Lower Big Walnut Creek Watershed
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LOWER BIG WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED WATERSHED ACTION PLAN AND INVENTORY December 2006 Prepared and Written by: Friends of Big Walnut Creek 116 Mill Street Gahanna, Ohio 43230 www.friendsofbigwalnutcreek.org 1 Prepared with assistance from: Erin Miller - MORPC Andrea Gorzitze – MORPC Joe Bonnell – Ohio State University Extension Service Anne Baird – Ohio State University Extension Service Writing contributions by: Mike McNutt – (former) Watershed Coordinator/Friends of Big Walnut Creek Richard Noss, Friends of Big Walnut Creek Bob Kyle, Friends of Big Walnut Creek Bill Resch – Friends of Big Walnut Creek Karen Keller, Friends of Big Walnut Creek This publication was financed in part or totally through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act of 1972 2 PLAN ENDORSEMENT We, the supporters of Lower Big Walnut Creek Watershed conservation efforts do hereby approve and agree to pursue implementation of this Watershed Action Plan prepared and written by the Friends of Big Walnut Creek Board of Directors. ______________________ All relevant signatories will be inserted 3 The Friends of Big Walnut Creek Board of Directors has endeavored to develop a Watershed Action Plan inclusive of the public input that has been gathered. This plan is intended be adaptable, flexible and usable by the community in its development of future Watershed programs. Mark Converse, President Susann Moeller (since Feb. 2006) Bob Bostard, Past-President Mike McNutt (2004 – 2006) Board of Directors Watershed Coordinator 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. 5 LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... 9 LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... 11 A Watershed ................................................................................................................................ 13 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 14 Lower Big Walnut Creek ........................................................................................................ 14 The Watershed Action Plan .................................................................................................. 14 Lower Big Walnut Creek Watershed Partners ................................................................... 15 Local Governmental Partners ............................................................................................ 15 State Agency Partners ........................................................................................................ 16 County and Regional Partners .......................................................................................... 16 Individuals ............................................................................................................................. 16 Friends of Big Walnut Creek ................................................................................................. 18 Friends of Big Walnut Creek Mission Statement ............................................................ 18 GOAL: To improve Lower Big Walnut Creek Watershed. ............................................. 18 Friends of Big Walnut Creek Background ....................................................................... 18 A Brief History of the Friends of Big Walnut Creek ........................................................ 19 Friends of Big Walnut Creek Recent Activities ............................................................... 19 Big Walnut Creek Watershed Groups ................................................................................. 21 The Rocky Fork Creek Watershed Protection Task Force ........................................... 21 Friends of Blacklick Creek .................................................................................................. 21 Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries (FACT) .............................................................. 22 The Upper Big Walnut Creek Water Quality Partnership .............................................. 22 Watershed Plan Development .............................................................................................. 23 Purpose of the Watershed Action Plan ............................................................................ 23 Citizens Concerns Expressed at Public Meetings .......................................................... 23 Public/Stakeholder Meetings................................................................................ 23 Small Group Meetings.......................................................................................... 23 Endorsement ........................................................................................................................ 23 Updates and Revisions ....................................................................................................... 24 Previous and Complementary Efforts .................................................................................. 24 Watershed Inventory ................................................................................................................. 26 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 26 Geographic Characteristics ................................................................................................ 26 Administrative and Government Components ................................................................ 28 Counties:.............................................................................................................. 28 Cities and Villages:............................................................................................... 28 Townships:........................................................................................................... 28 Other Entities: ...................................................................................................... 28 Demographics ...................................................................................................................... 33 Economics ............................................................................................................................ 33 5 Agricultural Statistics for Franklin County ........................................................................ 37 Geology and Soils of the Big Walnut Creek Watershed................................................... 37 Geology ................................................................................................................................. 37 Soils of the Big Walnut Creek Watershed ....................................................................... 39 Biology of the Big Walnut Creek watershed ....................................................................... 47 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species ................................................................. 47 Bird Data within the Big Walnut Watershed .................................................................... 47 Fish ........................................................................................................................................ 49 Macroinvertebrates .............................................................................................................. 50 Fresh Water Mussels .......................................................................................................... 52 Riparian Forests .................................................................................................................. 52 Invasive Species .................................................................................................................. 53 Water Resources of Lower Big Walnut Creek .................................................................... 54 Precipitation and Climate ................................................................................................... 54 Hydrologic Cycle .................................................................................................................. 56 Surface Water Resources .................................................................................................. 57 Proposed City of Columbus Raw Waterline .................................................................... 65 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................... 66 Tributaries ............................................................................................................................. 67 Trappe Ditch- Tributary through Blendon Woods Metro Park............................... 68 Beem Ditch aka McKenna Creek ....................................................................... 70 Airport Tributary ................................................................................................... 72 Unnamed Tributary downstream of the Port Columbus Airport ............................ 73 Mason Run..........................................................................................................