About the Program

Stream Conservation: Why?

Stream Impairment

Stream Conservation: How?

​Your Streams

Get Involved!

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How to Improve the Health of Our Streams?

Other sections of this website explain why healthy streams are important to our community, and the problems impairing stream health in our community.  Now we turn to solutions to these problems: Watershed Restoration through Best Management Practices (BMPs).  

​For the purposes of Stream Conservation, we can categorize BMPs into groups of practices meant to improve:

1. water quantity
2. water quality
3. stream stability and habitat. 

  
The following list includes examples of BMPs that you can implement at your home or workplace in order to improve the quality/quantity of stormwater leaving your property.  If you are interested in managing stormwater on your property, HCSWCD can help!  Contact Adam Lehmann by phone (513-772-7645) or
e-mail (adam.lehmann@hamilton-co.org).  Also, see our BMP Resources Page.
 
Water quantity BMPs are designed to detain stormwater and either 1) release it slowly to reduce flashy flows downstream, or 2) facilitate infiltration of the stormwater into the soil where it can recharge the groundwater.

• Route stormwater to pervious areas - The best way to control stormwater quality and quantity is to route stormwater to pervious areas, and away from storm drains, where the water can be taken-up by plants and/or infiltrate into the soil.  Often times, major gains in stormwater management can be made simply by changing the direction of a downspout to drain into landscaped or lawn areas and away from impervious surfaces (e.g. concrete or asphalt).

 

• Lawn Care (soil maintenance) - Increase infiltration and fertility of your lawn by improving soil quality.
  • Aerate your lawn every other year – lawn aerators can be rented at local tool rental stores for less than $50.
  • Apply compost to your soil after aerating
  • Don’t rake grass clippings and leaves – mulch them into the soils by mowing over them.

 

• Pervious pavers - A great way to minimize impervious surface area on your property is to use pavers with a pervious joint filler for sidewalks, patios, and driveways.

 

• Rain barrels are barrels that collect stormwater from your downspouts.  This water can be used to water landscaped areas and garden after rain events, or it can simply be release into the lawn during dry periods.

 

• Rain gardens are landscaped areas designed to detain stormwater.  Rain gardens can be built in strategic locations to intercept a large proportion of the stormwater coming off your property.

  

• If you own or operate an office building or multifamily residential building with a significant impervious footprint (a parking lot and/or a large building) you have an opportunity to make an out-sized contribution to stormwater management in your community!  HCSWCD can help!  Contact Adam Lehmann by phone (513-772-7645) or e-mail (adam.lehmann@hamilton-co.org).  Also, see our BMP Resources Page.
  • ​Stormwater basin retrofits - If you own or operate a property that has a detention basin (or space for a detention basin), you have a unique opportunity control the stormwater leaving your property.  
  • Curb cuts - If you own or operate a parking lot, consider options for diverting stormwater away from storm drains.  Curb cutting is one option for this.

Water quality BMPs are designed to keep potential pollutants out of streams.  This is achieved by 1) keeping potential pollutants covered and out of the flow path of stormwater, or 2) separating pollutants that have already been picked up by stormwater through settling in detention areas or filtering through soil or a similar medium.

• Good housekeeping refers to how you use/store/cleanup potential water contaminants in order to prevent them from being washed into storm drains.  There are a number of potential contaminants that you may not think of as threats to downstream water quality (pet waste, soap from car washing, pool/hot tub water, oil/gasoline, paints, batteries, leaking dumpster fluids, etc.).
  • Learn more about keeping stormwater clean from Hamilton County Public Health.
  • Hamilton County Public Health operates the hotline that residents can use to report storm water pollution - (513) 946-7000.
  • Learn about how to properly dispose of household hazardous materials at http://www.takebackyourhome.org

 

• Lawn Care (fertilizer application) - Lawn care companies want to sell you their services as frequently as possible.  Don't waste your money!  Much of the fertilizer and pesticide that is applied to your lawn goes right down the drain (literally!).  You can minimize the impact of your lawn care practices on local streams in several ways:
  • Do not waist your money on fertilizer application during dry summer months - when there is no moisture in the soil for the plants to uptake, photosynthesis stops - and so does uptake of nutrients (fertilizers).  Many local companies will not treat your lawn unless you subscribe to a program of at least six treatments per year ; however, there are some local lawn care service providers willing to work with you on a reduced treatment frequency.
  • Instruct your lawn care service provider not to spray your lawn within a day of a heavy rain event.
  • Instruct your lawn care service provider to avoid spraying in or near streams/ditches/drainages that run through your property.
  • Your Lawn may not need to be fertilized nearly as often as others depending on your soil and soil maintenance practices (see discussion of soil maintenance above).  HCSWCD can supply local residents and organizations with soil test kits (at reduced cost) so that you can have confidence that you are applying what you need and nothing more. 

 

• Riparian buffers - Among the most important things that you can do to contribute to healthy streams is to plant (not clear) woody vegetation in and around the streambanks.  Riparian buffers provide streambank stability, flood control, stormwater filtering, and habitat aquatic and terrestrial wildlife  - see our BMP Resources Page.

Stream stewardship BMPs - If you have a stream flowing through your property (no matter how small!!!)  there are very important actions (or inactions) that you can take to contribute to a healthy steam for you and your community.

• Among the most important things that you can do to contribute to healthy streams is to plant (or not clear) woody vegetation in and around the streambanks.  Riparian buffers provide streambank stability, flood control, stormwater filtering, and critical habitat for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife - see our BMP Resources Page.      
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has published a series of Stream Management Guides for landowners
• HCSWCD can offer free consultation to local residents and organizations interested it learning how to better manage the stream flowing through their property 

Stream restoration - can involve reshaping the form and flow path of a stream to achieve channel stability and/or to improve habitat for aquatic wildlife.  "Geomorphic stream restoration" requires engineered designs and earth moving activity within a stream also requires permitting at the federal, state, and local levels.  If you are interested in investigating stream restoration options on your property HCSWCD can offer free consultation to local residents and organizations.