Upper Scioto River Watershed Project Coordinator Report – March 12, 2009 

USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) Project – The watershed project continues to participate in year 3 of the 3-year  (CSREES) watershed research project.  The team of educators, coordinator, agency administrators, and other interested stakeholders are now working on the preparation of the 2^nd of four issues of the Farming in Fulton Creek Watershed newsletter for Fulton Creek watershed farmers.    The newsletter explains the results of the watershed survey conducted in the spring of ‘08, promotes selected best management practices related to water quality, and provides a variety of other education and outreach services. 

Upper Scioto Watershed Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF)  – The nomination form that was submitted in September 2008 for the Upper Scioto River Watershed Agriculture Linked Deposit Loan Program was received, ranked (scored), and placed on the Ohio EPA project priority list. According to the OEPA DRAFT Program Year 2009 Program Management Plan, the project is listed on the "Intended Projects List".  Since the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) program works on a program year (calendar year) basis, the OEPA-DEFA staff will begin working on the 2009 projects in the next few weeks. Our project will be assigned, and someone will be in contact with the watershed project office shortly thereafter. Normally it takes +/- 6 months to work through the program review, and enter into a MOU(s) on a project like this.  The current government stimulus proposal may be temporarily delaying the review process on the project. 

Karst Study – The project office is continuing to collaborate with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey (ODGS) to develop a special study and report on the karst (sink hole) terrain of the Scioto in Delaware County.   Rapid transmission of pollutants through karst is a major environmental concern.  To accomplish the study  ODGS will begin a pilot phase to produce detailed three-dimensional, surficial-geology maps with karst details.  In addition, the availability of new LiDAR data will provide an improved digital elevation dataset.  This project is currently underway and is expected to last through most of 2009.  There may be some smaller “side-benefits” to this project that relate to targeting potential surface water pollution potential that I plan to explore. 

Prospect Dam – The Upground Reservoirs Project (first reservoir) is still planned to begin in the spring of 2010 and is not expected to be completed until late 2012. The Prospect Dam is still in place and likely will not be removed until some time in 2012.  Progress is now being made toward the safe and environmentally positive removal of the structure and the restoration of the work area as well as assessing impacts on property adjacent to the site. 

Water Quality Trading – The Ohio State University has confirmed the awarding of a USEPA Targeted Watershed Grant to conduct a feasibility study on the potential for a water quality credit trading program in the Upper Scioto River watershed.  The university is now awaiting the study grant funding from USEPA.    In the meantime, the university is in the process of hiring personnel to conduct major parts of the feasibility study as soon as funding arrives.  The new personnel would be involved in conducting the pollutant identification analysis and the economic suitability assessment.  I plan to arrange a meeting with OSU later in March to discuss details of the study, especially as it relates to soil and water districts and the watershed coordinator position.  We expect to see water quality specialists out in the Scioto watershed by the first week of April. The university faculty and staff are also interested in supporting the Ohio No-Till Council in some way during the September 1 field day in Delaware County since both have common interests in promoting no-till. I have prepared a fact sheet and status report on the trading proposal for Farm Bureau to use in Washington D.C. at their annual legislative conference meetings. 

USDA-ARS Research Interests - The Upper Scioto River Watershed Project has discussed stream research possibilities with the Drainage Research Unit of the USDA- Agriculture Research Service to consider the possibilities of agricultural drainage projects that lend themselves to the study of ecological impacts of drainage projects on streams.  At this time there have been no formal proposals for projects.  Research projects would likely tend to be closely associated with the newly proposed state guidelines for rural drainage and a new aquatic life use designation.  There has been some discussion about the possibility of nutrient injection studies to measure N & P assimilation in various stream configurations. 

Ohio State University (OSU) Stream Team – The project office has received the raw data from our OSU stream team descriptions of Fulton Creek habitat and water quality samples collected on Saturday, October 18, 2008.   Measurements and observations were recorded for fish species, water chemistry, stream habitat and other physical properties of the creek at 5 sites and an additional site on the Scioto River.   A final report of findings will be prepared for all aspects of the project.  

Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture Spring Watershed Tour – On February 19 I gave a watershed project presentation to Dr. Deborah Georg’s landscape architecture class.  Dr. Georg and the class plan to tour the watershed project area with stops that offer insights into watershed projects using plants in the landscape, including the potential for phytoremediation of pollutants.  

2008 Farm Bill – Scioto CREP and more – Several USDA program activities and proposals could be good news for the Scioto watershed.  It looks like there may still be 10 or 11 thousand acres left in Scioto CREP so we still have a lot of opportunities to implement more projects.  NRCS has been working on some new EQIP Ohio Water Quality System practices – Nutrient Management, Controlled Traffic Management, and Waste Utilization.  I believe the new manual is already out and the program rollout and training are coming up next.  Basically these are mini-conservation plans aimed at improving water quality.  I have been in a discussion with NRCS and FSA state office staff regarding the acquisition of implementation information on the 14-digit HUC scale and this approach looks promising but there is still a long way to go to get all of this information into a watershed project office. 

Ohio No-Till Council 2009 Field Day – September 1, 2009 is the date selected for the annual field day event for the Ohio No-Till Council.  An informal request put forth by the watershed project office and the proponents of the Ohio Basin Upper Scioto Watershed Water Quality Trading Feasibility Study (OSU/OARDC) to have the field day located in the watershed to enhance opportunities related to agricultural best management practices and water quality improvement.  Other opportunities should be presented by hosting the 1-day program in the watershed including the USDA-CSREES project in Fulton Creek. 

Little Scioto Cleanup – I have heard that Governor Strickland has formally sent a letter to USEPA requesting the project be placed on the National Priority List (NPL).  Apparently, the March NPL rule publication is delayed until early April.  USEPA is now tentatively scheduled to brief the Administrator on the NPL rules the week of March 23.  They cannot proceed further with the publication until the briefing happens.  At this time  USEPA says they don't yet have an idea of what the publication date will be but we will keep Ohio EPA posted as soon as they know something.  Eventually USEPA could assign a new project manager to the project.   I have passed along several pieces of information related to funding some Marion County stakeholders related to funding opportunities that could be explored for supplementing the cost of the project. 

The Ohio Smallmouth Alliance (TOSA) On March 4 I contacted (emailed) the Ohio Smallmouth Alliance to see if they would be interested in collaborating with the watershed project.  Specifically, I was interested in knowing if the association has members in the watershed project area.The TOSA website states the organization, “Formed in 1993, The Ohio Smallmouth Alliance (TOSA) is an organization of anglers dedicated to improving smallmouth bass fishing in Ohio's watersheds through education, habitat preservation, and responsible management. TOSA was formed because Ohio's smallmouth fisheries face serious problems - many waters suffer from habitat degradation, while others hold few large fish because of over-harvest and outdated fishing regulations. Since its inception TOSA has been an active advocate on water quality issues that affect our sport and has played a key role in Ohio's historic special regulations program for stream smallmouth bass that was implemented in 1998.”The website also claims, “Members also participate in many activities including regular meetings with interesting guest speakers, river cleanups, conservation projects, group fishing outings to some of Ohio's best smallie waters, and much more!”To date I have not received a reply from TOSA.  

Coming Up for the Project Office 

·          March 17 Meeting with Ohio No-Till Council. 

·          March 18 - Meeting with OSU/OARDC staff to discuss details of the pollutant identification analysis and economic suitability assessment in the Upper Scioto. 

·          March 23 - Informational meeting with USDA-Farm Service Agency and OSU Extension on the 2008 U.S. Food and Farm Bill 

·          April 2 - Watershed Project Annual Review 

·          April 18 - Meeting with Ohio American et.al. to discuss water conservation and landscape plantings.