Page Title

The Quarterly E-Newsletter of the Rocky River Watershed Program

The Flow

Wetland loss has long been a problem in Ohio, where 90% of the wetlands existing prior to European settlement have been lost. Mitigation for wetlands destroyed in the Rocky River Watershed often occurs outside of the watershed because we have relatively few ‘ready-to-go’ wetland restoration or creation opportunities. One possible solution to this problem is wetland mitigation banking.

At the July 24th, 2008 Rocky River Watershed Council meeting, Vince Messerly, President of Ohio Wetlands Foundation, discussed his organization’s proposal to establish a wetland mitigation bank in northeast Medina County. The bank’s service area would include the Rocky and Black River Watersheds. The 150-acre site is located near the intersection of Wilbur and Beachler Roads in Granger Township, and has been in agricultural use, including row crops and hay production, for decades.

The proposal, pending approval by the Interagency Review Team, would create or restore 85 acres of forested and scrub/shrub wetland, enhance 10 acres, and preserve an additional 19 acres of existing wetlands along Granger Ditch, and would include a forested upland component.

How does mitigation banking work? Click here to find out.

The West Branch of the Rocky River near

Lake Medina

Volume 2, Issue 2

September 2008

It has been eight months since you elected me to lead the Council. For this I thank you. I gave myself several goals when I took office. With the support of the board and members we were able to achieve the majority of them.

On the fiscal side, we have applied for 501c3 certification from the IRS, created a dues structure, and purchased t-shirts for sale. We are presently applying for an education grant and researching an operations grant.

On the program side, we have started our speaking tour with good results. We have sent out letters of introduction to all municipalities in the watershed, to which we have already received positive responses. We have assisted with the distribution of 20,000 riparian tree and shrub seedlings. And we have had great river cleanup days.

We have development, conservation and public involvement/public education committees established. These committees have set ambitious goals for themselves, which I feel that with the support of you the members will be achieved.

We have overcome many challenges and have many more in front of us. With your help I know we can make the watershed one to be recognized and respected.

I have an open door policy, so please contact me with your input and comments.

Sincerely,

Ivan J Hack, Jr.

Are you looking for more ways to support the conservation and restoration of the Rocky River and its tributaries? If the answer is yes, then membership in the Rocky River Watershed Council is for you! A membership in the RRWC directly supports the only organization solely dedicated to protecting and restoring the Rocky River Watershed. Additionally, your membership in the RRWC gives you a vote at the annual meeting and is a prerequisite for serving on the Board of Trustees.

The annual dues structure is:

Individual Membership: $25

Family Membership: $30

Senior/Student Membership: $15

To become a member, simply visit www.MyRockyRiver.org to obtain a printable membership form. Organizational memberships will be available January 2009.

Thank you for your Support!!!

Chair’s Corner

RRWC Membership

Program Updates

Subwatershed Profile: Abram Creek

From the Desk of the Watershed Coordinator

Upcoming Events

www.myrockyriver.org

www.cuyahogaswcd.org

Ivan Hack, Jr., Chair, Rocky River Watershed Council

“The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land.” — Luna Leopold

Rocky River Watershed Program Updates

Rocky River Backyard Buffers Program Distributes 20,000 Tree and Shrub Seedlings to Streamside Property Owners

The last two Saturdays in April were busy ones for riparian landowners in the Rocky River Watershed. Volunteers from the Rocky River Watershed Council and the Emerald Necklace Chapter of Trout Unlimited joined staff from Cuyahoga SWCD and the cities of Middleburg Heights and Brunswick to distribute seedlings to Backyard Buffers Program participants. Nearly 200 people received free seedlings to plant along their backyard streams. Special thanks to Boy Scout Troop 514 from Medina for their assistance planting seedlings for a local senior citizen. The Backyard Buffers Program was made possible through a grant from the Lake Erie Protection Fund.

Images from the Backyard Buffers seedling distribution days in Brunswick and Middleburg Heights.

RRWC Takes the Show on the Road

Do you need a speaker for your organization’s next meeting? Are you curious about the Rocky River Watershed, what the RRWC and its partners are up to, or what you can do to protect and restore the Rocky River and its tributaries? If the answer is yes, then we have just what you need—the Rocky River Road Show. The Road Show can be tailored to meet the needs of your audience. Please contact Rocky River Watershed Coordinator Jared Bartley at 216-524-6580 x14 or jbartley@cuyahogaswcd.org to schedule a presentation.

Volunteer Water Quality Monitors Needed

Do you like spending time in the rivers and streams of the Rocky River Watershed? Do you have an interest in the critters that live in the streams? Can you commit half a day a month to the stewardship of the Rocky River? Then Volunteer Monitoring is for you! We are in need of volunteer monitors to take on several sites, primarily along Baldwin Creek (though other sites are available throughout the watershed). Monitoring is scheduled to start in the spring, and hands-on training will be provided. This is a great family activity! If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Rocky River Watershed Coordinator Jared Bartley at 216-524-6580 x14 or jbartley@cuyahogaswcd.org.

Macroinvertebrate monitoring at a site along Baldwin Creek in Berea.

SAVE the DATE: Next RRWC Quarterly Meeting is October 23rd at the Rocky River Nature Center

Join us at 7:00 PM in the Nature Center Auditorium to get the latest info and updates from the RRWC and its partners. Guest speaker John Mack, Chief of Natural Resources for the Cleveland Metroparks, will speak about the Metroparks’ plans for the restoration of the Abram Creek/Lake-to-Lake Trail Ecosystem.

“No man can step into the same river twice, for the second time

it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” — Greek Heraclitus

Undeveloped

24%

Residential

44%

Commercial, Industrial

32%

Area: 10.1 square miles

Ohio EPA Aquatic Life Use designation: Warm Water Habitat

Aquatic Life Use Attainment status:

Non-Attainment

Median IBI: 12 (IBI standard = 40)

Median ICI: 26 (ICI standard = 34)

Mean QHEI: 54.5 (indicates fair to good

habitat quality)

Definitions

IBI: Index of Biotic Integrity.

Measures the health of the fish community in the creek.

ICI: Invertebrate Community Index. Measures the health of the aquatic macroinvertebrate community.

QHEI: Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index.

Measures the ability of the physical habitat to support biological communities.

Map and land cover statistics courtesy

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

A one-mile segment of Abram Creek has been culverted to accommodate runway expansion at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

http://www.indexc.com/Projects/Abram-Creek

“Abram Creek rises in Middleburg Heights and flows northerly through Brook Park and Cleveland. It enters the Mainstem near River Mile 10. Along the way, the creek flows past the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Recently a section of the creek was encased in a culvert to accommodate the expansion of the major runway of the airport. The affected stretch runs between River Miles 1.9 to 0.9.

The Ohio EPA has assessed the lower 3.4 miles of the stream. The entire stretch is in nonattainment of its aquatic use designation. Recreation use impairments exist along the entire Mainstem. Bacteria samples collected at three stations along the stream indicate frequent exceedances of the Primary Contact criterion.

Abram Creek has been extensively modified above Grayton Road. The majority of the stream in this area has been channelized or culverted. Free flowing stretches tend to be entrenched with limited access to the floodplain. Below the culverted stretch below Grayton Road, the stream channel is deep and narrow. The stream in this stretch falls rapidly before merging with the Mainstem. A high dam that effectively blocks fish migration exists immediately upstream of Cedar Point Road. Riparian cover along Abram Creek is good in all areas where the stream is not culverted.

The physical habitat in Abram Creek is marginally suited to supporting biological communities due to habitat modifications and habitat degradation arising from urban runoff. The average QHEI score is 54.5. Modified attributes impacted by urban runoff were primarily embedded substrates and little instream cover. “ — excerpted from the Rocky River Watershed Action Plan

How can I make a difference

for the Rocky River?

The Rocky River and its watershed anchor the Emerald Necklace and comprise an amazing resource for Northeast Ohio. But, as the above profile of Abram Creek makes brutally clear, there are many obstacles that must be overcome if we are going to succeed in its preservation and restoration. Just thinking about a handful of the problems we face — combined sewer overflows, failing septic systems, lost riparian vegetation, stream channelization, polluted storm water runoff, eroding stream banks, invasive species, and even atmospheric deposition of mercury and nitrogen — is enough to make your head spin. These are big problems, and we often look to equally large projects, such as stream restoration and riparian land acquisition, for solutions. But as individuals we really do want to be good watershed stewards, too. Where can we start, and how can we hope to make even a small difference in the face of these larger issues? Here are a few suggestions...

1. Educate Yourself. Where are your local streams? How healthy are they? What are the main issues in your corner of the watershed? The Rocky River Watershed Action Plan is a good place to start. You can find it at www.myrockyriver.org/action_plan.htm.

2. Explore Your Local Rivers and Streams. Aside from depending on it for drinking water or your livelihood, nothing builds appreciation for a river like getting up close and personal with it. Wade it. Fish it. Canoe it. Skip rocks in it. Picnic on its banks. Then share it with your friends and family, especially your kids. Just be sure not to trespass.

3. Implement Watershed-Friendly Practices around Your Home. Non-point source pollution is often referred to as “death by a thousand cuts” because it is generated by diffuse, usually low intensity sources spread out over the landscape. Just like a solitary cut on your leg is not life-threatening, no single one of these sources by itself leads to water quality problems, but their cumulative effects are more than enough to degrade our rivers and streams. Each of us has an opportunity to apply our own personal “band-aid” to one of those thousand cuts by doing our part and making changes to how we manage our lawns and the storm water we generate. Testing our soil fertility to ensure that we don’t over-fertilize our lawns and gardens; installing rain gardens and rain barrels to reduce the amount of storm water that flows off our rooftops, driveways and lawns when it rains; properly disposing of household hazardous wastes; picking up after our pets; and having our septic tanks pumped on a routine basis are all good places to start. Then multiply your efforts by spreading the word to your neighbors.

4. Join the Rocky River Watershed Council. The RRWC and its partners work hard to protect and restore the Rocky River Watershed. Your membership and contributions directly support these efforts, and your participation in the RRWC’s various activities further enhances the RRWC’s capacity to improve the health of the Rocky River and its tributaries. www.myrockyriver.org

And finally, remember that watershed stewardship does, in fact, start with you. To borrow a phrase from Smoky the Bear:

Only you can prevent

non-point source pollution!

See you along the Rocky,

Jared Bartley

Rocky River Watershed Coordinator

JBartley@cuyahogaswcd.org

216-524-6580 x14

The mission of the Rocky River Watershed Council is to protect, restore, and

perpetuate a healthy watershed through public education, watershed planning, communication, and cooperation among stakeholders.

This e-newsletter is best viewed in Microsoft Outlook 2003.

If you have problems viewing this e-newsletter, please visit www.myrockyriver.org to see the web version.

Rain barrels installed in series.

own personal “band-aid” to one of those thousand cuts by doing our part and making changes to how we manage our lawns and the storm water we generate. Testing our soil fertility to ensure that we don’t over-fertilize our lawns and gardens; installing rain gardens and rain barrels to reduce the amount of storm water that flows off our rooftops, driveways and lawns when it rains; properly disposing of household hazardous wastes; picking up after our pets; and having our septic tanks pumped on a routine basis are all good places to start. Then multiply your efforts by spreading the word to your neighbors.