeting. We plan to hold a Silent
Auction again this year, which has been a great a success!
This year we will be voting for 2 new supervisors. If you are
interested in being on the ballot, you may submit a completed
petition form 35 days prior to the Annual Meeting. These
forms are available at the District office.
To learn more about being a Supervisor or to place your name
on the ballot, contact Holly or Barb at the District office at
772-7645. Inquiries may also be made to the Nominating
Committee, Steve Sandfort and Tim Boehmer.
You may also request in writing an absentee ballot no more
than 21 days prior to the election and no later than 3 days prior
to the election.
We hope you can join us at our 60th Anniversary celebration!
Please call the office to request ticket(s). Cost for the meal is
$10.00, which should be mailed in along with your registration
10 days prior to the meeting. Deadline to register is
September 16, 2005.
Do You Want To Receive This
Newsletter by E-Mail?
If you are interested and able to receive this newsletter by email,
please contact the District office to add your email address to the
list. By doing this, you will help save paper and reduce costs.
You may contact us by email:
holly.utrata-halcomb@hamilton-co.org or by phone.
 The River Continuum Concept –
a progression of physical and chemical characteristics within a watershed:
Have you ever explored a stream or river and wondered if the physical, chemical and biological characteristics that
you encounter are impacted by water flowing from the upstream reaches or the headwaters? If you have asked this
question, you are not alone. Much research has been conducted in an attempt to answer this question and numer-
ous studies have determined that there is a connection between stream channel
characteristics of the high elevation headwater streams and the larger waterways.
The association of physical, chemical and biological parameters throughout the
various channel reaches can be explained through the River Continuum Concept.

In this article, I will focus on the physical and chemical conditions that provide
the base source of energy and nutrition for aquatic organisms. The biological
connections will be described in a follow-up article. Physical and chemical
characteristics that influence stream habitat and biotic communities include
geology, light, temperature and current velocity.

Geological characteristics can influence the nutrient input into the waterways of a
particular drainage basin. For example, basins consisting of low solubility rocks
are generally low in essential growth nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
Alternatively, limestone basins with readily soluble rocks produce increased levels
of dissolved nutrients that increase algae growth and produce a larger food base
in stream systems.

The geological structure of a drainage basin can influence another important physical variable, light. Light
directly influences the rate of photosynthesis of stream-dwelling plants such as algae, mosses and rooted plants
(macrophytes.) Generally, the higher gradient headwater reaches of a basin are shaded by the streamside
vegetation (riparian corridor) and rely on outside sources of nutrients from terrestrial vegetation. The shading
produces cooler water temperatures, which delivers highly oxygenated waters to downstream communities.

In addition to geologic, light and temperature parameters, current velocities work to shape habitat and transport food
and nutrients downstream. Unused organic matter from upstream reaches becomes food for downstream organisms,
which are better adapted for the downstream environment. For example, organisms living in fast currents, such as
riffles, have flattened and streamlined profiles. The physical and chemical parameters that govern upstream channel
segments play a key role in the configuration of aquatic communities and water quality in downstream reaches.
____________________________

Ohio Ground Water Resource Maps Now Available Online

Ground water resource maps, which provide information helpful in well drilling, are now available for all of Ohio’s 88
counties, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Water.

The color-coded maps illustrate how much water a drilled well is likely to produce in any given Ohio county. The
maps also provide information useful in the development of a water supply, including total well depth, aquifer type
and depth to bedrock. Maps feature a brief description of the ground water geology within the county as well as data
about some of the more common, naturally occurring, inorganic chemicals that might be encountered.

To view or download a map, visit http://www.ohiodnr.com/water/gwrmaps/ Hard copies of the maps may be ordered
from the Division of Water at a cost of $8.00 per county map, plus shipping and handling costs. For more information
contact Jim Raab at jim.raab@dnr.state.oh.us or 614-265-6747.

Summer Edition
 2005 Erosion and Sediment Control Field Day a Success
The 3rd Annual Southwest Ohio Erosion and Sediment Control Field Day was held on June 7, 2005, at the Warren County
Career Center. The event was a joint effort by the Butler, Hamilton, Warren and Madison County Soil and Water Conservation
Districts and the Miami Valley RC&D. The Field Day is geared as an educational tool for all stakeholders in the field of
erosion and sediment control and the NPDES Phase II Storm Water Program. Classroom presentations updated participants on
changes to current regulations and how they affect the construction industry. These regulations include House Bill 411 and the
Ohio EPA and the US Army Corps of Engineers permitting process. House Bill 411 is an amendment to Section 307.79 of the
Ohio Revised Code that enables the Board of County Commissioners throughout Ohio to develop their own erosion and
sediment control regulations to address construction sites 1 acre or larger. The bill also gives the commissioners the ability to
enforce these regulations through fines and stop work orders. The US Army Corps of Engineers 404 and Ohio EPA 401 permit
process defines the requirements regarding work along streams and wetlands. Also included in the field day was an outside
demonstration of correct installation and applications of current and new Best Management Practices (BMPs) available.
Vendors of erosion and sediment control products were also on hand to explain and answer questions regarding their products.
The NRCS and Classic Properties also made classroom presentations describing the merits of regulatory cooperation and
installing proper soil and water conservation practices on construction sites. Capping the event was a presentation from Robin
Green on how to make conservation development work.

The first planning meeting for next year’s event will be held on September 29, 2005. Please contact the Butler, Hamilton,
Madison or Warren County Soil and Water Conservation Districts if you have ideas and suggestions on how to make the event
better or if you wish to participate in next year’s event.

Outside demonstration on Turf Reinforcement George Cummings, D.C. - NRCS presenting

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (installing BMPs)

Grassland Reserve Program Conservation Reserve Program

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary
program that helps private landowners and operators
restore and protect pasture land, hay land, and certain
other lands, while maintaining production on the areas.
This is the first time that the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has offered a program to help landowners
with long-term protection of grasslands. GRP offers
producers who own or manage at least 40 contiguous
acres of pasture land or hay land some enrollment
options. Only privately owned land is eligible for
participation. The GRP sign-up is continuous.
CP-33 Practice
The Conservation Reserve Program has introduced a new
practice called the CP-33 or Field Border. This practice can
be used as a habitat buffer for upland birds. To be eligible for
this practice, one would have to be willing to plant as many as
10 species of grass on land that has had a cropping history
from 1999-2001.
Ohio was only allowed to have 14,200 acres to be placed in
this program, so if you are interested in the program please
contact John Williams or Jeffery Barnes.

If you would like more information you may contact

John Williams or Jeffery Barnes at the Butler County
NRCS/SWCD office at 513-887-3720.

Summer Edition Page 3

Education Corner
And The Winners Are…
The District received many posters this year for our “Conservation Counts” poster contest. Here are the winners!
K-2 Brian Talley (June Myers’ class St. Margaret Mary)
3-5 Kanyah Bedgood (Carmie Boesch’s class at Woodford Paideia)
6-8 Grace Elkus (Karen Glum’s class at Seven Hills Middle School)
Each student received $25.00 and the sponsoring teachers all received a $25.00 gift certificate to Half Price Books.
Congratulations to all our winners and to all the other students who participated.

L to R: June Myers, teacher, Brian Talley and Brian’s Education Specialist, Gwen Roth and Kenyah Grace Elkus and Karen Glum, teacher.
mom, Bedgood.

2005 Envirothon
This year four teams from 2 Hamilton County high schools participated in the Area IV Envirothon and while none of
them took home the top prize (a trip to the State Envirothon in NE Ohio) we all had a great time. This year, Loveland
H.S. and Sycamore H.S. sent two teams each to participate. In all, over 100 teams from the 18-county SW Ohio area
participated. The winning teams were: Northmont H.S., Cedarville H.S., Franklin H.S. and Fort Laramie H.S. The top
finishing team from Hamilton County was Sycamore H.S. team #2, with a 13th place finish!!! Congratulations to all our
teams. Hope to see everyone again next year in Shelby County!!

Odegard/Diebel Memorial 2005 Environmental Education

Scholarship - Apply Now!
The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation
District is currently accepting applications for the
Julius A. Odegard/H. David Diebel Memorial
Scholarship. Each scholarship is worth $250.00 and
is available to any teacher in Hamilton County who
will use the funds to educate themselves or their
students on conservation issues. Some possible
projects include Land Lab development, teacher
workshop costs, training on conservation issues,
classroom projects promoting conservation. Please
be creative! Applications must be received in the
District office by Friday, September 30, 2005.
Please call the office 513-772-7645 if you need more
information and for a copy of the 1-page grant
application, which can be faxed or mailed to you.
Resource Fair at the
Cincinnati Zoo
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, The Greater
Cincinnati Environmental Educators (GCEE) and The
Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO) have
again teamed up to present the 2005 Environmental
Education Fair scheduled for Wednesday, September 14,
2005, from 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Representatives from over 20 local, regional, state and
national organizations will share their resources, expertise
and enthusiasm. The fair is open to educators of all grade
levels and all subjects. The Hamilton County SWCD
District will be there with an educational display.
To register for the environmental education fair call
513-475-6137. For more information about the
environmental education fair contact: Sue Magness, SW
Ohio Regional Director, Environmental Education Council
of Ohio 513-946-7736 or sue.magness@hamilton-co.org
 Exciting New Curriculum…
An exciting new curriculum on local water quality issues will be available this fall for K-12 teachers! Some of you may
have recently heard about the newly formed Hamilton County Storm Water District. The Storm Water District is
administered by the Hamilton County Engineers and comprises 44 of the 49 jurisdictions in Hamilton County. It was
formed to help improve water quality throughout the county and to meet the new NPDES (National Pollution
Discharge Elimination System) Phase II regulations of the Clean Water Act.

Our Soil and Water Conservation District has been contracted by the SW District to help with
the public education and outreach components of the program. One of the teaching tools our
Soil and Water Conservation District has developed is a curriculum designed specifically for
Hamilton County focusing on storm water issues. It includes activities illustrating point and
non point sources of pollution and local water quality issues. The curriculum is divided into 6
sections; Watersheds, Non Point Source Pollution, Urban, Rural, Effects and Action. Each
section is divided into four grade levels (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12). All activities have been
correlated to the new state science standards.

Beginning this fall, teachers throughout Hamilton County will have the chance to attend one of several workshops
given to introduce the curriculum and teach select activities from the curriculum. We hope that with the development
and introduction of this new curriculum, the students, teachers and other residents of Hamilton County will become
better-informed citizens and eventually change their actions to promote healthy water quality.

If you are interested in finding out more about the curriculum or if you are interested in attending an upcoming
workshop, please contact Gwen at 772-7645 x14 or gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org.

Fall Workshops
It seems like school just let out, but we are hard at work planning workshops for this fall. We have two Worm
Workshops scheduled (one for beginner worm enthusiasts and one for teachers who have had a bin in the past
and just need a refresher). We also have a Soil Workshop scheduled for grades 2-5.

For more information on any of these workshops, contact Gwen by email or phone.

Attention Teachers……..
If you would like to receive email notification of upcoming events and workshops for educators, please email your
name, email address, school name and grade level to gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org
____________________________________

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program

May 3—September 30, 2005
This program is for Hamilton County residents only! Residents must show proof of residency when dropping off
hazardous waste. There are two locations: Environmental Enterprises, Inc.
4650 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45232
or
Environmental Enterprises, Inc.`
10163 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45241
If you have any questions or want to know the correct times they are open please call 513-946-7734 or visit
www.hcdoes.org
Board of Supervisors
Patrick Arnette, Chairman Upcoming Events
Joe Allen, Vice-Chairman July 22—23, 2005 - Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River. 8:00 a.m. to
Steve Sandfort, Secretary 12:00 noon. Call Stream Specialist, Brian Bohl for more information. 772-7645.
Tim Boehmer, Treasurer
Thomas W. Reininger, Program Chair. August 31, 2005 - Ohio State University’s Manure Science Review
in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.The topic is liquid-solid separation of manure.
District Staff Pre-registration due by 8/24/05 is $35.00 (lunch included.) Walk-in registration
Holly Utrata-Halcomb, Administrator costs $60/does not guarantee lunch. For more information contact Mary Wicks
Barbara Connole, Adm. Assistant at 330-202-3533 or email wicks.14@osu.edu
Dan Taphorn, Urban Conservationist
Chey Alberto, Urban Technician September 24 & 25, 2005 - 2nd Annual Great Outdoor Weekend.
Nate Sturm, Urban Technician Hamilton Co.SWCD will be coordinating activities at the Izaak Walton
Gwen Roth, Education Specialist League Lodge in Loveland, Ohio. Call Gwen Roth 772-7645 x 14 or email
Andrew Gerhard, Education Assistant gwen.roth@hamilton-co-org
Brian Bohl, Stream Specialist
Mohammad Islam, Geotechinical Eng. September 29, 2005 - Annual Meeting (60th Anniversary). The meeting will be
Willie Potter, Design Technician held at Windows on the Green (G.E.) at 6:00 p.m. Call the office for information.

NRCS Summer & Fall 2005 - Storm Drain Labeling events dates are being set-up.
John Williams, D.C. Call Andrew Gerhard at the District office if you would like to volunteer,
George Cummings, D.C. 772-7645.
Jeff Barnes, Soil Conservationist
September 10, 2005 - Great Miami River Days Festival.
Mission Statement: See http://www.greatmiamiriverdays.org/ for more information.
A public organization committed to
assisting the citizens of Hamilton Co.
through education, technical assistance and
September 11, 2005 - Great Miami River educational canoe/kayak float.
leadership to be stewards of our soil & water Contact Brian Bohl, 772-7645.
resources.

All District programs are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.

Cincinnati, OH
Permit No. 3556 Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-3411
PAID 29 Triangle Park Drive, Suite 2901
U.S. Postage Conservation District
Non-Profit Organization Hamilton County Soil and Water