April 2026 Conservation Connection                          
                                                                Pollution Prevention
                                                      Travis Luncan, Urban Technician
 
 
Pollution Prevention begins at home. Prior to the start of mowing season is a great time to review household chemical safe use and disposal. In this article we will look at proper handling of gasoline and engine oil.  It’s important to know how to safely handle and dispose of household hazardous chemicals to protect yourself and the environment.
 
Fuel and motor oil should be handled as household hazardous waste. These chemicals can pose a personal exposure risk or cause contamination of water resources from improper disposal. The place to start is with pollution prevention. Here are some things to consider with gasoline and other fuels.
 
Shelf-Life :          Gas will not keep forever so only buy what you need in the immediate future. At the end of the season be sure to use all gasoline or add the appropriate fuel stabilizer.

​Flammability:      Do not store fuel inside your home, keep fuel away from potential ignition sources. Gasoline has a flashpoint of -49°F, meaning it is very easy to ignite, even at low temperatures. 

Weather conditions can be dangerous at this time of year. Flooding can happen as late winter and early spring bring increased precipitation. Rain-on-snow events can be particularly devastating. Accumulated snow on the ground is like a bank of stormwater just waiting to be unleashed. Warm rain events will melt the accumulated snow and cause a large amount of water to run off the surface, especially if the ground is still frozen and water can’t soak in. With this sudden release of combined rainwater and snowmelt, you can expect certain areas to flood. Low-lying areas next to streams, storm sewers, and low spots in your yard can become inundated.

Ohio has a particularly fraught history of flooding. The Great Flood of 1913 caused widespread destruction and loss of life in the Miami Valley region. Around 428 people died, around 65,000 people were left homeless, and over 20,000 buildings and homes were destroyed. The Miami Conservancy District (MCD) was established after the flood, and they established the Flood Protection System. This system resulted in dams and levees being constructed along the Great Miami River. Flood plains adjacent to the Great Miami River were also placed into a conservation easement, keeping development outside of the flood plain to let the spongy floodplains do what they do best, store flood waters. Check out their website here for more history and the work they do with flood protection. The MCD also has a free, online flipbook of historic photos titled: “A Flood of Memories: Images from the 1913 Flood and Today.” which can be viewed here.

The flood of 1937, known as “Black Sunday”, saw the same amount of rain that fell during the 1913 Great Flood, with the rainfall spread out over twelve days rather than five. The MCD dams and levees that were built after the 1913 flood operated as designed, but there was still massive flooding in the Ohio River and Cincinnati was hit hard. PBS recounts the 1937 flood with a documentary which can be viewed here. This flood ravaged the city. Around 350 people died, and millions were left homeless in the tri-state area. After the rain fell, temperatures dropped, and six inches of snow fell. As the flooded city froze, frost-heaved gas pipes and soaked coal piles failed to provide much-needed heating to residents. This flood gained national attention which led to more flood control guidelines.

The Army Corps of Engineers eventually built flood-mitigating parks along the river front to help with flood control. Today, the stadiums and The Banks district along the riverfront are elevated above the 1937 flood line by sitting atop parking garages that act as sponges by storing water during floods.

Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides guidance on flooding. This past year, FEMA updated their flood maps as flood zones can change over time. They notified residents by mail if they were affected by this change. Check out this FEMA flood zone map to determine if you are in an area prone to flooding.
Even if you are just outside of a flood zone, it might be a good idea to purchase flood insurance, just in case. Meteorologists have recorded rainfall amounts since the 1800s in the U.S. and are reporting changes in rainfall patterns over the past few decades. Rain events are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change. It is raining more often, and more rain is falling in a shorter amount of time, leading to flash flood type rain events. Areas that didn’t flood before might be prone to flooding now.

Are you in a flood zone and want to build a structure? You may need a flood permit to do that. Warren County SWCD houses the County's Floodplain Administrator. If you are considering a construction project (house, shed, barn, fence, septic, pool, or even a grading only project) and are unsure if you need a Flood Permit, please visit our website here to submit a Floodplain Determination Request Form. We can also help potential buyers if flood insurance will be required at a property that they are looking to purchase. 
With tax season upon us, I remember when Benjamin Franklin said: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. But maybe a third thing can be true, Ohio Floods. Driving conditions can be dangerous this time of year, with ice and flooding out there. Check out the National Weather Service Radar here so you can plan ahead and be prepared. When in doubt, turn around, don’t drown!

Article by Urban Specialist Justin Bedocs

Drainage issues in Ohio are very common issues to have. Especially during spring months, Warren County can see a substantial amount of rainfall, and all that rain doesn’t disappear, it all goes somewhere. Many urban areas have stormwater structures on and around the road to transport the water to streams and rivers. Rural roads may have a ditch right next to the road to take the water away. Storm sewers and roadside ditches that convey water within the right-of-way are generally maintained by the county or municipalities. Private property however does not get the luxury of well-maintained stormwater infrastructure. In locations that have a high grade, such as a hill, the water can move off-site quickly downhill. Areas that have low grades are not necessarily able to transport the water as quickly, and without any structure to convey the water, may sit and pond in certain areas. This may be the case with your backyard. The water may have no good place to go, and so it sits in one area and causes ponding in the yard, making use of that part of the yard difficult. Fortunately, there are different ideas and solutions that may help with this type of drainage issue. In this article, we will look at one option specifically: native, water loving plants.
 
First let’s discuss why native, water loving plants are a good option to help drain some of the wet areas in a yard. For one obvious reason, the plants love water! These types of plants can absorb and hold onto extra water that is sitting around in an area. For the issue of standing water, this is great because the plants will be able to soak up some of that extra water. How much water will depend on the species and density of what is planted. Only planting one or two may soak up some water, while dedicating a large area to planting many plants may help soak up most of the wet spot entirely.
 
The other great benefit that water loving plants bring to wet areas is their deep root system. The native plants to this area of Ohio have nice and deep root systems. This means that the roots spread deeper into the ground than most other plant species. Why is this a benefit to water quality and infiltration? Plants with deep root systems are able to spread their roots down into the soil and cover a fairly large surface area. The action of the roots cutting through the soil creates pathways and large pores in the soil for water to flow down into. The deep root systems do an amazing job of creating infiltration into the ground. In normally wet areas of a yard for example, the plants and their root systems create paths into the ground that allow water to drain downward. This feature may be the best benefit and resource to use to help with a wet area in a yard.
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In general, native plants provide many environmental benefits other than just water infiltration. On top of the benefits to helping with the drainage of wet lying areas, native plants are an attractive plant for other native organisms that benefit the environment. The native plants contribute to the biodiversity of an area by providing food for other organisms, moving nutrients throughout the soil, and even providing shelter and habitat for other organisms. In conclusion, native plants absorb water, create pathways in the ground for infiltration, and are great for the biodiversity and creating a healthy environment. So, if there is a wet spot in the back corner of your yard that tends to puddle for a few days, planting natives might be a great option for you!
 
Listed below are links to websites that can be used to point you in the right direction to find the right native plant to get for your goals. For more information feel free to reach out to our office at (513) 695-1337.  
 
Plant Finder.org - https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/
Ohio Division of Natural Resources (ODNR) Native Plant Lists - ODNR Native Plant List
Ohio Native Plant Month.org - https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/

This past spring, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) released the H2Ohio program to counties outside of the Maumee Watershed and Western Lake Erie Basin. Originally made available in 2019, Governor Mike DeWine created H2Ohio as a statewide water quality initiative designed to address the various complex issues negatively impacting Ohio’s waterways. The H2Ohio program is designed to reduce nutrient runoff by ultimately incentivizing producers to implement best management practices on the land.

By providing financial incentives, H2Ohio allows eligible producers to enroll their acreage into a Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan (VNMP) and earn a $10/acre incentive for the development of their VNMP in 2024. Being that this is a two-year program, in 2025 and 2026, producers can earn incentives of $10/acre or $15/acre for implementing the VNMP on their land.
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In Warren County, we were initially given an acreage cap of 5,000 acres to be enrolled in H2Ohio. With a large amount of interest from producers in the county, we exceeded that initial cap. Due to the large interest in H2Ohio, ODA allowed for an expansion which increased our total allowed acres. In all, Warren County SWCD helped sign up 14,647.7 acres to 16 different producers. Currently, Warren SWCD has been working alongside agricultural retailers such as Sunrise and Nutrien, as well as private retailers, to assist in the creation of the Voluntary Nutrient Management Plans. Voluntary Nutrient Management Finalized plans are due in December and we look forward to assisting Warren County producers in implementing H2Ohio on their land in 2025 and 2026.
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For 2025 and beyond, we hope for additional opportunities within H2Ohio that will be available to current and future producers of the program.  If you missed the sign-up period for H2Ohio, please contact our office to discuss eligibility for future H2Ohio opportunities and to get on our wait list.
 
Emilie Fisher
District Technician
Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District
(513) 695-2556
[email protected]

The most wonderful season has finally returned- Fall! Which means our leaves are starting to do just that!  Instead of  bagging your leaves and tossing them in the trash, simply leave them!

"Leaving the leaves and other plant debris doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your yard to the wilderness. The leaves don’t need to be left exactly where they fall. You can rake them into garden beds, around tree bases, or into other designated areas. Too many leaves can kill grass, but in soil they can suppress weeds, retain moisture, and boost nutrition." Xerces Society

Avoid shredding leaves with a mower. Raking or blowing (electric) are alternatives that will keep leaves whole for the best cover and protect the insects and eggs already living there.
If you decide you need to mow and mulch the leaves to clean up the debris in spring, make sure you wait until late in the season so as not to destroy all the life you’ve worked to protect. 
Then when you do, you will see the benefits of leaf mulch, like:

• Fertilize your lawn.
• Improve soil quality.
• Suppress weeds.
• Prevent topsoil erosion.
• Provide habitat and food to micro-organisms, pollinators, and other small critters.

 
Let’s say you’ve mulched as many leaves as you could into the lawn, but you still have more… now what? Use your leaves (shredded or whole) as an ingredient in your compost pile! Composting is a simple way to recycle household/kitchen/yard waste into a nutrient-rich and biologically stable soil amendment. The four main ingredients to a compost pile are: carbon-rich materials (i.e. your leaves), nitrogen-rich materials (like grass clippings, coffee grounds, tea bags, and fruit/veg scraps), water, and air. The goal is to maintain a 30:1 ratio of Carbon and Nitrogen. In other words, you’ll need a lot of leaves to mix in with your household scraps.

​Fall is a great time with great weather to be had, and we like to spend our precious time enjoying it. So when your yard is full of leaves and you think of reaching for the rake, leave it be! 

Additional Resources
 
USDA- Leave the Leaves
PennState Extension- Composting Leaves Guide