Euclid Creek Watershed Program Program Years 2017-2020

Claire Posius Euclid Creek Watershed Coordinator Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District The Euclid Creek Watershed

. 34 miles of . 24 square miles . All or part of 12 municipalities in 2 counties . Population of ~63,500 . Land Cover: - 51% residential - 14% undeveloped - 12% roads/highways - 9% protected open space - 2-4% commercial, industrial, institutional

Euclid Creek Watershed Program Partners

Building Local Capacity to Move Resource Stewardship Forward

• Euclid Creek Watershed Council (ECWC) Committees – Watershed PIPE Committee expanded to new Northeast Cuyahoga County PIPE Committee – Technical Committee – Volunteer Monitoring Program Committee

• Friends of Euclid Creek (FOEC) – non-profit grassroots watershed group

• Cuyahoga SWCD – hosts the Euclid Creek Watershed Coordinator position Euclid Creek Watershed Program History 2001 – Euclid Creek Watershed Council formed Friends of Euclid Creek formed

2003 – Friends of Euclid Creek become 501c3 non-profit organization Euclid Creek Watershed Coordinator is funded and hired

2004 – Euclid Creek Watershed Council establish by-laws

2005 - US EPA approves Euclid Creek Total Maximum Daily Load report

2006 – State endorses Euclid Creek Watershed Action Plan (WAP)

2007 - Present– Euclid Creek Watershed Program Implementing WAP

2002-16–Euclid Creek leverages $5.23 million for watershed plans and creek improvements projects

Streambank Erosion caused by Flooding Euclid Creek Watershed Program Funding and Funding Leveraged Sources

Program funding for Leveraged funding for personnel / operations restoration / planning grants • Euclid Creek Watershed Council • NEORSD Communities • Cuyahoga SWCD • and US EPA – Great Restoration Initiative (GLRI) / Area of Concern (AOC) Leveraged Program funding for funding personnel / operations • And many agencies have provided • Waterfront Coalition countless In-Kind or Volunteer hours • ODNR Watershed Coordinator Grant toward program (2002-2014, unavailable funding now) Volunteer hours in 2016 • Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District 892 volunteers have given 2,006 hours of (NEORSD) via Friends of Euclid Creek their time to the program – service agreement (2009-2016) a monetary value of $47,273!

Euclid Creek Watershed Program What Changed

PIPE Program Separated from Watershed Program – Regional program now paid for through NEORSD Program – Cuyahoga SWCD designated as a preferred provider of PIPE for NEORSD.

Program Functions the Same, but is now two separate agreements

PIPE Program MOU Watershed Program MOU • Agreement between your • Agreement between your community, NEORSD community, Euclid Creek and Cuyahoga SWCD Watershed Council and Cuyahoga SWCD

• Annual MOU • 4-year MOU

• $5,500 Program Cost – • $3,000 Program Cost to be paid to CSWCD, (can be paid for with your then reimbursed by community cost share) NEORSD (not taken out of your community cost share) Euclid Creek Watershed Program What Changed

Overall Program Fee increase Have not raised program costs in 8 years despite inflation and rising cost of doing business New MOUs provided opportunity to raise fees modestly without impacting communities negatively

PIPE Program Watershed Program MOU • $5,500 Program Cost – • $3,000 Program Cost to be paid to CSWCD, (can be paid for with your then reimbursed by community cost share) NEORSD (not taken out of your community cost share) Total Program Cost Per Community: $8,500 • $5,500 reimbursed • $3,000 eligible to be paid through NEORSD community cost share (application process) • Ultimately – program could now be free for communities, or at least reduced by $2,500 from original proposal of $5,500 last year. PIPE Program Objectives

Public Involvement & Public Education (PIPE) Management Measure for the NPDES Phase II requirements for USEPA

• Minimum Performance Standards – meet standard established by OEPA-issued stormwater permit for PIPE (Minimum Control Measures 1 & 2)

PIPE Annual Report • Meet Intent of permit – PIPE program activities should lead to voluntary change of behavior in community to help reduce water pollution from stormwater runoff

• Meet Community Priorities – address Communities stormwater issues such as drainage and flooding issues, water quality and stream erosion. Let us know what issues you would like to see addressed by PIPE program.

PIPE Annual Outreach Strategy PIPE Program Services You Receive

Public Involvement & Public Education (PIPE) Management Measure for the NPDES Phase II requirements for USEPA

• PIPE Annual Report - assembly and submittal to each 2009 Outreach Event Rain Garden at community for its annual submission of the storm water Mayfield School Board building management program to OEPA

• Committee meeting coordination – New Northeast Cuyahoga County PIPE Committee

• Outreach and public involvement activities - coordinate and conduct community activities such as monitoring, stream clean ups, invasive plant removals, speaking presentations and displays at community events PIPE Program Services You Receive

Public Involvement & Public Education (PIPE) Management Measure for the NPDES Phase II requirements for USEPA

• Distribution of outreach materials - related to watershed stewardship and stormwater management for maintaining healthy water resources

• Targeted Mailing – stormwater education mailing sent to 50% of your community over 5 year permit term

• Local public officials and agency partners meeting coordination - on land use policies related to water quality Educational Information on and stormwater management including local ordinances Display at City Halls

• Friends of Euclid Creek support and coordination - on stewardship activities Expanded NECC PIPE Committee

PIPE Program Services You Receive Community Events School Outreach  Tabling Events (Euclid Beach Blast) & New Events - Great Erie Boat Float  Storm Drain Stenciling, Water Monitoring

Workshops  Rain Barrel, Green Cleaning

Education Table at Community Events Beachwood EntrovationCLE Euclid Beach Blast Greenwood Farm Family Fun Fest Hillcrest Hospital EarthFest for Employees Philips Healthcare EarthFest for Employees Rockwell Automation EarthFest for Employees and South Euclid Harvest Fest, Rock the Block… PIPE Program Services You Receive

Eagle Scout Candidate Project at Redstone Run Site, Richmond Heights, 2014  Installed 4 monarch waystations at Redstone Run conserved site envisioned as land lab

Eagle Scout Candidate Project at Euclid City Hall, 2015  Installed rain garden in parking lot median PIPE Program Services You Receive

Demonstration Rain Garden at Mayfield Heights Community Center with Mayfield Middle School Student Council students – October 2015

Girl Scouts Earth Day Cleanup and Planting at Mayfield Heights City Park – April 2016 PIPE Program Services You Receive

Programs at Schools - Watershed Model (EnviroScape) with Brownie Troop

Girl Scouts Earth Day Cleanup and Planting at Mayfield Heights City Park – April 2016 Euclid Creek Watershed Program Services You Receive 1/9 of Watershed Coordinator with Natural Resource expertise

Watershed Coordinator Implements Watershed Action Plan Coordinates Euclid Creek Watershed Council meetings and committees Liason between Watershed Council and Friends of Euclid Creek

Added value of CSWCD Staff Stormwater Program Technical Tips Stormwater staff (construction/post construction specialties) Education/Outreach staff Watershed staff New School Outreach staff (to help schools reach NEORSD fee credit)

Added value of CSWCD Network Work with local, state and federal agencies / programs (NOACA, OEPA, ODA, ODNR, NRCS, US EPA…)

CSWCD Newsletter for Watershed Program Updates Euclid Creek Watershed Program Services You Receive Provide support to local communities for

watershed improvement projects. Largescale Projects: Wildwood Wetland Restoration Project, Assemble projects for funding and manage for Cleveland implementation. • Restoration Projects • Tree Plantings • Stormwater / Green Infrastructure Projects • Land Conservation/Protection Projects (7 properties protected, totaling 207 acres) • Erosion/Flood Control Projects Model Projects: Turf conversion to Wildflower meadow, Lyndhurst

Green Infrastructure, Tree Planting & Land Green Infrastructure, Permeable Pavement in South Protection, Redstone Run in Euclid City Hall Bioretention and Permeable Richmond Heights Pavement in Mayfield Village Euclid Creek Watershed Program Strength in Partnerships

Partnerships – what funders Streamside Tree / Shrub Planting Program want to support Watershed-Wide, 2015 $13,700 in Protection Fund funding streamside reforestation program  429, 3-gallon trees and 4,725 tree and shrub seedlings distributed to 90 streamside property owners to plant  2.17 miles of stream properties enrolled  89% of sites inspected were planted

successfully Volunteers cutting deer protection fencing for  1 million gallons of stormwater the trees 15 Property Owners participated from Cutters Creek in South Euclid would be captured by the trees over Planted 40 trees and 440 seedlings! 10 years of growth with an ecosystem services benefit of $11,836.  4.5 million gallons captured at 20 years of growth with an ecosystem services benefit of $49,930.  Volunteers helped participants load trees in Great return on this grant’s car at Lyndhurst City Hall investment. Chris Vild (above) and Chad Clink showed participants how to correctly plant trees and seedlings Euclid Creek Watershed Program Services You Receive

Coordinate with local communities on watershed goals and their implementation within the context of community goals.

• Participate in local master planning processes to incorporate natural resource issues • Update Watershed Action Plan at regular intervals and to 6 (67%) of ECWC member comply with state/federal guidelines (Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategy (NPS-IS) Plan Update now per US communities have adopted EPA) with broad based stakeholder involvement riparian and wetland setback • Assist with updating codes to allow for stormwater codes. management Ordinances • Advocate at state and federal levels to report community investments towards watershed improvements and for increased funding for developed and developing urbanized watersheds. • Keeping updated on large sanitary and other infrastructure projects improving water quality

Infrastructure Euclid Creek Watershed Program Services You Receive

Technical Assistance to Communities

• Community Management Assistance • Stream Maintenance Activities (especially in areas not served by regional stormwater program) • Landowner Technical Assistance • Streambank Erosion Hazard Evaluation • Community Staff Training and Stream Maintenance Protocol Development and Assistance

Highland Heights Tributary Stream Walk, 2014 Euclid Creek Watershed Program Services You Receive

Landowner Technical Assistance - Assist with variety of calls Backyard drainage Basement flooding Illegal dumping on steep slopes, in stream, and in storm drains Stream erosion issues Stream blockage issues Detention/Retention basin issues Structures in riparian areas Euclid Creek Watershed Program Services You Receive Watershed Outreach

Goal: reach diverse group of watershed stakeholders • Targeted Mailings (streamside property owners, large property owners) 2009 Benefits of Trees Mailing to • Watershed Newsletters 120 businesses on Mayfield Road during • Watershed Program Eblasts and road reconstruction project Blogs • Watershed Social Media • Educational Long Term Project Signage • Watershed Fact Sheets • Watershed Signage • Watershed Resource Maps • Watershed Website • Volunteer Monitoring Program Watershed Fact Sheet Euclid Creek Newsletter

Thank You! Any Questions?

Claire Posius Euclid Creek Watershed Coordinator Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District 216-524-6580 x16

Email: [email protected] Website: www.EuclidCreekWatershed.org Facebook: Like ‘Friends of Euclid Creek’

Euclid Creek Watershed Program