Great Miami Watershed Targeted Watershed Project
On May 5, 2003, US EPA Administrator Christie Whitman announced MCD was one of only 20 applicants selected to receive funding for water quality improvement projects in the Great Miami River Watershed. The Targeted Watershed Grant Program awarded $15 million to 20 watersheds across the country. This $700,000 grant was the only award given to a watershed in Ohio.

This funding supports community-driven initiatives that protect habitat, improve water quality and enhance outdoor recreation. MCD brought more than a dozen community-based watershed organizations and planning commissions together to prioritize potential projects and formulate the grant application.

Partners are Ohio State University, Stillwater Watershed Project and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This “pay to perform” program offers financial incentives to farmers to use best management practices they choose with assistance from NRCS. Payments will be dependent on measurable achievement of water quality improvements.

Partners are Ohio State University and the Loramie Valley Alliance. The project involves constructing innovative two-stage ditches to demonstrate their ability in decreasing sediment and nutrient transport, improving drainage and ecological function, increasing ditch stability and reducing maintenance requirements.

The project provides cost-share incentives to the following five communities and organizations to implement innovative local strategies to assist with NPDES Phase II stormwater management requirements, water resource protection related to development, and water impairment issues. A Community Guidebook for Smart Watersheds will be developed based on project results.

This project will implement the Hidden Hills Detention Basin project to decrease soil and nutrient runoff into the Hebble Creek that flows to the Mad River.

The project will install pervious parking spaces to allow water to soak into the ground rather than run off into a storm sewer. It also will install neighborhood rain gardens along the Great Miami River in Hamilton County. A rain garden is a planted area that collects and treats water from downspouts and paved areas.

This project will install storm sewer collection systems to prevent pollutants stored at the Engineer’s property from running into the Great Miami River. Erosion control devices at construction sites throughout the county also will be installed.

This project involves collaboration with a local developer to implement a conservation development that reduces negative impacts to streams in Butler County. This project will also work with county and township comprehensive land-use plans and current zoning codes to promote open space preservation and conservation of local waterways.

The City of Dayton will install storm sewer collection systems to prevent pollutants stored at a municipal maintenance facility from running into the Mad River.

For more information, contact Sarah Hippensteel, (937) 223-1278 ext. 3244.