Rivers Unlimited

Detection of consistently high E.coli levels in a stream near a pump station. Resolved by replacement of faulty machine by MSD in Colerain Township.
Detection and resolution of open limestone pile at sand and gravel company discovered by consistently high pH

"The primary purpose of this study is to create analytical tools for managing the impacts of home sewage treatment systems on streams in the Taylor Creek watershed. Overall, OKI hopes the Taylor Creek Watershed Study facilitates informed choices for stakeholders in a 26.7-squaremile drainage basin… with abundant freshwater resources and complex water quality issues. The pages that follow do not try to advocate simple, sweeping solutions, but rather (by) analyzing the conditions for incrementally achieving cumulative improvements that ultimately put the watershed in compliance with state water quality standards."
Data was used to fulfill grant funding obligations to the EPA, OEPA

Data was incorporated into the Whitewater River Watershed Project Watershed Management Plan

319 grant awarded to fund the project
“Due to increasing community concern over several of the streams in the Whitewater Watershed, the Dearborn County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) began searching for partners and ways to implement action and change into the watershed. With support from the Butler, Franklin, and Hamilton County SWCDs, the process for completing an application for a federal 319 grant for nonpoint source pollution was finished in 2012.
The data and knowledge related to the water quality in the Whitewater River Watershed contained gaps in information. 18 stream segments of the Whitewater River Watershed were known to be listed on the 2012 303(d) impaired waters list for E.coli and six of those were also listed as impaired for dissolved oxygen. The 303(d) list was a government maintained list under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act. Refer to Figure 22, for the impaired waters under the Previous Watershed Basin Survey data section of the plan. Although these 18 segments are listed on the 2012 303(d) list, little was known about the extent, sources, and causes of the impairments.” ~ from “WWR WMP Final_EPA Approved.pdf”

Data provided and interpreted for Indiana Department of Environmental Management as part of the Whitewater River Watershed Management Plan proposal.

HCSWCD Fertility Study in the Howard Creek- Dry Fork Whitewater River HUC watershed

The Urban Streams Program has also been active in water quality monitoring. Monitoring initiatives help set long-term conservation priorities by watershed. A few of the signature monitoring efforts include the Dry Fork Whitewater River and Ault Park projects. Since 2010, the District has been working to fill a much needed niche through assessing water quality in the Lower Great Miami River watershed. Data analyses efforts have aided HCSWCD in targeting the Howard Creek and Dry Fork Whitewater River watersheds as priorities for soil fertility testing and agricultural best management practices. Since 2010, the District has been collecting real-time data within these watersheds and grab samples are analyzed at the Great Miami River Citizens’ Water Quality Monitoring Lab at the University of Cincinnati Center for Field Studies (March - November). An educational town meeting for the citizens residing in the Howard Creek and Dry Fork Whitewater River watersheds was held at the Crosby Township Community Building in April 2013.
HCSWCD and Natural Resources Conservation Service to target land owners regarding implementation of agricultural BMP’s

Through the District’s water quality monitoring and data analyses, the Dry Fork/Whitewater River and Howard Creek sub-watersheds have been identified as priorities for soil fertility testing and agricultural best management practices. This is a result of the high nutrient load (phosphorus and nitrate) associated with storm water events. The District is currently working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and farmers in these watersheds to install cover crops over roughly 400 acres of corn and soybean fields (for 3 growing seasons). Studies show that fall and winter cover crops can help reduce erosion, decrease loss of nitrates by a third to one-half and actually fix enough atmospheric nitrogen to reduce spring fertilizer application by at least 1/3. Ultimately, this practice will reduce impacts to surface water, ground water and aquatic life.
HCSWCD Whitewater River Watershed Fall Cover Crop Seeding Project

Cover Crop Flyover Research Project for 450 agricultural acres in Crosby Twp. and Harrison. The purpose is to determine the impact of cover crops on soil fertility and decreasing nutrient and sediment runoff into receiving streams. The project was partly funded NRCS EQIP and Grant Funds. EQIP covered 97 acres of seeding and a Farm Bureau Grant paid $21,000 toward the seeding.

Coordination with Hamilton County Public Health regarding follow-up monitoring areas where our data show potential impacts from septic systems and septic system hotspots, as well as modelling of illicit discharge areas
Lab analysis of water samples collected by HCSWCD to evaluate restoration projects such as Twin Creek Preserve, Mill Creek Watershed. See article addendum, Cincinnati.com, June 11, 2012.
Coordination with Hamilton County Parks on tree planting areas and infrastructure upgrades