summer 2007 hamilton county soil and water conservation district

8/8/2019 Summer 2007 Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District

1/6

Summer

2007

Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District29 Triangle Park Drive, Suite 2901, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-3411

Phone: 513-772-7645 Editor: Holly Utrata-Halcomb

Fax: 513-772-7656 Layout: Barbara Connole

Website: www.hcswcd.org

Emerald Ash Borer Found InHamilton County

On Wednesday, May 23, 2007, the Ohio Department ofAgriculture (ODA) announced a new discovery ofEmerald Ash Borer in Hamilton County, Ohio . Aconcerned homeowner reported finding apotentially infested ash tree off of Newtown Road inAnderson Township . ODA officials verified the find.As a result, all of Hamilton County is EAB quarantined,

making it illegal to take hardwood firewood and ashtree materials into neighboring un-infestedcounties These materials can move freely betweenquarantined counties but cannot leave the infestedcounties. Violators face fines up to $4,000. It is alsoillegal to take hardwood firewood and ash treematerials out of the state of Ohio, per federalquarantine. The following websites are excellentreferences:

http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/eab/http://www.emeraldashborer.info/http://ashalert.osu.edu/http://www.ohiodnr.com/forestry/health/eab.htm

If you have questions regard-ing general EAB information(biology, history, impact),woodland management, timbersales, tree ID and municipalissues contact the ODNRDivision of Forestry877-247-8722. Local Office Lebanon, Ohio 513-932-6836.

DVD Copies of After the StormProgram Available

DVD copies of the popular half-hour television specialabout watersheds After the Storm, co-produced by theWeather Channel (TWC) and the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) are now available at nocharge. This program premiered on TWC in 2004 andcontinues to be used by teachers at all levels and bycable TV stations to help educate citizens aboutstorm water management.

For more information on this program, including tipsabout what you can do to prevent watershed

pollution, visit EPAs web site at: www.epa.gov/weatherchannel

To order a free copy of After the Storm, contact NSCEP at800-490-9198 or send an e-mail to nscep@bps-lmit.com andplease refer to After the Storm(DVD), EPA 841-C-06-001or After the Storm(VHS), EPA 840-V-04-001.

A Patchwork of Drought

The lack of rainfall in some parts of Hamilton County duringthe months of May - June have caused areas that are trend-ing towards severe drought. Yet, other areas, like Indian Hillhave received as much as 6" of rain this past month alone.It is the luck of the draw.

If you are not one of the lucky ones you may notice that yougrass is brown and has ceased to grow. The truth is, yourlawn has slipped into dormancy. According to Dave Dyke,OSU Extension Agent for Hamilton County and one of ourSWCD Board Supervisors, "It takes a very extended period time to kill a lawn from drought. A good rule of thumb is towater your lawn a full 1" every 7 - 10 days. Use a rain gauge

or straight sided can or pot to measure the amount. It is alsocritical to make sure foliage has a chance to dry off beforenightfall otherwise you increase the risk of diseasedevelopment." During the summer months, lawns shouldalso be mowed at least 3" high. This will effectively allowturf grass ways to conserve moisture and moderate summertemperatures. And, never take off more than 1/3 of the bladeeach cutting. Another water conservation tip is to leave theclippings lie - don't bag them. These clippings are over 80%water." Logic follows that if the lawn is under stress fromdrought, no fertilizer should be applied until late August.

If your watering budget is limited, you may have to choosebetween watering high value trees and shrubs over grass.The trees and shrubs also need 1" of water every 7 - 10days. Remember, though, that the roots of trees and shrubswill normally extend up to 3 times the diameter of the canopyand that 80% or more of their feeder roots are in the upper6 - 8 inches of soil. That is in the same root zone as turfgrasses. Hence, thoroughly watering your lawn might alsoresult in sufficient water to your trees and shrubs. Otherwisehomeowners need to weigh the replacement values of eachwhen making a choice. Questions concerning your lawn,landscape and garden may be directed to the Civic GardenCenter and The Ohio State University Extension Help Line a221-TREE (8733). Trained Master Gardener Volunteers stafthe line M-W-F, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

8/8/2019 Summer 2007 Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District

2/6

Ag News...

Farm Bill Biologist Now Available to Assist Landowners

Pheasants Forever (PF), the Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODW) and the U.S. Department of Agricultures NaturalResources Conservation Service have partnered to hire six Farm Bill biologists in Ohio. The new PF employees willserve the growing demand for technical assistance in improving wildlife habitat on private lands in Ohio.

Each Farm Bill biologist will focus efforts on a five county area where they will provide landowners with service andinformation for enrolling land in federal, state and local conservation programs. They will be skilled in helpinglandowners with every step of the enrollment process. There will also be experts in assisting landowners find cost-shareoptions and showing how conservation programs can help to maximize the financial efficiency of a landownersoperation. An increase in land enrolled in these conservation programs will create more wildlife habitat, improve waterquality and prevent soil erosion, benefiting all of Ohio.

Programs of specific focus are Ohios three Conservation Reserve Enhancement Programs (CREPs), the general andcontinuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Conservation Securities Program (CSP), and CRPs CP-33, com-monly referred to as Bobwhite Buffers, is targeted at improving bobwhite quail habitat throughout the creation of habitatbuffers along row crops. All of these targeted programs have a history of protecting environmentally sensitive lands withwater, soil and wildlife habitat benefits. The local Farm Bill Biologist serving Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton

and Warren Counties is Bruce Terrill. He may be contacted at 937-232-9074 or by e-mail at terrilmb@hotmail.com

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)We are currently conducting a continuous CRP sign up. This sign up allows you to enroll land into certain high priorityconservation practices, such as filter strip, riparian buffers, quail buffers and grassed waterways. In addition to annualsoil rental payments and cost share assistance. Many practices are eligible for additional annual and one-time up frontincentive payments. Please contact John Williams, NRCS at 513-887-3720 if you have any questions.

Earth Team Volunteer Program

Have you ever thought about what you could do to help conserve our lands most valuable resource? What aboutworking with 4th or 5th grade students on the importance of having clean water? If you ever thought that you wanted to

do that type of work, then the NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Program wants you!

The Earth Team Volunteer Program is a program that enables people of all groups and ages to provide assistance to thepublic in the area of soil and water conservation. As an Earth Team volunteer, you can join professional conservationistsas they work directly with local farmers in putting conservation practices on the land. The Earth Team needs a variety ofpeople with a variety of skills and talents. If this program sounds good and you are interested, please contact the NRCS/SWCD Office at 513-887-3720 for more information.

Home Owner Brochure Available

We have a newly printed brochure called Home

Owner Brochure, Information for new home owners ontheir responsibilities and rights regarding storm waterdrainage. It provides vital information for new homeowners.

It was developed by the Hamilton County Departmentof Building Inspections, Department of Public Worksand the Hamilton County SWCD and Storm WaterDistrict. Stop by our office and pick one up or call ouroffice and we will mail you a copy.!

WE WANT YOUR OPINIONThe District has posted a survey on our web site to gainlandowner opinions on the conservation priorities we

should focus on in the next five years. This survey isanonymous, but if you provide your name, e-mail ortelephone number you will be entered into a drawing fortickets to the September 29th Reds game. Seats arelocated in the Hamilton County Suite and a parking passand refreshments are provided.Go to the District website at www.hcswcd.org and click onCounty Landowner Survey button in the left hand columnor call the District office at 772-7645 and well mail you ahard copy. Only Hamilton County land owners andresidents are eligible. Deadline to be part of the drawing isAugust 10, 2007.

8/8/2019 Summer 2007 Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District

3/6

Earthwork News..

2007 SW Ohio Erosion and Sediment Control Field Day

The 5th Annual Southwest Ohio Erosion and Sediment Control Field Day set records again this year with about 140attendees and over 30 product and service vendors. It was held on June 12, 2007, at the Warren County Career Center

in Lebanon Ohio. Classroom presentations on Green Building Designand Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan Re-viewon Individual Lot Erosionand Sediment Control Plancomplemented the two outdoor sessions composed of as-sorted BMPs tour and application of Individual Lot Erosion and Sediment Controlson a mock subdivision. This yearsevent theme of Bringing Erosion and Sediment Control Down to the Lot Level was further emphasized by the keynotespeaker, Jim Obert of Great Traditions. Professional Development Units were also given out.

This years event was made possible by our Gold Sponsors: Landcorp, Deerfield Regional Storm Water District and theButler County Storm Water District. Our Silver sponsors: Site Supply Inc., Redi-Rock of OKI, Coppage Construction,Stormwater Control LLC, D2 Land and Water, Miami Conservancy Districtand Bronze Level Sponsors: JMD Company, IKEX and JF New.

Attendees included various NPDES Phase II stakeholders such asdevelopers, home builders, design engineers, government regulators,inspectors and contractors. The 1st planning meeting for next years event willbe held in September (date, time and location still to be determined). Ideasand suggestions are welcome. If you or your organization would like to be apresenter or sponsor for the next event, please contact Chey or Nate at theHamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District at (513) 772-7645. Theorganizers thank all that made this years event successful.

Picture to the right: Mock subdivision portion of the outdoor demo. JeffThomas and Dan Taphorn explaining the proper installation of silt fence.

Are There Drainage Laws forHomeowners?

Have you ever wondered what the Ohio Drainage lawswere when and if you had a drainage problem on yourown property or with a near-by neighbor? They have tobe determined by case law, which is constantly evolving.Serious disputes between landowners are often settledIn court on a case by case basis. The laws are noteasily summarized. However, most people who work inthe area of drainage or water management would agreethat the following principles apply to landowners:

*A landowner is entitled to the reasonable useof the water that flows across his/her land aslong as the water is returned to its natural

watercourse. This includes ponding waterbehind a dam for personal use or makingdrainage improvements to protect structures.

*A landowner is generally required to acceptthe water that flows onto his/her property ina natural water course so long as noadditional water from another watershed hasbeen added to such flow. Subsurface drainage(clay or tile) that has been installed for morethan 21 years is considered a natural watercourse.

*A landowner is generally obligated to outlet anatural watercourse onto his/her down-streamneighbor at the same point the water left the propertyprior to any development of the site. Changing the

flow of water in a manner that causes damage to anup stream or downstream neighbor may result inlegal liabilities for those damages.

*The authority to issue orders or resolve conflictsover water rights or drainage problems betweenneighbors lies with the common pleas court. Theexception may be the few cities, which havedrainage or stormwater ordinances.

*The Hamilton County Soil and Water ConservationDistrict can provide guidance on drainage issuesfor individual landowners. Hamilton County SWCD

will not mediate conflicts between neighboringlandowners. Call 513-772-7645 for moreinformation.

This information is found on Bulletin 822, Ohio DrainageLaws: A Brief Overview, Brown, Larry C. and Stearns,Jodi L. published by OSU Extension Office. To get a copyand more information check their website athttp://ohioline.osu.edu or call Hamilton County OSUExtension at 513-946-8993.

8/8/2019 Summer 2007 Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District

4/6

Education Corner.

New Education Assistant to District

I am Cheryl Reinke Peck, the new Education Assistant for the Hamilton County Soil andWater Conservation District. I began working in March to provide educational programs to

schools and the general public on soil and water conservation as well as assisting in thepublic education and community outreach of the NPDES (National Pollution DischargeElimination System) Phase II Storm Water Program.

I have always been interested in the conservation of natural resources and believe thatmore time and effort needs to be spent on education. Its been amazing to me to see chil-drens faces light up when seeing a worm bin for the first time. When the children realizethey can actually touch the worms, and see how they live in the bin and make compost, Ican visualize them as future members of the Envirothon and further, as futureconservationists.

Please contact me at 513-772-7645 x13 or Gwen Roth at x14 to set up school or camp programs or teacherworkshops. (Teachers, please call us AFTER August 1st to set up programs for the next school year). We look forwardto working with you.

2007 Envirothon

On May 1, 2007, the Area IV Envirothon was held atCamp Hugh Taylor Birch in Yellow Springs (GreeneCounty). This year 72 teams competed from 16counties. The top four teams continued on to the StateEnvirothon held June 10-12.

This year five teams from 3 Hamilton County highschools participated in the Area IV Envirothon andwhile none of them took home the top prize (a trip to

the State Envirothon in Central Ohio) we all had a greattime. This year, Loveland H.S.and Sycamore H.S. senttwo teams each to participate and ProvidenceExtension Program (home school network) sent oneteam. The Area IV winning teams were: Riverside H.S.,Franklin H.S., Anna H.S. and Northmont H.S. The topfinishing team from Hamilton County was SycamoreH.S. team #1 (pictured below) with a 15th place finish.Congratulations to all our teams. Hope to see everyoneagain next year in Warren County!! For moreinformation go to www.areaivenvirothon.org

Get Out!At the 2007 Great Outdoor Weekend

Get Out during this fall weekend (September 29 and 30) andexperience a free sampling of the best nature activities inthe Cincinnati Region.

The Great Outdoor Weekend was designed by a group ofenvironmental education and outdoor recreationorganizations to provide a diverse sampling of the bestnature activities in Greater Cincinnati. Because of the

generous financial and in-kind support of our sponsors andparticipating organizations, all programs are FREE and opento the public.

Hamilton County SWCD will be participating in activities atthe Izaak Walton League Lodge (in Loveland) Saturday,September 29. For more information about the SWCDactivities, contact Gwen Roth 772-7645 x14 orgwen.roth@hamilton-co.org.

For more information about the Great Outdoor Weekend goto www.CincyGreatOutdoorWeekend.org or look for eventprograms at outdoor goods stores, public libraries and

participating environmental education organizations.

E-mail List

Teachers, would you like to receive e-mail notification ofupcoming events and workshops for educators? If so,please e-mail your name, e-mail address, school name andgrade level you teach to gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org

8/8/2019 Summer 2007 Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District

5/6

Ultimate Educator Expo (Tuesday, September 11, 3:00 - 6:30 p.m.)

Teachers, please join us for the ultimate opportunity to learn about environmental education resources available in thecommunity. The Expo will be held at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Meet and work with topical experts toencourage creative problem solving through collaboration. Exhibitors from various governmental, non-profit and educa-tional opportunities will provide you with grade level appropriate training opportunities, lesson plans, field trips and tonsof free stuff. The Hamilton County SWCD will be participating as well as, the Hamilton County Environmental Services,Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati Park District, Hamilton County Parks and many others. You and your students can developdecision making skills to keep our water, land and air healthy and preserve wildlife habitat. To register for the UltimateEducator Expo call 513-559-7767.

2007 Amateur Photography ContestSponsored by the Hamilton County SWCD

Rules and Guidelines

Do you compost, recycle, plant food plots for wildlife, maintain a filtering plant buffer next to astream, limit the use of pesticides or seed bare soil to prevent erosion? Well, then you are a con-servationist!! These are just a few examples of how to put conservation practices into action. It isalso the theme of our 2007 photo contest.

1. All high quality, color, close-up, mid-range and landscape photographs of any of theinstallation process or results of a conservation practice located in Hamilton County will beconsidered.

2. Individuals may submit up to three (3) color photographs for consideration. Digital images will be accepted on aCD and must be in a jpeg format.

3. There will be two age categories for submission. The Junior Category is for students between the ages of 12 to19 years old. The Senior Category is age 19 or older. First prize in each category is $100.00 and the secondprize is $50.00. Also, the winners will be invited to attend our Annual Meeting in September to receivetheir prize money. A special thanks goes to The Brickman Group, LTD for sponsoring this contest!

4. Images will be judged on composition, technical excellence, originality, color and overall impact. Each entry willbe blind judged - the name and location of the entrant will be hidden. The decisions of the judges are final

5. Winning photographs may be used in District publications. In order to ensure the highest quality images, thewinning photographers will be asked to provide a high-resolution file of their photograph(s).

Deadline for submission is August 1, 2007. Mail your photographs with your name, address, daytime phonenumber and location of photo to: Hamilton County SWCD, 29 Triangle Park Drive, Suite 2901, Cincinnati,Ohio 45246-3411. All winning photos become the property of Hamilton County SWCD.

Cincinnati State EVET Students Winlst Place In Regional ASCE

Environmental Competition

Students on the Environmental Engineering Technol-ogy (EVET) Team from Cincinnati State have won theRegional American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Environmental Competition, which was held at TheOhio State University. The team included students JillWebster (Team Captain), Kim Curry, Julie Haidle,Ramona Sherman and Bob Hoel and faculty advisorDr. Ann Gunkel.

Cincinnati States EVET team was the only 2-yearschool in the competition. This is the 3rd year in a rowthat the Cincinnati State Environmental Team hascome in 1st place overall in the Regional ASCEEnvironmental Competition.

The environmental team from Cincinnati State won 1stplace overall as well as 3rd place for Treated WaterQuality, 3rd place for System Design and Construction and3rd place for the Technical Paper.

For additional information about the EnvironmentalEngineering Technology program at Cincinnati Statecontact Dr. Ann Gunkel at ann.gunkel@cincinnatistate.eduor 513-569-1783.

Storm Drain Labeling Event 7/10/07Kari Klug, the Districts Water Quality Coordinator has astorm drain labeling event July 10, 2007, in Price Hill.The Enright Ridge Urban ECO-Village residents aregoing to storm drain label, starting at 8:30 a.m.

If you are interested in doing some labeling in yourneighborhood call Kari at 513-772-7645, ex 21.

8/8/2019 Summer 2007 Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District

6/6

Board of Supervisors

Steve Sandfort, Chairman

Dave Dyke, Vice-Chairman

Joe Allen, Secretary

Thomas W. Reininger, Treasurer

Denny Benson, Program Chairman

District StaffHolly Utrata-Halcomb, Administrator

Barbara Connole, Adm. AssistantDan Taphorn, Urban Conservationist

Chey Alberto, Urban Technician

Nate Sturm, Urban Technician

Gwen Roth, Education Specialist

Cheryl Reinke Peck, Education Asst.

Brian Bohl, Stream Specialist

Kari Klug, Water Quality Coordinator

Mohammad Islam, Geotechnical Eng.

Willie Potter, Design Technician

NRCS

John Williams, D.C.

Jeff Barnes, Soil Conservationist

Mission Statement:

A public organization committed to assisting the citizens of Hamilton Co. through education, technical assistance and leadership to be stewards of our soil and waterresources.

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

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Non-ProfitOrganization

U.S.Postage

PAID

PermitNo.3556

Cincinnati,OH

HamiltonCountySoilandWater

ConservationDistrict

29TriangleParkDrive,Suite2901

Cincinnati,Ohio45246-3411

Upcoming Events

July 6 & 7, 2007- Paddlefest. Ohio River Music and Outdoor Festival. Call513-588-6936 or e-mail OhioRiverWay.org for more information.

July 7, 2007 - Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River. 8 a.m. to noon. For moreinformation call Brian Bohl at the District office, 513-772-7645, ex 15.

July 25, 2007- Manure Science Review, Wright State University, Lake Campus,Celina, Ohio. Registration fee is $25.00 per person. Contact Mary Wicks atwicks.14@osu.edu or 330-202-3533 or go to http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ocamm/ for a brochure and registration form.

August 21, 2007 - Basin Basics. A public seminar on the design, function andmaintenance of storm water basins/ponds. No registration required. 6:30 p.m. to8:30 p.m. It will be held at Corwin M. Nixon Pine Hill Lake Pavilion in Mason, OH.Call Warren SWCD for more information, 513-695-1337.

September 13, 2007-Annual Meeting. The Hamilton County SWCD will hold theirAnnual Meeting at G.E. Park on Thursday 9/13/07. If you are interested in runningfor supervisor, or know someone who is please contact our office. There will be

more information on the meeting coming soon, but save the date!!