WARREN CO SWCD

Education connection

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Board Supervisors
    • Staff
    • NRCS
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Upcoming Programs/Events
    • Future Conservationist Day Camp
    • Introduction to Kayaking
    • Lebanon Oktoberfest
    • Project WILD Workshop
    • Rain Barrel Workshop
    • Stream Clean Ups
    • Stream Encounters
    • Urban Chat Series
    • Warren Water Striders
    • Women for the Land
    • Partner Events
  • Services
    • EQUIPMENT RENTAL
    • For Residents >
      • Drainage, Erosion & Pond Assistance
      • Soil Testing
      • Water Testing
      • Stormwater Basin Inspections
      • Maps & Historic Aerial Images
      • Backyard Conservation >
        • Ohio Native Plants
        • Pollinator Pathways
        • Rain Gardens
        • Rain Barrels
        • Composting
    • For Agriculture Producers >
      • Nutrient Management
      • Land Preservation
      • Cover Crops
      • Cover Crop Incentive Program
      • GIS/Mapping
      • Caesar Creek Collaborative >
        • Meet the Collaborative
        • Our Work
    • 2024 H2Ohio Program
    • For Businesses >
      • Stormwater Basin Inspections
    • For Municipalities >
      • Illicit Discharge Detection Program
      • Operation Rain Garden Grants
  • PERMITS
    • Earth Disturbing in Warren County >
      • Earth Disturbing Permit Application
    • Floodplain Management >
      • Floodplain Determination Request Form
      • Flood Applications, Forms & Documents
  • Education
    • Programs >
      • Classroom Programs
      • Youth Programs
      • Community Outreach
    • Virtual Classroom
    • Urban Conservation Learning Lab
    • Dagmar the Dragonfly
    • Turtle Education Ambassador
    • Program Loan Portal
    • Scholarship Opportunities >
      • Camp Canopy Scholarship
    • HS Envirothon
    • Educator Workshops
  • Blogs
    • Conservation Connection
    • Development Digest
    • Education Connection

3/22/2017

World Water Day

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about taking action to tackle the water crisis. Today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water. (http://www.worldwaterday.org/)
This year, the theme for World Water Day is wastewater, and issues surrounding pollution and nutrient loss.  Reducing and reusing our wastewater by utilizing grey water for gardens, and for green spaces in urban areas can help conserve this valuable resource of water!  Get the facts:  Why waste water?
fact_sheet_wwd2017_en.pdf
File Size: 616 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Picture
Picture
Picture

For educational tools and games about water sustainability, check out:  http://www.games4sustainability.org/world-water-day-2017/
Picture

MARCH 20-26 "is Fix a Leak Week 2017"
​sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration (
USEPA)

https://www3.epa.gov/watersense/our_water/fix_a_leak.html
Picture

Share

0 Comments

3/14/2017

International Day of Action for Rivers; celebrating our Ohio streams and rivers

1 Comment

Read Now
 
Communities across the globe are celebrating their rivers today, seeking to educate people about the threats facing our rivers, and learning about better water and energy solutions.  Warren SWCD wants to take a moment to recognize the importance of our own local Ohio rivers!

Ohio has
254 principal streams and large rivers in Ohio, comprising 5,679 linear stream miles (​http://www.epa.ohio.gov/portals/35/tmdl/2012intreport/ir12sectionbfinal.pdf).  The Ohio River forms the entire 451-mile southern boundary of Ohio, though the entire river stretches 981 miles from Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL, and touches 6 states. 

Picture
Picture
​The Environmental Educational Council of Ohio and the Ohio EPA
 Of Ohio's rivers, 14 have been designated Scenic Rivers. Scenic rivers are classified according to the outstanding qualities a stream possesses. The Scenic Rivers Act provides three categories for river classification: wild, scenic and recreational. Stream length, adjacent forest cover, biological characteristics, water quality, present use, and natural conditions are all evaluated when considering designation.

In 1968, Ohio pioneered the river preservation movement  with the passage of the nation's first scenic rivers act.  A state program was created to protect Ohio's remaining high quality streams for future generations. Scenic rivers retain most of their natural characteristics at a time when many rivers reflect the negative impacts of human activities.

Scenic river designation is a cooperative venture among state and local government, citizen groups, and local communities within a watershed. The designation process depends ultimately upon support and protection authority of local governments and citizens. The ODNR studies the proposed river to determine whether it meets the scenic river criteria. All interested parties, including state and local officials, community groups and concerned citizens, meet to discuss the scenic rivers program and to encourage local support for the protection of the river as a natural resource.
A legal notice of the intent to designate a river as wild, scenic or recreational is issued by the Director of Ohio DNR 60 days prior to the declaration to allow sufficient time for public comment. Following the public comment period, ODNR responds to public concerns and the Director may declare a river a component of the state scenic rivers system.

On April 23, 1969, the Little Miami River which flows through Warren County earned the distinction of becoming Ohio's first designated State Scenic River.

​
Picture
http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/scenicriversmap
littlemiamiriver.pdf
File Size: 1676 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Gazetteer of Ohio Streams
Picture
Picture

watersheds of warren county

What is a watershed?
​

A watershed is the area of land that drains into a lake or stream. Watersheds can be small - like the area that drains into the creek behind your house. Or, watersheds can be large - consider all the land, streams and rivers that drain into the Ohio River or Lake Erie (epa.ohio.gov)
Picture
Great Miami River watershed (blue); Lower Great Miami River watershed (purple)
Picture
Little Miami River watershed

Love your watershed!



Want to help keep the Little Miami River watershed clean and protect surrounding habitat?

There are simple steps you can take at home!

1. Use less water
Every time you flush your toilet or leave the water running while brushing your teeth, it increases the load on your sewer system. Conserve water. 

2. Keep your car repaired 
When oil leaks from our cars it is eventually sent down storm drains and ends up in the watershed. If your car has sprung an oil leak, get it fixed. Also, be careful while adding oil and make sure any used oil is properly recycled.

3. Use organic gardening techniques
Go with natural fertilizers and stick to the directions. Make sure you do not overuse or apply on days when they are likely to be quickly washed away by rain.  Just like automotive oil ends up in the watershed, so does a large amount of the fertilizers and pesticides you use in your garden. This causes rivers and lakes to get a huge dose of nitrogen which makes algae grow abnormally. The chemistry of our freshwater lakes and streams gets totally out of whack and fish kills are common, along with a host of other problems. 

4. Compost and contain yard wasteToo much organic material clogs streams and when it breaks down, it can upset the water chemistry. Compost yard waste and make sure it’s in bins so it doesn’t wash away during a heavy rain.

5.Deal with household chemicals and medicines properly
Check your local environmental health agency or solid waste department for drop-off locations or specially scheduled pickups for toxic household chemicals, like solvents, motor oil and paint. Do not flush unused medicines down the toilet. These are starting to turn up in local drinking water supplies. Find the best way to dispose of them locally. Also, use natural cleaning products around the house.

6. Go sustainable
Frequent your local farmer’s market and find organic farmers. Doing business with them helps keep fertilizers and pesticides out of the environment and it also reduces the need to truck food over long distances, which reduces all the pollution associated with transportation. Also, Ohio is a free choice state for energy suppliers so you can buy electricity from sustainable sources and still be serviced by your local utility company. You can research 100% green energy suppliers such as CleanChoice Energy and Star Energy.  It will reduce acid rain, which is one of our biggest problems.

7. Don’t litter
While one may think we should not have to remind folks not to litter, still some people have not gotten the message. Go to any river or lake popular with fishermen and you will find plastic wrappers from lures and bait at the water’s edge. And, if you litter in your neighborhood, it will make its way to a storm drain and get into our streams, lakes and eventually into the ocean. Finally, why not take it a step further and volunteer for a river or lake cleanup day project?

Check out ​http://www.lmriverkleeners.org/index.html for more information and volunteer opportunities!


Picture

Share

1 Comment

3/3/2017

World WIldlife Day-                                                        SPotlight on ohio's Wildlife

1 Comment

Read Now
 
Ohio is home to some amazing species! Keep you eyes open for some of these animals when walking, hiking, and even relaxing in your own backyard.  If you see them, enjoy the moment, take a picture, but do not disturb.
​Wildlife should be left in the wild.
ODNR: Species Guide Index
Picture
White-Tailed Deer - Odocoileus virginianus
Picture
Bobcat - Lynx rufus
Picture
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis
Picture
Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum
The Division Of Wildlife uses six categories to further define the status of selected Ohio Wildlife: endangered, threatened, species of concern, special interest, extirpated, and extinct.
ODNR: Ohio's Listed Species
Ohio's Endangered Mammals:  

American Black Bear:
www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Mammals/Black-Bear.aspx

Picture

Allegheny Woodrat:
wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/mammals/allegheny-woodrat
Picture

Indiana Bat
http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/mammals/indiana-bat
Picture

Ohio has a rich and varied history when following wildlife population trends. This fluctuation in population numbers correlates to habitat changes and loss over time. 
Picture
The more we do to conserve valuable habitat, the more we do to protect the wildlife that shares the great state of Ohio with us.

Check out some great backyard conservation tips!


https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=nrcs143_023574​
http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife.aspx
​
Click for more Backyard Conservation ideas

Share

1 Comment
Details

    Author:
    ​Education Staff

    Stay up to date with all of our Education news by signing up for Data from Dagmar...an environmental education newsletter from WCSWCD

    Categories

    All
    Bats
    Citizen Science
    Climate Change
    Conservancy
    Earth
    Earth Day
    Earth Formations
    Ecosystems
    Educators
    Envirothon
    Green Living
    NASA
    Native Plants
    Natural Resources
    Ohio Symbols
    Pollinators
    Rocks And Fossils
    Soil
    STEM
    Trees
    Virtual Learning
    Volunteer
    Water Resources
    Wildlife

    Archives

    May 2025
    January 2025
    August 2024
    May 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    August 2023
    June 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

Picture

Contact:

PHONE: (513) 695 - 1337
EMAIL:   [email protected]
HOURS: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm (except holidays)

Connect:

Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District Copyright © 2016
Warren SWCD Privacy Notice. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.  Constant Contact's Privacy Notice.
Photos from MSamir63, Kevin M. Gill, Ken McMillan
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Board Supervisors
    • Staff
    • NRCS
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Upcoming Programs/Events
    • Future Conservationist Day Camp
    • Introduction to Kayaking
    • Lebanon Oktoberfest
    • Project WILD Workshop
    • Rain Barrel Workshop
    • Stream Clean Ups
    • Stream Encounters
    • Urban Chat Series
    • Warren Water Striders
    • Women for the Land
    • Partner Events
  • Services
    • EQUIPMENT RENTAL
    • For Residents >
      • Drainage, Erosion & Pond Assistance
      • Soil Testing
      • Water Testing
      • Stormwater Basin Inspections
      • Maps & Historic Aerial Images
      • Backyard Conservation >
        • Ohio Native Plants
        • Pollinator Pathways
        • Rain Gardens
        • Rain Barrels
        • Composting
    • For Agriculture Producers >
      • Nutrient Management
      • Land Preservation
      • Cover Crops
      • Cover Crop Incentive Program
      • GIS/Mapping
      • Caesar Creek Collaborative >
        • Meet the Collaborative
        • Our Work
    • 2024 H2Ohio Program
    • For Businesses >
      • Stormwater Basin Inspections
    • For Municipalities >
      • Illicit Discharge Detection Program
      • Operation Rain Garden Grants
  • PERMITS
    • Earth Disturbing in Warren County >
      • Earth Disturbing Permit Application
    • Floodplain Management >
      • Floodplain Determination Request Form
      • Flood Applications, Forms & Documents
  • Education
    • Programs >
      • Classroom Programs
      • Youth Programs
      • Community Outreach
    • Virtual Classroom
    • Urban Conservation Learning Lab
    • Dagmar the Dragonfly
    • Turtle Education Ambassador
    • Program Loan Portal
    • Scholarship Opportunities >
      • Camp Canopy Scholarship
    • HS Envirothon
    • Educator Workshops
  • Blogs
    • Conservation Connection
    • Development Digest
    • Education Connection