Appendix D

The Lower Olentangy Watershed Inventory December 2003

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“A Snapshot: The State of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed in 2001”

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory

Photograph by George C. Anderson

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“A Snapshot: The State of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed in 2001”

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory

Produced by:

Explore. Discover. Understand.

3528 N. High St. #F Columbus, OH 43214 614-267-3386 [email protected]

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Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed December 2003

Table of Contents

Table of Contents D-i List of Appendices D-iii List of Tables D-in List of Figures D-vi

1. Introduction D-1

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory...... D-1 FLOW Inventory Committee Members ...... D-2

2. Watershed Physiography D-3

3. Geology of the Olentangy River Watershed D-7

Bedrock Geology in the Watershed ...... D-7 Glacial Geology in the Watershed...... D-8 Upper Geological Region (“Farmland River”)...... D-10 Middle Geological Region (“Scenic River”)...... D-12 Lower Geological Region (“Urban River”)...... D-14

4. Hydrology of the Olentangy River Watershed D-23

The Hydrologic Cycle...... D-23 Climatic Conditions in the Watershed...... D-23 Stream Flow...... D-24 Stream Flow in the Olentangy River...... D-25 Effects of Deforestation and Impermeable Surface Areas...... D-28 Effects of the Delaware Dam on Stream Flow in the River ...... D-28 A Generalized Daily Hydrologic Budget for the Lower Olentangy River ...... D-29 Future Impacts on Olentangy River Stream Flow...... D-29

5. Biology of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed D-35

Aquatic Biotas in the Lower Olentangy Sub-basin...... D-35 Fish...... D-36 Freshwater Mussels...... D-38 Benthic Macroinvertebrates (Aquatic Insects)...... D-40 Ohio EPA 1999 Biological and Water Quality Study...... D-41 FLOW River Monitoring Results (1998-2001)...... D-41 Other Biotas Found in the Lower Olentangy Watershed...... D-41 National Heritage Database Records for the Lower Olentangy Watershed...... D-42

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-i Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed December 2003

Table of Contents, Continued.

6. Human Impacts on the Lower Olentangy River Watershed D-53

Cultural History...... D-53 Impacts Over Time ...... D-55 Human Population in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed...... D-58 Current Land Use in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed...... D-58 The Importance of Imperviousness...... D-60 Human Impacts – Permitted Point Sources ...... D-63 Human Impacts – Nonpoint Sources of Pollution ...... D-67

7. Water Quality in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed D-76

Definitions and the Basis for Evaluating Water Quality in Ohio Surface Waters...... D-76 Use Attainment...... D-76 Water Quality Standards ...... D-77 Aquatic Life Use Designations...... D-78 Measures of Physical Stream Habitat...... D-79 Measures of Chemical Water Quality...... D-80 Causes and Sources of Impairment Organized by 14-Digit Subwatershed ...... D-82 Summary Results of the 1999 Ohio EPA Olentangy River Study ...... D-83 Mainstem of the Lower Olentangy River...... D-83 Olentangy Tributary Streams...... D-89 Stream Habitat Quality in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed...... D-90 Lower Olentangy River Mainstem...... D-90 Lower Olentangy River Tributaries...... D-92 Biological Water Quality in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed...... D-92 Delaware County River Mainstem ...... D-92 Franklin County River Mainstem...... D-93 Lower Olentangy River Tributaries...... D-95

8. Selected Olentangy River Tributaries D-103

Horseshoe Run...... D-103 Delaware Run...... D-104 Unnamed Lewis Center Tributary...... D-105 Bartholomew Run...... D-106 Linworth Run...... D-107 Rush Run...... D-108 Bill Moose Run...... D-109 Kempton Run...... D-111 Adena Brook...... D-112 Turkey Run...... D-114 Glen Echo Ravine...... D-115 Iuka Ravine ...... D-116

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Table of Contents, Continued.

9. Conclusions D-117

Report Card for the River Mainstem ...... D-118 What’s Good about the River ...... D-118 What’s Not So Good about the River...... D-119 Report Card for the Olentangy River Tributary Streams...... D-120 What’s Good about the Tributaries...... D-120 What’s Not So Good about the Tributaries ...... D-121 Defining the Problems...... D-121 Where Do We Go from Here?...... D-123

10. References D-125

List of Appendices

D.1: Streamflow Hydrographs for Stretches of the Lower Olentangy River (USGS)...... D-129 D.2: Delaware Reservoir Sediment Surveys (Delaware SWCD)...... D-133 D.3: Unique Places of Interest and Recreational Resources Table & Map...... D-145 D.4: Demographic Data for Franklin and Delaware Counties (MORPC)...... D-147 D.5: Delaware County: List of Comprehensive Plans ...... D-151 D.6: Ohio EPA Beneficial Use Designation Chart for the Olentangy River and Tributaries ...... D-153 D.7: Reference List of OSU Library Resources...... D-157

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List of Tables

Table 1: Bedrock Formations in the Vicinity of the Olentangy River...... D-22 Table 2: Flow Characteristics of the Olentangy River Main Stem...... D-31 Table 3: Stream Flow Measurements (1978-1981) ...... D-32 Table 4: Stream Flow Measurements (1996-1999) ...... D-33 Table 5: Stream Flow and Maximum Sediment Load Data...... D-33 Table 6: General Hydrologic Budget for the Lower Olentangy River ...... D-34 Table 7: Columbus City Parks and Recreation BioBlitz Results (2001)...... D-43 Table 8: Unique Biological Life – Aquatic...... D-43 Table 9: Unique Biological Life – Birds and Plants...... D-44 Table 10: Unique Preserves, Parkland & Special Features ...... D-45 Table 11: Pollution-Intolerant Fish Species Collected from the Olentangy River ....D-46 Table 12: Comparisons of Central Ohio Streams...... D-47 Table 13: Abundance of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)...... D-47 Table 14: Distribution of Fish Species Collected at Individual Collection Sites in Delaware County...... D-48 Table 15: Distribution of Fish Species Collected at Individual Collection Sites in Franklin County...... D-49 Table 16: Living Unionid Mussels Species Recorded from the Olentangy River...... D-50 Table 17: Abundance of Live Specimens of Freshwater Mussel Species...... D-51 Table 18: Abundance of Living Specimens of Freshwater Mussel Species ...... D-51 Table 19: Abundance of Living Specimens of Freshwater Mussel Species ...... D-52 Table 20: Cumulative Stream Quality Results: F.L.O.W...... D-52 Table 21: Census Data Comparison for 1990 and 2000...... D-58 Table 22: Land Uses in the Lower Olentangy Watershed...... D-59 Table 23: Land Uses in the Lower Olentangy Watershed Floodplain in Delaware County...... D-59 Table 24: Land Uses in the Lower Olentangy Watershed Floodplain in Franklin County...... D-59 Table 25: Percentage of Imperviousness...... D-61 Table 26: NPDES Permittees Ohio EPA CDO, September 12, 2000...... D-65 Table 27: List of Combined Storm and Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs) ...... D-70 Table 28: Combined Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs) without Regulators...... D-70 Table 29: City of Columbus Sanitary Sewer Overflow Relief Points...... D-71 Table 30: Unsewered Areas in the Lower Olentangy Watershed – Franklin County* ...... D-74 Table 31: Lowhead Dams in the Lower Olentangy Watershed...... D-75 Table 32: Aquatic Life Use Designations and Minimal Biological Index Scores...... D-96 Table 33: Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Organic Compounds...... D-97 Table 34: Biological and Water Quality Data for the Olentangy River Mainstem.....D-98 Table 35: Biological and Water Quality Data for the Olentangy River Mainstem.....D-99 Table 36: Biological and Water Quality Data for the Olentangy River Tributaries ...... D-100 Table 37: Chemical Water Quality in Sampled Olentangy River Tributaries ...... D-101 Table 38: Chemical Contaminants (Persistent Organics and Metals)...... D-102

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List of Tables, Continued.

Table 39: Fish Kills in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed, 1990-1999...... D-102 Table 40: Horseshoe Run Monitoring Results...... D-103 Table 41: Delaware Run Monitoring Results...... D-104 Table 42: Unnamed Lewis Center Tributary Monitoring Results ...... D-105 Table 43: Bartholomew Run Monitoring Results ...... D-106 Table 44: Linworth Run Monitoring Results...... D-107 Table 45: Rush Run Monitoring Results...... D-108 Table 46: Bill Moose Run Monitoring Results...... D-110 Table 47: Kempton Run Monitoring Results...... D-111 Table 48: Adena Brook Past Pollution Incident Reports Received by Ohio EPA...... D-113 Table 49: Turkey Run Monitoring Results...... D-114

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List of Figures

Figure 1-1: Watershed Action Planning Process...... D-2 Figure 2-1: Scioto River Basin...... D-4 Figure 2-2: Olentangy River Watershed ...... D-5 Figure 2-3: The Lower Olentangy Watershed ...... D-6 Figure 3-1: Bedrock Geology of Central Ohio...... D-7 Figure 3-2: End Moraines in the Olentangy Watershed...... D-9 Figure 3-3: The Olentangy River in Marion County...... D-11 Figure 3-4: Photograph of the Delaware Dam...... D-11 Figure 3-5: The Olentangy River at High Banks Metro Parks ...... D-12 Figure 3-6: Concretions in Ohio Shale at High Banks Metro Park...... D-13 Figure 3-7: Urban Encroachment on the Olentangy Watershed in Franklin County...... D-16 Figure 3-8: The Olentangy River in the Henderson Rd Bridge, and Whetstone Park...... D-17 Figure 3-9: Lowhead Dam on the Olentangy River at North Broadway ...... D-18 Figure 3-10: Lowhead Dam on the Olentangy River at Dodridge Street...... D-18 Figure 3-11: Fifth Avenue Dam and Impounded River at OSU ...... D-19 Figure 3-12: The Olentangy River below the Third Avenue Bridge ...... D-19 Figure 3-13: Ravines in the Lower Olentangy Watershed ...... D-20 Figure 3-14: Aerial Photograph of Bill Moose Run...... D-21 Figure 4-1: Hydrologic Cycle...... D-23 Figure 4-2: Aquifer Yields in the Olentangy Watershed ...... D-27 Figure 6-1: The Old Piatt Mill on the Olentangy River...... D-54 Figure 6-2: Olentangy Park...... D-55 Figure 6-3: Original Vegetation (Pre-European)...... D-57 Figure 6-4: Aerial Photograph of Land Use Changes in the Watershed...... D-62 Figure 6-5: Permitted Wastewater Dischargers in the Lower Olentangy Watershed...... D-66 Figure 7-1: Ohio EPA 1999 Lower Olentangy River Sampling Site Use Attainment Map...... D-81 Figure 7-2: E. coli and Fecal Coliform Trends in the Mainstem...... D-85 Figure 7-3: Ammonia, Nitrate, Phosphorus, and Dissolved Oxygen in the Mainstem...... D-86 Figure 7-4: Nitrate and Phosphorus Concentrations in the Mainstem...... D-87 Figure 7-5: IBI, MIWB, and QHEI Scores Longitudinally in the Mainstem...... D-91 Figure 7-6: Distribution of DELTs in Fish in the Olentangy Mainstem...... D-95 Figure 9-1: Changes in Fish Species Abundance Downstream of the Delaware WWTP, 1989 vs. 1999 (OEPA, 2001) ...... D-119

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1. Introduction

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory

The Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) is a non-profit, grassroots, citizens’ organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the beneficial use of the Olentangy River and its resources. FLOW formed in August 1997. Our mission is to increase public awareness of the extensive environmental, recreational, historical, and cultural resources of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed and to promote responsible policies and uses of the river. To date, FLOW has over 100 dues-paying members. Our ultimate goal is to implement a watershed action plan, involving all affected parties that work to decrease non-point source pollution and increase the recreational value of the river. The largest role we play in the community is education. We also work to provide a forum for diverse interests to discuss issues concerning the river and its watershed.

The Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory is a compilation of the characteristics of the Lower Olentangy River and its tributary streams as well as the features of the surrounding landscape that affect the quality of these critical water resources. These characteristics and features include: topography and physiography (Section 2); geology, soils, and riparian habitats (Section 3); hydrologic factors such as precipitation and stream flow (Section 4); the biological diversity and resources, both aquatic and terrestrial, which have been documented from the river and its watershed (Section 5); and human influences such as population, land use, and human modification of these natural areas (Section 6). This inventory also includes a summary of the results from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s 1999 water quality monitoring of the mainstem of the Olentangy River and select tributary streams (Section 7, 8) and conclusions of this inventory (Section 9).

The information found in this inventory report will be used to evaluate potential sources of water quality and biological habitat degradation and to identify actions needed to address these impacted areas as well as areas of high water and biological quality that may need additional protection. This will be accomplished by the creation of a group of stakeholders and the formulation of a watershed action plan for the Lower Olentangy River Watershed. This plan will help guide FLOW and other decision-making entities along the river and its tributaries to make policies and procedures that will facilitate the goals and strategies laid out by the action plan (Figure 1-1, Watershed Action Plan process, Ohio EPA, 1997).

We would like to thank the FLOW Inventory Committee for collecting and compiling the information in this report and editing the many drafts. We would especially like to thank Dr. Robert C. Frey and Erin Miller, the main authors of the report, David White who prepared many of the maps and line drawings and formatted the document; George C. Anderson for his beautiful photographs of the river and Promedia of Ohio for providing a discount on CD duplication services. Photos copyrighted by George C. Anderson, all rights reserved.

This publication was funded through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the USEPA, under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.

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FLOW Inventory Committee Members

Dr. Robert C. Frey (Chair), Erin Miller (Watershed Coordinator), George C. Anderson, Wes Beery, Jeremy Carroll, Amanda Lanning Davey (FLOW Chair), Keith Dimoff, Dan Fink, Jennifer Fish, Julie Jackson, Katie Martin-Renner, Vince Mazeika, Janna McKee, Edward Quickert, Doreen Uhas-Sauer, Jerry Wager, and David White.

Figure 1-1: Watershed Action Planning Process (Ohio EPA, 1997).

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2. Watershed Physiography

Ohio’s landscape, physical, environmental, and biological, has been significantly altered in recent geological time by three major historical events. The first of these was the advance and then retreat of the Pleistocene glaciers, which, at one time, covered the northern and western two-thirds of the state with an ice sheet up to 1,000 feet thick (Hansen, 1997). This glaciation had a major impact on soil development, topography, and stream configuration and flow in central Ohio. The second major event impacting Ohio’s environment was the initial arrival of humans into the region following the retreat of the last glacial ice mass 14,000 years ago. The emergence of human habitation in the region led to the localized alteration of the environment through the intentional burning of small patches of forests and the development of low-intensity agriculture. The third event was the arrival of Europeans in Ohio in the 18th century, which eventually led to widespread deforestation, and the development of crop-intensive agriculture across the state in the 19th century. This was followed by the industrialization and urbanization of the state in the 20th century. All of these activities had major impacts on Ohio’s watersheds. All of the state’s rivers and streams have been altered to some extent from their original nature, including the Olentangy River and its tributaries. Human activities, especially row-crop agriculture in the Upper Olentangy River Sub-basin and urban sprawl in the Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin, continue to have serious impacts on the watershed as a whole in the 21st century.

The Olentangy River Watershed consists of 88.5 miles of the Olentangy River and the surrounding 565 square-mile area drained by the river and its network of tributary streams. The river has its source in highlands in the southwest corner of Richland County at an elevation of 1189 feet above sea level. It has an average gradient of 5.5 feet / mile as it flows south to its confluence with the Scioto River in Columbus in Franklin County (elevation = 702 feet). The watershed itself is part of the larger Scioto River Basin that drains south to the Ohio River. A distinctive feature of the rivers in central Ohio, especially in Franklin and Delaware counties, is the peculiar, sub-parallel, nearly straight, north-south trend of four of the five major streams: the Scioto River, the Olentangy River, Alum Creek, and Big Walnut Creek (Figure 2-1).

The Olentangy River Watershed is situated in central Ohio in what is termed the Till Plains Physiographic Region and the Eastern Cornbelt Plains Ecoregion, an area of level, glaciated plains traversed by broad, low, linear hills. The region originally was covered with beech forests in upland areas and elm-ash forests in wetter flood plain environments (U.S. Geological Survey, 1998). Today, the region consists of extensive row-crop agriculture with corn, soybeans, and livestock production dominating land use across the area (> 75% of the total ecoregion). Better streams retain wooded riparian corridors with cottonwood, sycamore, black willow, and box elder predominating. Small to medium-size urban areas are characteristic, typically with a lack of extensively developed heavy industry. Exceptions in the vicinity of the Olentangy River Watershed include the cities of Marion, Delaware, and Columbus.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have divided the Olentangy River Watershed into two somewhat distinct sub-basins (Figure 2-2). The Upper Olentangy River Sub-basin consists of rural and agricultural

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Figure 2-1: Scioto River Basin.

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Figure 2-2: Olentangy River Watershed.

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portions of Richland, Crawford, Morrow, Marion, and northern Delaware counties, north of the city of Delaware. This sub-basin extends from the source area of the Olentangy River in the north to the confluence with Delaware Run in the city of Delaware to the south, encompassing an area of 393 square miles. The damming of a portion of the Olentangy River several miles north of Delaware in 1948 formed Delaware Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control reservoir.

The Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin extends from the mouth of Delaware Run in Delaware south to the confluence of the Olentangy River with the Scioto River, in the city of Columbus. This portion of the watershed consists of rural and suburban portions of southern Delaware County and largely urban portions of Franklin County, an area of over 150 square miles (Figures 2-2 and 2-3). The upper 22 miles of this sub-basin -- from the Delaware Dam in Delaware County to the Wilson Bridge Road Bridge in Worthington in Franklin County -- was given State Scenic River status in 1973. The Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin, however, is also the most rapidly growing area in Ohio with the population of Delaware County Figure 2-3: The Lower Olentangy Watershed. increasing 64% in the decade between 1990 and 2000 (U.S. Year 2000 Census). Most of this growth is centered in southern Delaware County and, as a result, this portion of the watershed is facing increasing pressures from rampant residential and commercial development. This watershed inventory report will focus on the Lower Sub-basin of the Olentangy River Watershed from the Delaware Dam to the confluence with the Scioto River in Columbus.

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3. Geology of the Olentangy River Watershed

The bedrock and glacial geology of the Olentangy River Watershed controls to a great extent many of the physical aspects of the river and its tributary streams. Geologically, the watershed can be divided into three distinct areas: the Upper Geological Region consisting of Richland, Crawford, Morrow, Marion, and northern Delaware counties; the Middle Geological Region in southern Delaware County; and the Lower Geological Region in northern Franklin County. The river develops a different character in each of these three regions, owing these differences to somewhat different geological settings in the three areas.

Bedrock Geology in the Watershed

Bedrock in central Ohio consists of discrete layers of sedimentary rock (limestone, shale, sandstone) that can be distinguished on the basis of their characteristic physical features and which are termed formations. Bedrock across central Ohio is influenced by the effects of the Cincinnati-Findlay Arch system, a structural high whose axis trends roughly north south across western Ohio, west of the central Ohio region. This causes the bedrock layers in central Ohio to slope at an angle of 26 degrees to the east and southeast, away from the axis of the arch (Figure 3-1). These eastward-dipping formations have been beveled and truncated by subsequent glaciation, which causes these bedrock layers to be arranged at the surface in broad, roughly north-south trending bands with the oldest formations to the west and the youngest formations to the east. These formations vary as to their physical and chemical characteristics, especially with regard to their hardness, resistance to erosion, and ability to store underground water. These formations, arranged in stratigraphic order from the youngest to the oldest, are listed and described in Table 1.

The parallel north-south trends of the Scioto River, the Olentangy River, Alum Creek, and Big Walnut Creek appear to be related to the surficial configurations of the bedrock formations, with the trend of the stream channels paralleling the strike of the bedrock formations. The stream channels appear to be incised where weaker, less-resistant rock layers intersect the ground surface at a low angle (Figure 3-1).

Figure 3-1: Bedrock Geology of Central Ohio - A section of the bedrock along a line drawn through Columbus from west to east. (Source: Geological Survey of Ohio.)

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Glacial Geology in the Watershed

A series of continental glaciers caused large masses of ice up to 1,000 feet thick to rumble repeatedly across central Ohio, starting nearly two million years ago and melting and retreating from this portion of the state roughly 14,000 years ago. These glacial events functioned both as bulldozers - beveling, scraping, and eroding rocks and soils from the surface, and as dump trucks - dumping large quantities of clay, sand, gravel, and cobbles. This filled in low areas and left linear hills of glacial materials termed end moraines that mark the leading edges of individual ice sheets as they retreated northward from Ohio.

Glacial ice in central Ohio was part of a broad, southward-trending body of ice termed the Scioto Lobe that extended from the Lake Erie Basin to Northern Pike County. The advance of this broad lobe of ice southward followed pre-existing valleys that now comprise the Scioto River Basin. As the ice sheets advanced across the region, the crushing weight of the ice eroded and planed off the pre-glacial bedrock surface, resulting in a flat, level peneplane surface at an elevation of roughly 1,000 feet above mean sea level across most of central Ohio (Westgate, 1926). The irregular stopping, retreat, and melting of the Wisconsinan ice front between 18,000 and 14,000 years ago led to the deposition of variable thicknesses of poorly-sorted, clay-rich glacial soil termed glacial till, deposited either as smooth-surfaced, level ground moraine deposits or in a number of linear, elevated, broadly-arching end moraines across the central Ohio area (Goldthwait et al., 1965). The latter include: the Powell End Moraine trending roughly west to east across southern Delaware County and intersecting the river near High Banks Metro Park; the Broadway End Moraine which trends west to east just north of the city of Delaware and which forms the natural setting for the Delaware Dam, which dams the Olentangy River to form Delaware Lake in northern Delaware County; and the St. John’s End Moraine which trends from the southwest to the northeast across central Marion County and into central Crawford County (Figure 3-2). These end moraines rise 50 to 60 feet above the surrounding till plains and are typically one to two miles wide.

Soils across the bulk of the watershed consist primarily of clay-rich, high-lime glacial drift soils (Blount-Pewamo Soils) formed from the fine-grained glacial tills characteristic of the region. The Upper Olentangy River Sub-basin is part of the “Clayey High-Lime Till Plains Ecoregion” (#55a) characterized by clay-rich, low-permeability soils. The Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin, especially in Franklin County, is within the "Loamy High-Lime Till Plains Ecoregion” (#55b) and its soils are somewhat sandier and more permeable. Both soil types tend to be poorly drained due to the level topography across much of the watershed and the high percentage of clay in these soils. However, these soils have moderate to high natural fertility due to the moderate to high lime content of the soils. These fertile soils are the basis for the current agricultural land use that constitutes the bulk of the economies in many central Ohio counties, especially those in the Upper Olentangy River Sub-basin.

The soils in the lower part of the Olentangy watershed exhibit two general trends. The first is that moving from east to west, the pH of the soils increases because of the higher content of limestone rock fragments in the glacial till west of the river itself. As a result, the soils are generally more productive for cropland and for agriculture in general in the western half of

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Figure 3-2: End Moraines in the Olentangy Watershed

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the watershed. The second trend is that more sloping and better-drained soils are more common closer to the valley itself, and somewhat poorly drained to very poorly drained soils are more common in the broader areas near the edges of the watershed. Slope distribution and natural soil drainage characteristics could be depicted easily with digital soils information available from the Delaware and Franklin Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

In terms of soil series, the eastern part of the watershed is best characterized by Bennington, Cardington, and Pewamo soils. The western part of the watershed is best characterized by Blount, Pewamo, and Glynwood soils. The better drained Cardington and Glynwood soils are more common in sloping areas, and Blount, Bennington, and Pewamo are more common in less sloping areas. In Franklin County, the soils west of the River are formed in less clayey glacial till, and they are best characterized by the Crosby and Celina soils on broad areas of less sloping soils and by the Miamian and Celina soils on the sloping areas. The general pattern is evident on the Soil Regions of Ohio map published by ODNR in 1996. According to the OSU Extension Bulletin 896 “Suitability of Ohio Soils for Treating Wastewater” the Celina and Miamian soils are suited for mound systems only. The Bennington, Blount, Cardington, Crosby and Glynwood soils are not suited for soil-based wastewater treatment, but may be suited for irrigation of treated wastewater. Pewamo soils are wet, seasonally saturated (hydric) and are not suited to onsite wastewater treatment.

The melting of the glacial ice produced large volumes of meltwater whose often catastrophic release carved new stream channels and/or exploited old bedrock valleys, taking the path of least resistance across the new glacial landscape, re-routing post-glacial stream flow in central Ohio to the south to the Ohio River. These meltwater flows also reworked the sediments deposited by the glaciers and flushed these downstream of the retreating ice front. Stream currents moved variably-sorted accumulations of sand, gravel, and cobbles downstream where they were spread across the floodplains and often back-filled stream valleys forming locally thick deposits of glacial outwash. Outwash deposits in central Ohio are typically important aquifers – sources of underground water supplies.

Upper Geological Region (“Farmland River”)

The Upper Geological Region corresponds to the Upper Olentangy River Sub-basin, from the river’s source east of Galion in Richland County, to the confluence with Delaware Run at the city of Delaware in Delaware County. This region includes portions of Richland, Crawford, Marion, Morrow, and Delaware counties.

This section of the Olentangy River has a “youthful” stream configuration, flowing across a young glacial landscape of level till plains over peneplaned bedrock. The river channel is shallowly entrenched, at most 20-30 feet below the level of the till plain. Glacial cover is 50- 60 feet thick in northern Marion County, thinning to 30-40 feet of glacial till at the Marion- Delaware County line (Crowell, 1979; ODNR well logs). The entire area is currently agricultural with most of the region in row crops, either corn or soybeans.

The Olentangy River has its start at the confluence of several small streams just east of Galion (elevation = 1,189 feet above sea level) in westernmost Richland County. The drainage divide that separates the Olentangy Watershed and the adjacent Mohican River

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Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed March 2002 / edited 2003

Watershed comprises a distance of only about 1,000 feet. The fledgling Olentangy River initially flows a short distance to the northwest of Galion until it meets the SW-NE trending St. John’s End Moraine where it is deflected to the southwest, paralleling the trend of the moraine (Figure 3-2). The river continues to flow to the south-southwest across level to gently rolling portions of eastern Marion County and into northern Delaware County (3-3).

Figure 3-3. The Olentangy River in Marion County

Figure 3-4: Delaware Dam on the south side of the Delaware Lake

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The river across much of this latter region is highly sinuous with a relatively low stream gradient of 4.7 feet per mile (Westgate, 1926).

The river is dammed at the point where it intersects the W-E trending Broadway End Moraine, several miles north of Delaware. The dammed portion of the river forms Delaware Lake, a sinuous, rather narrow body of water that extends five miles to the north of the dam to the Marion-Delaware County line (Figure 3-4). Whetstone Creek, a major southwest-flowing tributary of the Olentangy River (watershed area = 114 square miles), joins the river near the upper end of the lake (Figure 2-2). The river was dammed and the lake formed primarily for flood-control in 1948. Flow out of the lake is controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At summer pool, the level of the lake is at 915 feet above sea level with a storage capacity of 13,024 acre-feet of water. Flow out of the lake at the dam is highly variable depending on rainfall events, with minimum outflows averaging from 5 cubic feet per second from November through July to 27.5 cubic feet per second from July through October (US ACOE, pers. comm., 2000).

Middle Geological Region (“Scenic River”)

The Middle Geological Region includes the stretch of the Olentangy River from the Delaware Dam north of the city of Delaware downstream to the Delaware-Franklin County line. This is the 22-mile State Scenic section of the Olentangy River. It is quite distinct in most of its physical aspects from the Upper Geological Region. This section of the Olentangy flows in a narrow, deeply-incised, pre-Wisconsinan “Deep Stage” bedrock valley (Stout, Steeg, and Lamb, 1943) with an average stream gradient of 8 feet per mile (Westgate, 1926). The course of the river follows a nearly straight north-south trend, flowing in a narrow valley rarely exceeding ¼ of a mile in width. The width of the river channel along this stretch averages from 40 to 50 feet across. This narrow river valley is nestled between rising cliffs carved into the Olentangy and Ohio Shale formations, with vistas overlooking the river at heights in excess of 100 feet at High Banks Metro Park near the Delaware- Franklin county line (Figure 3-5).

Figure 3-5: The Olentangy River at Highbanks Metro Park

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The bedrock flanks of the river are higher and steeper along the east bank of the river, leading to the development of short, nearly straight tributary streams like Weisner Run and Deep Run with very high gradients (up to 173 feet per mile). The somewhat more gentle slopes of the west bank, developed largely in the less resistant Olentangy Shale, allow for the formation of lengthier tributaries (Bartholomew Run) with lower gradients (50 feet per mile). Ephemeral springs often flow from the valley walls following rainfall events, marking the contact of the hard, fractured Ohio Shale with the soft, impermeable clays of the Olentangy Shale.

In the vicinity of the city of Delaware (elev. = 850 feet), the river flows on the bedrock of the Delaware Limestone with only a thin veneer of unconsolidated alluvial sand, gravel and cobble. At least five low-head dams impede the flow of the river in this same area as it skirts the eastern edge of the city. The river continues to flow on the bedrock of the Delaware Limestone formation from the U.S. Rt. 23 bridge (elev. = 825 feet) south and downstream to the vicinity of the Home Road bridge in Liberty Township (elev. = 780 feet).

Below the Home Road Bridge, the Olentangy River flows on an increasing thickness of alluvial fill flooring the flood plain. Upstream and downstream of the West Orange Road bridge (elev. = 770 feet), the river runs on sand, gravel, and cobbles, most of which are derived from the local bedrock. Downstream of the Powell Road bridge at the High Banks Metro Park (elev. = 765 feet), the river bottom consists of alluvial sand, gravel, and cobbles, derived from native bedrock and also contains a greater number of glacial erratics, quartzites and gneiss whose origins are far to the north in southern Ontario. These kinds of sediments continue to floor the Olentangy’s channel as it flows past the mouth of Bartholomew Run (elev. = 765 feet) and the scenic overlook at High Banks Metro Park (elev. = 870 feet). Below the High Banks overlook, the channel of the river (elev. = 760 feet) is also littered with broken remains of large spherical concretions weathering out of the cliffs cut in the Ohio Shale (Figure 3-6).

Figure 3-6: Concretions in Ohio Shale at Highbanks Metro Park

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Below the mouth of Bartholomew Run, the western bank of the river broadens into a wide floodplain nearly ½ mile in width with the river curving broadly to the east. This former agricultural field is now the site of the Olentangy Environmental Control Center (OECC), a Delaware County wastewater treatment plant. The shale cliffs to the east generate large quantities of weathered and eroded shale chips which wash into the river and floor most of the river’s channel from the effluent outflow of the OECC to the northern edge of the village of Mount Air, just below the Delaware-Franklin County line.

Lower Geological Region (“Urban River”)

The Lower Geological Region extends from just below the Delaware-Franklin county line to the confluence of the Olentangy River with the Scioto River near downtown Columbus. The river along this stretch runs in the same pre-Wisconsinan “Deep Stage” bedrock valley as it did in the Middle Geological Region. This portion of the valley, however, is broader and deeper and has been back-filled with silty alluvium and glacial outwash sand and gravel to depths as great as 120 feet below the ground surface (House et al., 1997). The thickness of the outwash valley fill increases downstream towards the mouth of the river, ranging from a thickness of 40 feet at Mt. Air to 70 feet thick in Clintonville to thicknesses in excess of 100 feet below the Ohio State University campus in Columbus (ODNR well logs). Public drinking water supplies in Mt. Air and Worthington Hills are from wells 40 to 55 feet deep that are screened in these glacial outwash deposits (Ohio EPA, pers. comm., 2001). The valley also broadens as it deepens downstream, from roughly ½ mile in width in the vicinity of Mt. Air to greater than a mile wide in the vicinity of the OSU campus. The width of the river’s channel also broadens with portions of the river near the OSU campus locally up to 100 feet across. The gradient along this portion of the river is about 3.7 feet per mile. Along this stretch of the river, extensive urban development impinges on the river’s floodplain from I-270 all the way to the confluence with the Scioto (Figure 3-7).

The Olentangy River follows a more natural course from Mount Air to the I-270 Bridge and between River Lea and the West North Broadway bridge in Clintonville. In these areas, the river shows a tendency to develop broad meanders and complex in-stream habitat – the development of bars, islands, extensive shallow riffle zones, runs, flats, and small pools – flanked by a variably developed, forested riparian corridor (Figure 3-8). Throughout these stretches, the river flows on a substrate of sand, gravel, and cobbles.

Elsewhere in the Lower Geological Region, the Olentangy has been extensively modified through channelization and the installation of low-head dams. This is particularly true of those portions of the river to the north of the State Rt. 161 Bridge in Worthington, and to the south in the vicinity of the OSU campus in Columbus. In late 1960s, the river’s channel in the Worthington area (elevation =743 feet) was moved 1,000 feet to the east and straightened to make way for the interchange between State Rt. 315 and the I-270 outerbelt. Five man-made riprap dams were placed across the river’s straightened channel, evidently to give the channelized river a more natural look and possibly to provide better habitat for fish. However, good in-stream habitat is still limited along this portion of the river, even 30 years after its realignment.

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The Olentangy River has more low-head dams than any other stream in Franklin County (MORPC, 1997). Two low-head dams are present in the Worthington area, south of the State Rt. 161 bridge: one less than ½ mile downstream of the Rt. 161 bridge and the other just below the mouth of Rush Run. Three additional dams occur within a one-mile stretch of the river between the West North Broadway and Dodridge Street bridges (Figures 3-9, 3- 10). In the vicinity of the OSU campus, north of the 5th Avenue Bridge, the river has been dammed up behind an 8-foot high concrete low-head dam (Figure 3-11). This causes the river at OSU to become more of a lake, consisting of a broad, stagnant pool extending from the dam upstream to the Dodridge Street Bridge. This stretch of the river is floored with muck, silt, and clay with locally abundant aquatic vegetation. More natural in-stream habitat, including riffles on gravel substrates, returns below the 5th Avenue dam and downstream to the 3rd Avenue Bridge.

Downstream of the 3rd Avenue Bridge and to the confluence with the Scioto River, the Olentangy is constrained within its channel by steep banks (Figure 3-12). Diverse in-stream habitat is variably developed with limited bars and riffle areas between the 3rd Avenue Bridge and the confluence (elevation = 702 feet). This portion of the river has historically been degraded due to discharges of toxic chemicals from nearby industrial facilities and untreated sewage from old combined sewer outflows. More recently this portion of the river has been impacted by the on-going construction of the Spring-Sandusky interchange off of State Rt. 315.

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Figure 3-7: Urban Encroachment in the Olentangy Watershed in Franklin County. Aerial Photography from Franklin County. The red line overlay indicates the watershed boundary.

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In the Lower Geological Region, the cliffs in the Ohio Shale are reduced in elevation and assume a more gradual slope to the east of the river. Bedrock is locally exposed east of the I-270/State Rt. 315 interchange, at Olentangy River Park off of Wilson Bridge Road, and in a number of ravines carved by west- or southwest-flowing tributary streams (Figure 3-13). These include: Potter’s Run, Rush Run, and Bill Moose Run in Worthington; Adena Brook, east of Whetstone Park; Walhalla Hollow in Clintonville; and Glen Echo and Iuka Ravines in the vicinity of the OSU campus. Shale bedrock is also exposed on the west bank of the Olentangy River near Linworth in highland areas dissected by tributary streams north and south of I-270. Shale exposures largely disappear from the west bank south of the State Rt 161 Bridge. Gradients of tributary streams in Franklin County remain high with proximal portions of Turkey Run having a gradient of 55 feet per mile and Adena Brook having a gradient of 83 feet per mile. Ravine areas on both sides of the river are largely suburban or urban, serving as scenic backdrops for a number of housing developments with homes often built right on the edges of the ravines (Figure 3-14).

Figure 3-8: The Olentangy River in the Vicinity of the Henderson Rd. Bridge and Whetstone Park.

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Figure 3-9: Lowhead Dam on the Olentangy River below North Broadway Bridge

Figure 3-10: Lowhead Dam on the Olentangy River at Dodridge Rd. Bridge

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Figure 3-11: Fifth Avenue Dam and Impounded River at The Ohio State University Campus

Figure 3-12: The Olentangy River below the Third Avenue Bridge

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Figure 3-13 Ravines in the Lower Olentangy Watershed

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Figure 3-14: Aerial Photograph of Bill Moose Run at its Confluence with the Olentangy River. USGS 1994. The blue line highlights the stream bed.

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Table 1: Bedrock Formations In The Vicinity Of The Olentangy River

Formation Description Outcrop Area Groundwater Resources Mississippian Soft gray clay shale, Exposed primarily in Thicker sandstone Formations resistant massive- the Big Walnut Creek units (Berea and Black bedded sandstone, valley in eastern Hand Sandstones) and black shale Franklin and locally productive overlain by over 100 Delaware counties aquifers; thin feet of interbedded and near the source sandstone layers, gray sandy shales and of the Olentangy in shales, and clays poor thin sandstones. Crawford and sources of western Richland groundwater. counties Ohio Shale In excess of 600 feet Best exposed in Poor source of of hard, brittle, fissile ravines and bluffs groundwater due to black or brown shale, along the Olentangy low permeability. locally with beds of River in Franklin and Surface water may large (up to 6 ft southern Delaware infiltrate into bedrock across) spherical counties. along fracture zones “cannonball” and result in springs at concretions. contact with underlying Olentangy Shale. Olentangy Shale 30-35 feet of soft, Best exposed in Poor source of easily-eroded, blue ravines and bluffs groundwater due to clay shale and along the Olentangy low permeability of the interbedded River in Franklin and clay shale lithology. calcareous shale southern Delaware counties. Delaware 36+ feet of less- Best exposed in the Mostly poor source of Limestone resistant, thin- Olentangy River groundwater due to the bedded, blue-gray valley just east and low permeability of fine-grained south of the city of most limestone beds limestone and Delaware in southern and intervening clay interbedded blue Delaware County shale layers. calcareous shale

Columbus Over 100 feet of Best exposed in Moderately good Limestone ledgy, hard, resistant, quarries and along aquifer with yields high gray crystalline valley walls along the enough for domestic limestone, locally Scioto River in wells. Water often with cherty, occasionally western Franklin and high levels of iron. sandy, with abundant Delaware counties. fossils.

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4. Hydrology of the Olentangy River Watershed

The Hydrologic Cycle Water on Planet Earth is dynamic constantly being recycled from the land to the atmosphere to the ocean. Rivers and streams are just a small part of what is called the Hydrologic Cycle (Figure 4-1). In fact, freshwater, so critical to our discussions here, makes up less than 3% of all of the available water on Earth, with the vast bulk of the planet’s water being saline and filling the ocean basins. Of the remaining 3% that is freshwater, 2.14% is tied up as ice in glaciers, 0.61 % comprises groundwater stored beneath the ground surface, and slightly less than 0.01 % makes up surface waters – rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.

Figure 4-1 shows the hydrologic budget for Ohio, illustrating the relationships between atmospheric precipitation, surface water run-off, and groundwater storage and flow. As can be seen in the figure, most of the precipitation (68%) eventually returns to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration. The bulk of the flow of water in streams and rivers is from surface water run-off, augmented to varying degrees by groundwater discharge to these surface waters. The contribution of groundwater flow to surface water streams becomes especially critical during droughts when the contributions to stream flow from run- off drops to nearly zero.

Figure 4-1: Hydrologic Budget. Source: Groundwater, Ohio EPA, July, 1987.

Climatic Conditions in the Watershed Reviews of historical climate records for central Ohio indicate that within the Olentangy River Watershed, annual temperature averages 50-51 degrees Fahrenheit and average annual precipitation is 36-37 inches (Harstine, 1991). In terms of precipitation, there is significant

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seasonal variation with the wettest months (averaging > 3.5 inches) being January, May, June, and July, and the driest months typically being February and October (< 2.5 inches). As indicated in Figure 4-1, slightly more than 2/3 of the annual precipitation is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration, leaving 10-12 inches as overland surface run-off. Depending on local soil conditions, up to 2 inches of this run-off can be lost as infiltration through the surface soils to the groundwater.

Stream Flow The amount of overland surface water flow in a watershed is typically measured as stream flow. Overland flow occurs when the rate of precipitation in an area exceeds the rate of infiltration capacity of local surface soils. The resulting stream flow is measured in terms of volume of water moving past a reference point during a given interval of time. Usually, this is presented as cubic feet per second (cfs) or millions of gallons per day (MGD). Besides the amount of surface water run-off entering the stream, stream flow is also a function of the size of the stream channel, the roughness of the stream channel, and the slope or gradient of the stream channel. Generally speaking, the broader and smoother the stream’s channel and the steeper the stream’s gradient, the greater the flow in the stream. Stream flow increases downstream as the stream broadens and the volume of water discharging into the stream increases as the area drained by the river increases.

The amount of water that enters a stream as groundwater discharge from underlying bedrock or glacial aquifers is known as the stream’s baseflow. Streams may be either gaining streams that receive groundwater discharge, or losing streams that lose water through their bed to groundwater infiltration. Whether a stream is a “gaining stream” or a “losing stream” is dependent on local climatic conditions and the porosity and permeability of the geologic strata underlying the stream. Typically, gaining streams are characteristic of humid climates and losing streams make up the bulk of the streams in arid climates. In temperate Ohio, many streams alternate back and forth, depending upon seasonal variations in rainfall.

Vegetative cover can have a major impact- slowing or diverting the flow of surface water run-off, with broad-leaf trees diverting as much as 35% of annual precipitation through leaf and twig “interception”. Some of this water is absorbed by the tree through its leaves and may be returned to the air through transpiration. The rest may eventually find its way to the ground as “stem flow” where it may infiltrate into the surface soils or be released as surface water. Mixed hardwood forests in the eastern U.S. can absorb or divert an average of 20% of the precipitation falling in an area (Fetter, 1988). Forest cover can dramatically slow down the effects of a major rainfall event, spreading the flow of water out over an extended period of time as the water finds its way down from the tree to the ground and across the ground to the stream. This can greatly reduce the likelihood of erosion of surface soils and the development of flash flood events due to the sudden release of large volumes of water into the stream.

Other factors impacting stream flow within a watershed are the effects of dams and impoundments. These are often built for flood-control purposes, storing the water from major rainfall events and then slowly releasing this flow downstream, reducing the likelihood of downstream flooding. While disrupting or destroying in-stream habitat at the site of the

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-24 Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed March 2002 / edited 2003 dam and upstream the length of the impoundment, the dam often provides for a constant level of flow in the downstream portion of the stream, even during drought periods. This evens out stream flow in downstream portions of the watershed across the calendar year rather than having stream flow going from one extreme (flooding) to the other (no-flow or low-flows during droughts) with the seasons.

Other human impacts on stream flow include the effects of large-volume users, primarily municipal water systems, that divert large quantities of water (millions of gallons per day) from the stream on a regular or periodic basis to be used a drinking water source. These can comprise significant “withdrawals” from the hydrologic budget. On the other hand, there are also “deposits” being made to the stream by large-volume generators, primarily municipal waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) that can release millions of gallons a day of wastewater effluent back to the stream as part of their process water. If properly treated, this can be beneficial toward maintaining stream flow, especially to streams with low baseflows.

Stream Flow in the Olentangy River

General Stream Flow in the Olentangy River The general flow characteristics for the main stem of the Olentangy River are listed in Table 2 (from D. L. Meyers, U. S. Geological Survey, 1998). The Olentangy River has a steeper gradient compared to other Central Ohio streams (MORPC, 1997) and can be described as a “variable stream.” Stream flow in the Olentangy is directly influenced by rainfall events in the watershed. Stream flow hydrographs for select locations along the Olentangy River show highly irregular flow patterns marked by short, high “peaks” separated by wider, low “valleys” (see Appendix D.1). These erratic flow patterns represent typically low stream flow punctuated by short-duration, heavy rainfall events resulting in pulses of run-off entering the river and moving downstream. Reviews of historical stream flow measurements for selected U.S. Geological Survey gauging stations along the length of the river typically show strong correlations between the stream flow at any given point along the river and precipitation events that often affected the entire watershed (see Appendix D.1). This demonstrates the direct connection between rainfall events, surface water run-off, and stream flow in the river.

Site-Specific Stream Flow Data for the Olentangy River Stream flow data for specific U.S. Geological Survey stream gauging stations along the Olentangy River and for a few of its tributary streams are presented in Tables 3 and 4. Data presented are for the time periods between 1978 and 1981 and between 1996 and 1999 as, in some cases, these time periods were the only ones for which stream flow data were available. Claridon is in eastern Marion County. The second site is just below the Delaware Dam, north of the city of Delaware, in Delaware County. Both of these gauging stations are within the Upper Olentangy River Sub-basin (Figure 2-2). The remaining two stations, just below the I-270 Bridge in Worthington and at the Henderson Road Bridge in Columbus, are in Franklin County within the Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin (Figures 2-2 and 2-3).

Very little stream flow data is available for tributary streams to the Olentangy River. Data were available for Whetstone Creek, a major tributary of the Olentangy River north of the

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Delaware Dam, for the time period following 1996 (Table 4). Additional data are available for several tributary streams in northern Franklin County for the years between 1978 and 1981 (Table 3).

As indicated above and in Tables 3 and 4, stream flow in the Olentangy River exhibits wide swings in terms of peak and low-flow events, indicating the importance of major rainfall events on stream flow across the watershed. As an example, stream flow in the river at Claridon above the dam ranged from a minimum of 2.0 cfs to a maximum of 6,550 cfs. However, annual mean stream flow measurements obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey indicate a regular increase in stream flow in the Olentangy River from Claridon (179 cfs) downstream to just below the Delaware Dam (425 cfs) to Worthington (543 cfs) to the Henderson Road Bridge in Columbus (677 cfs). Some of this increase in annual mean stream flow might be attributable to the effects of controlled releases from the Delaware Dam by the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), boosting downstream stream flow during dry months and controlling peak flows following major rainfall events. The remainder of the increased stream flow in downstream portions of the river is due to the increased area of the watershed drained by the river with increasing distance downstream from the river’s source and increased proximity to the river’s confluence with the Scioto River in Columbus.

Poor Baseflow in the Olentangy River Watershed

Along with Alum Creek, the Olentangy River suffers from poor baseflow characteristics compared to other streams in central Ohio (Harstine, 1991; Tables 3 & 4). Studies of the watershed’s geology and groundwater resources (Schmidt, 1960) indicate that the Upper Olentangy Sub-basin and northern portions of the Lower Olentangy Sub-basin have low baseflows due to the largely impermeable, groundwater-poor nature of the geological materials that underlie the bulk of the watershed (Figure 4-2 and Table 1). The Olentangy River flows either over clay-rich glacial tills, as it does in the Upper Sub-basin; or over shale bedrock as its does in the upper half of the Lower Sub-basin. Neither material makes for a good source of groundwater storage, and consequently groundwater recharge of the river is minimal, leading to seasonal low flow levels, especially during drought periods. Tributary streams of the Olentangy River flow over the same clay-rich tills or shale bedrock, limiting infiltration of rainwater into the ground and the availability of groundwater to recharge these streams during drought periods. While stream flow data for the tributaries of the Olentangy River are limited outside those available for Whetstone Creek, data for select tributaries in the Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin in Franklin County indicate that these streams are often ephemeral with very limited or no stream flow recorded during the drier months in the late summer and early fall (Table 3).

The possible exception to this general trend of low base flow would be the lower half of the Lower Sub-basin in Franklin County where the river is locally underlain by substantial thicknesses of groundwater-bearing permeable sand and gravel deposits (ODNR well logs). However, accumulations of clay-rich muck and alluvium flooring the channel of the river in the numerous “modified” stretches of the lower main stem and the high degree of impervious cover (up to 78%) resulting from urban land use along this portion of the river, may combine to limit the recharge capacity of the groundwater aquifer underlying the river’s flood plain in Franklin County.

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Figure 4-2: Aquifer Yields in the Lower Olentangy Watershed

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Effects of Deforestation and Impermeable Surface Areas Other factors affecting stream flow in the Olentangy River watershed include the lack of extensive forest cover across much of the watershed, due to deforestation associated with row-crop agriculture in the Upper Sub-basin and due to the increase in impermeable surface area (from 2.7 to 78%) resulting from urbanization in the Lower Sub-basin (ODNR, REALM, 2000). Deforestation reduces the retention time of rainfall falling on the land surface and contributes further to the erratic nature of stream flow in the Olentangy River and the rapidity in which rainfall events can affect flow across the watershed. As indicated above, extensive mixed hardwood forest cover can slow or divert as much as 20% of the annual precipitation in the watershed, mitigating the effects of major rainfall events, spreading the flow of water out over an extended period of time, reducing the likelihood of soil erosion and the occurrence of flood events due to the sudden release of water to the stream.

The lack of extensive forest cover across the entire watershed and the high percentage of impermeable surface area in the Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin allow rainfall events to generate short pulses of high surface water flow that can scour the adjacent land surfaces and transport turbid, sediment and nutrient-laden water directly into the stream, adversely impacting water quality and aquatic biotas in downstream portions of the stream. Many tributaries, especially in southern Delaware County, are short and relatively straight and flow on impervious shale bedrock so that they function like culverts shunting runoff directly down into the river. Sediment load data for the Olentangy River watershed are, however, limited. Sediment load and stream flow data for two gauging stations in the Lower Sub- basin in Franklin County were available for the years between 1978 and 1981 (U.S. Geological Survey). These data indicate rare maximum sediment loads of up to 27,400 tons per day with these higher sediment loads being typically associated with high stream flow events (Table 5). Low stream flow in the river (< 30 cfs) in the months of September and October of these years resulted in the smallest sediment loads recorded for these sections of the river (< 1.0 ton per day).

Effects of the Delaware Dam on Stream Flow in the River The impacts of the lack of forest cover in the Upper Olentangy River Sub-basin with regard to increased sedimentation and run-off into the river are mitigated downstream to a great extent by the effects of the Delaware Dam and its upstream impoundment (Delaware Lake). Suspended sediments and bed load carried by peak flows incurred in upstream portions of the river are deposited when stream flow in the river comes into contact with the standing water in the impoundment. As a result, the lake serves a sediment sink with the upstream river-transported sediments being deposited in the lake, accumulating seasonally behind the dam. Delaware Lake has lost roughly 15% of its storage capacity to sedimentation since the dam was built in 1949 (see Appendix D.2). However, the Delaware Dam is a bottom release dam, therefore sediments that have settled to the bottom of the Lake are released downstream.

As indicated above, the Delaware Dam also controls downstream flow in the Olentangy River, mitigating the impacts of flood events generated by heavy rainfall events in the Upper Sub-basin and maintaining a minimum rate of stream flow in the Lower Sub-basin during droughts. U.S. Geological Survey stream flow measurements from immediately below the

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dam ranged from 2.0 to 21 cfs ( 1.3 to 13.65 MGD) between 1978 and 1981 and from 5.5 to 19 cfs ( 3.6 to 12.35 MGD) for the same gauging station between 1996 and 1999 (Tables 3 and 4). These minimum flows are maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers under an agreement with the downstream municipalities that obtain their drinking water supplies from the Olentangy River (City of Delaware and Delaware County).

A Generalized Daily Hydrologic Budget for the Lower Olentangy River The significant “deposits” and “withdrawals” affecting the volume of water in the Lower Olentangy River mainstem under low flow conditions are presented in Table 6. The minimum stream flow rate in the Lower Olentangy River is largely governed by releases from the Delaware Dam. Outflows from the dam are highly variable depending on the season and the occurrence of major rainfall events in the watershed. Typically, daily minimum flow rates do not fall below 5.0 cfs (3.25 MGD) from November to July or below 27.5 cfs (18 MGD) during the drier months between July and October when downstream water demand increases. Table 6 is based on data collected from April 6, 1999, when minimal flow rates below the Delaware Dam were down to 7.6 cfs (4.9 MGD). Daily “deposits” to downstream portions of the river based on this minimum flow level below the dam in 1999 [releases from the dam + effluent from the Delaware City Wastewater Treatment Plant + effluent from the Olentangy Environmental Control Center] added up to 14 MGD. Downstream “withdrawals” in 1999 [withdrawals by the City of Delaware Water Plant + Delco Water Co.] had a daily average of 6 MGD. This leaves a net increase in daily flow in the downstream portions of the river of 8 MGD under the lowest flow levels measured in 1999.

Under the maximum daily flow rate observed just below the dam in 1999 (=2,717 MGD) and assuming typical daily withdrawals and deposits for downstream portions of the dam, net downstream flow rates would have been significantly higher (=2,711 MGD). The low flow conditions, however, determine the baseline in terms of available water for downstream water users, canoeists and kayakers, fishermen, and aquatic biotas, as it is during these times that stream flow levels become the most critical factor to these users.

This generalized daily flow budget does not take into account stream flow from tributary streams below the Delaware Dam nor the effects of run-off from local rainfall events on downstream flow in the mainstem of the Olentangy River. These inputs increase the net stream flow in the river. For the few tributary streams in the Lower Olentangy River Sub- basin for which there are stream flow data (Table 3), the data indicate that these tributaries cease to flow during the drier months so that their impact on stream flow in the mainstem of the river would be negligible during these times of the year. No stream flow data for these tributary streams were available for the year 1999.

Future Impacts on Olentangy River Stream Flow Discussions with Ohio EPA regulatory staff from the Division of Drinking and Groundwater and plant managers of these respective utilities brought out some important points with regard to gross stream flow in the Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin in the future. Reviewing data presented in Table 3, stream flow levels as low as 1.3 MGD have

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been recorded from just below the Delaware Dam in 1980. Flow rates this low in 1999 would not have been enough to meet the downstream water demands from the City of Delaware Water Plant (3.6 MGD). Increases in withdrawals from both the City of Delaware Water Plant and the Delco Water Plant in Liberty Township are likely as the population continues its explosive growth across southern Delaware County.

The City of Delaware Water Plant currently has no plans to increase its withdrawals from the Olentangy River. The city Water Plant is, however, planning on expanding its well field (from three to six wells) in the flood plain of the river north of the city of Delaware. The wells are used to augment the surface water diverted from the river and to dilute levels of nitrates and atrazine in these surface waters. Currently the well field provides 30% of the city’s water supply (Ohio EPA, DDAGW, pers. comm., 2001).

The Delco Water Company currently has two operating water plants in the southern portion of the county. The Liberty Township facility, south of the city of Delaware, is taking water from the Olentangy River mainstem at a current rate of 2.32 MGD. The plant was designed, however, to take up to 7.2 MGD from the river. Four upground reservoirs currently store 700 MG on site. Delco Water also has a plant just below the Alum Creek Dam and the Lewis Center Road bridge which can take up to 4 MGD from Alum Creek. A third water supply consists of a well field in adjacent portions of Knox County.

Any potential increases in withdrawals of surface water from the Olentangy River by these two utilities will be countered by planned increases in the release of treated effluent from the City of Delaware WWTP off Cherry Street in the city of Delaware and from the Olentangy Environmental Control Center (OECC) off State Rt. 315 in Liberty Township. The city WWTP will be increasing its effluent flow to the river from a current level of 4.5 MGD to 7.7 MGD by the year 2010 (plant manager, pers. comm., 2001). The OECC has already applied to Ohio EPA to increase its discharges to the river from 4.5 MGD to 6.6 MGD effective in 2005. As can be seen from Table 6, currently about 2/3 of the downstream flow in the river at the county line consists of treated wastewater. It is likely that wastewater effluent will make up an increasingly larger percentage of stream flow in downstream portions of the Olentangy River over the next five to ten years. This makes it even more critical that regulators and plant operators insure that this wastewater effluent is effectively treated so that it does not adversely impact downstream water quality in the mainstem of the river.

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Table 2: Flow Characteristics Of The Olentangy River Main Stem (from D. MEYERS, U.S. Geological Survey, 1998) Feature Value Total Length: 88.5 miles Total Drainage Area in Watershed: 543 square miles Average Gradient: 5.5 feet/mile Average Stream Flow: 360 cubic feet/sec or 23.25 MGD Low Flow * 19 cubic feet/sec or 12.3 MGD High Flow** 1,000 cubic feet/sec or 646 MGD Flood of Record [March 21, 1927] 14,000 cubic feet/sec or 15 BGD Most Recent Significant Flood [1959] 5,940 cubic feet/sec or 6.3 BGD Record Drought 0.1 cubic feet/sec or 0.646 MGD [September 14-29, 1934] Most Recent Significant Drought 3.5 cubic feet /sec or 2.26 MGD [April 15-18, 1986] MGD = Million Gallons per Day, BGD = Billion Gallons per Day; * = exceeded 90% of the time; ** = exceeded 10% of the time

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Table 3: Stream Flow Measurements (1978-1981) From Select U.S Geological Survey Gauging Stations in the Olentangy River Watershed and Elsewhere in Central Ohio (Cubic Feet/Second) Location Minimum Maximum Stream Mean Annual Stream Flow Flow Recorded Stream Flow Recorded Olentangy River at Claridon, Marion 2.0 6,550 179 County Olentangy River just below the 2.0 4,550 425 Delaware Dam, Delaware County

Olentangy River at I-270 bridge, near 18 5,400 543 Worthington, Franklin County

Olentangy River at Henderson Road 20 6,400 677 bridge, in Columbus, Franklin County Rush Run in Worthington, Franklin County 0.01 107 3.3 Linworth Road Creek in Columbus, 0.0 37 2.2 Franklin County Bethel Road Creek in Columbus, 0.0 39 0.59 Franklin County Unnamed tributary stream at State Rt. 0.0 188 NA 315, Columbus, Franklin County Big Darby Creek at Darbyville, 26 11,500 612 Pickaway County Scioto River just below Prospect, at 12 7,460 490 Delaware County line Alum Creek in Columbus, just south 9.6 6,840 312 of Bexley, Franklin County Big Walnut Creek at Rees, Hamilton 53 14,000 601 Township, Franklin

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Table 4: Stream Flow Measurements (1996-1999) from Select U.S. Geological Survey Gaging Stations in the Olentangy River Watershed and Elsewhere in Central Ohio (Cubic Feet/ Second) Location Minimum Stream Maximum Stream Mean Annual Flow Recorded Flow Recorded Stream Flow Olentangy River at 0.98 4,360 196 Claridon, Marion County Olentangy River just below 5.5 4,220 418 the Delaware Dam, Delaware County Olentangy River at I-270 8.7 4,300 406 bridge, near Worthington, Franklin County Whetstone Creek at Mount 0.1 2,060 39.8 Gilead, Morrow County Little Darby Creek at West 0.0 4,910 188 Jefferson, Madison County Big Darby Creek at 3.9 19,500 634 Darbyville, Pickaway County Scioto River just below 9.5 6,340 568 Prospect at Delaware County line Alum Creek in Columbus 8.4 3,520 235 just South of Bexley, Franklin County Big Walnut Creek at Rees, 39 7,840 548 Hamilton Township Franklin County

Table 5 : Stream Flow and Maximum Sediment Load Data Recorded for Two U.S. Geological Survey Gauging Stations in the Lower Olentangy River Sub-Basin in Franklin County (USGS, 1979-81) Olentangy River Near Worthington Olentangy River at Henderson Road Bridge, Columbus Date Stream Sediment Load Date Stream Sediment Load Flow (cfs) (tons/day) Flow (cfs) (tons/day) 9/14/79 5,200 5,900 9/14/79 6,810 15,800 3/11/80 4,260 6,290 3/11/80 4,670 4,820 6/2/80 3,150 12,100 6/2/80 3,470 11,900 4/12/80 2,460 3,990 4/12/80 3,310 20,000 6/12/81 3,400 6,330 6/12/81 3,350 27,400 cfs = cubic feet/second

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Table 6: General Hydrologic Budget for the Lower Olentangy River Under Minimum Flow Conditions In 1999

Significant Water Deposits (MGD) Significant Water Withdrawals (MGD)

Stream Flow in the Olentangy River just below the Delaware Dam in April, 1999 = + 4.94 City of Delaware Water Plant off of US. Rt. 23, north of Delaware [Average withdrawal from the river in 1999] = -3.6

City of Delaware Pollution Control Center, Cherry Street , Delaware [Average daily effluent discharge] = +4.5 DelCo Water Company Liberty Township Plant [Average daily withdrawal from the river ] = -2.32 Olentangy Environmental Control Center in Liberty Township [Average daily effluent discharge ] = +4.5 Total Flow in the Olentangy River Total withdrawals from the Olentangy downstream of the Delaware Dam in River downstream of the Delaware Dam in Delaware County= +13.94 MGD Delaware County = -5.92 MGD Net Flow under minimum flow conditions in the Olentangy River at the Delaware- Franklin county line, April, 1999 = +8.02 MGD. MGD = million gallons/day

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5. Biology of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed

The Olentangy River watershed is part of the Teays-Old Ohio Freshwater Ecoregion (Abell, Olson, Dinerstein, et al., 2000). This freshwater ecoregion is considered to be globally outstanding because of the sheer numbers of aquatic species found within it: 206 native fish species, 122 unionid mussel species, 49 species of crayfish, and 60 native species of amphibians and aquatic reptiles. The great diversity of the biotas in rivers and streams in this region is the result of the diversity of upland and lowland habitats and the presence of both glaciated and unglaciated stream systems. Twelve percent of the fish, 14% of the mussels, 47% of crayfish, and 5% of the reptiles and amphibians are restricted to this ecoregion and found nowhere else.

In pre-settlement times (prior to the 19th Century), the landscape across this ecoregion was heavily forested. However, much of the area has been extensively logged, often repeatedly, since the arrival of Europeans. Row-crop agriculture is the predominant land use across the region with well over 50% of the land cover altered from its original post-glacial nature. Streams throughout the area have also been significantly altered and currently face the entire litany of threats faced by stream systems in the 21st Century. These include impoundments, point source and non-point source pollution, excessive sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, hydromodification of the original stream channel and the associated flood plain, habitat loss, and urbanization.

Aquatic Biotas in the Lower Olentangy Sub-basin Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water and ODNR’s Division of Natural Areas and Preserves Scenic River program both regularly use aquatic biotas as indicators of water quality in Ohio streams. The focus for both agencies has been on the abundance and diversity of pollution-intolerant species relative to the abundance of pollution-tolerant species. Pollution-intolerant species are specialized forms that have a narrow range of tolerance for a specific suite of environmental parameters, including dissolved oxygen, temperature, water clarity, salinity, substrate conditions, stream depth and velocity, nutrient levels, food resources, and the presence/absence of chemical contaminants in water or sediment. These species typically cannot live in stream environments impacted by excessive nutrients, sedimentation, or the influx of pollutants.

These “sentinel” species and their presence and abundance in a stream serve as an indication of good to excellent water quality conditions. Their scarcity or absence suggests the presence of negative factors – pollutants and/or physical or chemical changes to stream habitats that have adversely impacted populations of these species in the stream. Pollution- intolerant species typically have specific habitat requirements. In Ohio rivers and streams, these species are primarily riffle-dwelling species- species that require shallow, high velocity, highly oxygenated, clear water conditions over silt-free, hard substrates – features characteristic of good riffle habitat. Good quality, naturally flowing rivers and streams typically have an abundance of such riffle zone habitat and support diverse and abundant populations of pollution-intolerant aquatic species.

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Ohio EPA’s use of biological indicators to assess water quality utilizes a combination of measurements of the abundance and diversity of pollution-intolerant fish and benthic macro-invertebrates in rivers and streams. Benthic macro-invertebrates are bottom- dwelling animals that lack backbones and which are visible with the naked eye. They include animals like crayfish, mussels, snails, worms, and a variety of aquatic insect larvae. ODNR’s Scenic Rivers volunteer monitoring program focuses on riffle-dwelling benthic macro- invertebrates alone. The following describes the occurrence of both pollution intolerant fish and benthic macro-invertebrate species in the Lower Olentangy River Sub-basin and their significance with regard to what they tell us about water quality along this stretch of the river.

Fish Fish have been used widely as biological indicators of stream water quality. Fish are useful as water quality indicators as: 1) they are fully aquatic throughout their life cycle; 2) different species have different tolerances to amounts and types of pollution; 3) they are relatively easy to collect; 4) they are relatively easy to identify; and 5) they are comparatively long-lived and mobile, hence are indicators of general conditions across a large area [indicators of macro- habitat quality rather than micro-habitat quality]. Their use as indicators centers on the abundance and diversity of pollution-intolerant species and also the health and appearance of individual fish. Information regarding fish species in Ohio streams and their relative tolerance of pollutants has been compiled by Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water (1999, Table 11). Pollution-intolerant species have been further divided into rare-intolerant species (R), special intolerant species (S), pollution-intolerant species (I), and moderately intolerant species (M).

Fish are a major part of Ohio EPA’s current stream water quality evaluation process. The Division of Surface Water has developed several measures using fish biotas as water quality indicators. The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) measures multiple parameters – 12 “metrics” including the abundance and diversity of pollution-intolerant fish species, trophic composition (carnivores vs. insectivores vs. herbivores), plus fish biomass and physical condition (Ohio EPA, 1995). The Modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb) is also used, calculating fish biomass and density and factoring out the effects of 13 common pollution- tolerant species.

Data with regard to the occurrence and abundance of pollution-intolerant fish in the Lower Olentangy River include results of fish sampling carried out by Ohio EPA along this stretch of the river in the summer of 1999 (C. Bouche, pers. comm., 2001) and historical data collected by Ohio EPA along the entire course of the river between 1979 and 1999 (D. Mishne, pers. comm., 2001). These data are presented in Table 11. Ohio EPA has collected similar data for other central Ohio streams (Big Darby Creek, the Middle Scioto River, Alum Creek, and Big Walnut Creek).

A comparison of the diversity and abundance of pollution-intolerant fish species in central Ohio streams is presented in Table 12. From these data, it can be seen that pollution- intolerant species made up 40% of the total species collected from the Lower Olentangy River in 1999. These same pollution-intolerant species comprised 43% of the total number of fish collected from this stretch of the river the same year. These numbers compare

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favorably with those indicated for Big Darby Creek in Franklin County (37% and 46%, respectively). Big Darby Creek is considered by Ohio EPA, the Nature Conservancy, and others to be the highest quality stream remaining in central Ohio; supporting the highest diversities of aquatic biotas, including large numbers of pollution intolerant species often found nowhere else in the region. In terms of both pollution-sensitive fish species and pollution-intolerant individuals, the lower part of the Olentangy River ranks second among central Ohio streams behind Big Darby Creek. The presence of these species suggest good to excellent water quality conditions and the local occurrence of good riffle habitat along this portion of the Olentangy mainstem.

Based on the 1999 fish survey of the Lower Olentangy River (Ohio EPA, 2001), numerically predominant species included the spotfin shiner (13.9%), golden redhorse (9.5%), smallmouth bass (8.6 %), bluntnose minnow (7.6 %), and the bluegill sunfish (7.5%). In terms of biomass, dominant species were the common carp (30.3%), golden redhorse (23%), silver redhorse (10.3 %), black redhorse (6.4 %), and quillback carpsucker (4.5 %).

Data from Ohio EPA (D, Mishne, 2001) and from ODNR’s Natural Heritage database (2001) indicated the presence of four endangered, threatened, or special interest fish species in the Lower Olentangy River mainstem. These included the endangered Northern Brook Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor), the endangered Spotted Darter (Etheostoma maculatum), the threatened Bluebreast Darter (E. camurum), and the state special interest River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum). It is of interest that all of these species occur in the heavily urbanized stretch of the river between I-270 and the confluence with the Scioto River in Franklin County as well as in more pristine stretches of the Olentangy River paralleling High Banks Metro Park (MORPC. 1997; ODNR Natural Heritage database, 2001).

Data from Ohio EPA (2001) also indicate that the Olentangy River is one of the premier Smallmouth Bass streams in central Ohio (Tables 13,14). The Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is one of Ohio’s most sought after sport gamefish. It is limited to clearer waters over rocky-bottomed portions of Lake Erie and to deeper pools with gravel or rock bottoms and a viable current in streams and rivers across Ohio. Smallmouth Bass in the Olentangy River comprise a larger percentage of the total number of fish collected (8.6%) compared to all other central Ohio streams (Table 13). Only the Scioto River in Delaware and Franklin counties has yielded a greater number of individuals of this species and this is due, in part, to this stretch of the Scioto River being sampled much more frequently than the Olentangy mainstem (D. Mishne, 2001).

With regard to the site-specific distribution of fish (Tables 14, 15), the greatest number of individual fish collected by Ohio EPA in 1999 (N=1,713) was at a locality south and downstream of the Delaware WWTP (RM 24.5). However, at this location, over 50% of the fish collected belonged to a single species, the Spotfin Shiner. The greatest number of pollution-intolerant fish species (N=15 species) came from the “Scenic River” portion of the river at the Powell Road bridge upstream of High Banks Metro Park (RM 15) in southern Delaware County and, more surprizingly, from the river in the vicinity of Kenny Park, just east of Bethel Road (RM 7.8) in a more heavily urbanized area between Worthington and Clintonville in Franklin County. The state threatened Bluebreast Darter was collected from both of these localities as well (Ohio EPA, 2001).

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Smallmouth bass constituted significant numbers of the total fish collected at a number of sites north and south of the city of Delaware in Delaware County (Table 14). This popular sportfish was most abundant at the Panhandle Road site north of the city (21% of total fish collected at RM 27.9) and from the river in the vicinity of the US Rt. 23 Bridge, just south of the city (RM 22.3; 19% of the total fish collected).

Downstream portions of the river, even in urban-impacted stretches near the river’s mouth in the city of Columbus, supported significant numbers of several pollution-intolerant, round-bodied, “redhorse” sucker species. The Golden Redhorse, a river species with a moderate intolerance to pollutants, is a dominant species in collections made in 1999 from the Powell Road Bridge at the High Banks Metro Park to the Olentangy’s confluence with the Scioto River in Columbus. This species commonly comprises 10-20% of the total number of fish collected at these localities (Table 15).

These fish data generally demonstrate that the mainstem of the Lower Olentangy River is certainly “fishable”, one of the desired goals of the federal Clean Water Act.

Freshwater Mussels Freshwater mussels belonging to the bivalve family Unionidae are an important, if often inconspicuous group of benthic macroinvertebrates common to many Ohio waterbodies, including the Olentangy River. Living partially to mostly buried on the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and streams, mussels are well camouflaged and often mistaken for rocks. The mussels live by absorbing dissolved oxygen and filtering microscopic food particles from the water. They are part of the waterways’ natural purification system. Because of their largely sedentary lifestyle and their habit of filtering particles out of the water, plus sensitivity to pollutants, sedimentation, and low dissolved oxygen levels, they are considered to be “sentinel species” and natural barometers of stream water quality.

The history of freshwater mussels in the Scioto River Basin (including the Olentangy River Watershed), has been investigated by Dr. David Stansberry and his students at The Ohio State University. These investigations identified 29 species of native mussels from the Olentangy River, although three of these species were believed to have been extirpated from the river, represented only by dead “subfossil” shells (C. B. Stein, 1963). Dr. Stein identified 17 common living mussel species from the river just downstream of the 5th Avenue dam, south of the OSU campus, in the early and mid-1960. After channelization and partial realignment of the river’s channel as part of the construction of State Rt. 315 in 1968, she returned to this stretch of the river in 1971 to find only a few live specimens belonging to only three mud-tolerant species. A more recent survey of mussels in this portion of the river (2000) revealed only five living species (Table 16).

The Lower Olentangy River in Clintonville, between Kenney Park to the north and the North Broadway bridge to the south, has largely remained in its natural state, retaining a mosaic of aquatic habitats, including shallow riffle zones, deeper low-energy pools, and intermediate sand or gravel-bottom flats and runs, all flanked by variably-developed wooded riparian corridors (Ohio EPA, 2001).

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FLOW members carried out surveys of mussels from four localities along this stretch of the Olentangy River in 1998, 1999, and 2000. These surveys indicate that this portion of the river still supports a diverse, abundant mussel biota of at least 14 living species (Table 17), including viable populations of two state “special interest” species -- the Round Pigtoe (Pleurobema sintoxia) and the Wavy-lined Lampshell (Lampsilis fasciola). Two additional species may also be present based on the occurrence of articulated, fresh-dead shells (with intact ligaments, periostracum, and nacre) of these forms. These include the state endangered Snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra) and the Round Hickory Nut (Obovaria subrotunda).

Downsteam sections of the river south of Henderson Road are dominated by numerous specimens of the “Three-Ridge Shell” (Amblema plicata) and the “White Heel-Splitter” (Lasmigona complanata). Upstream of the bridge there are greater numbers of the “Plain Pocketbook” (Lampsilis cardium) and the “Fat Mucket” (Lampsilis radiata luteola). Other common species include the “ Elktoe” (Alasmidonta marginata), the “Fluted Shell” (Lasmigona costata), the “Kidneyshell” (Ptychobranchus fasciolaris), the Round Pigtoe (Pleurobema sintoxia), and the Wavy-Lined Lampshell (Lampsilis fasciola). These latter five species have all been described as being limited to “good quality streams” (T. Watters, 1995).

Mussels surveys by Hoggarth et. al. in 1989 and Frey in 2001 indicate living specimens of 10 mussel species from the vicinity of High Banks Metro Park in southern Delaware County (Table 18). Hoggarth (1990) remarked on the declining numbers of silt-sensitive species, including Fusconaia flava, Pleurobema sintoxia, Lasmigona costata, and Ptychobranchia fasciolaris and suggested that these species appeared to be headed toward extirpation from the river. Ten years later, none of the first three species and only a single living specimen of P. fasciolaris were observed from this portion of the river (Table 18). Comparisons of similar mussel surveys from an upstream locality at the Orange Road Bridge in 1989 and 2001 indicated a more dramatic decrease in live mussels (Table 19). Hoggarth (1990) inferred that increased siltation from agricultural run-off and development was the likely cause of the decline of these silt-sensitive species from the river. This part of southern Delaware County is currently the fastest growing area in the state. With increased development comes the threat of increased sedimentation and its adverse effects on biotas living in the river, especially the bottom-dwelling organisms.

Studies of collections of mussels at the OSU Museum of Biodiversity indicate significant numbers of the federally endangered “Clubshell” (Pleurobema clava), the state-endangered “Rabbitsfoot” (Quadrula cylindrica), the state-endangered “Snuffbox” (Epioblasma triquetra), and the state-threatened “Pondhorn” (Uniomeris tetralasmus) were collected from the Lower Olentangy River within Franklin County prior to the late 1960’s. After 1968 and the channelization and realignment of the Olentangy River in the Worthington and OSU campus areas, these species largely disappeared from the river.

As indicated above, fresh-dead specimens of the “Snuffbox” have been collected from the Olentangy River between Kenney Park and the North Broadway Bridge in Clintonville. The “Snuffbox” is also reported from the Olentangy River north of the city of Delaware and below the Delaware Dam and from the river at High Banks Metro Parks (Hoggarth, 1990; ODNR Natural Heritage Database, 2000). ODNR also reported the occurrence of the state- endangered “Rayed Bean” (Villosa fabilis) from the section of the river between the dam and the city of Delaware.

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Fresh-dead specimens of the state-threatened “Pondhorn” have been collected by FLOW members (2000) from macrophyte-stabilized, low-energy backwater areas just below the 5th Avenue Dam. These occurences suggest that small populations of this species still exist in the Lower Olentangy River.

In contrast, the “Clubshell” and the “Rabbitsfoot” appear to have been locally extirpated from the Lower Olentangy River, evidently as the result of habitat alteration and destruction associated with the construction of State Rt. 315 in Franklin County.

Studies of the current distribution of unionid mussels in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed illustrate the importance of intact riparian corridors and natural in-stream habitat to the maintenance of good water quality conditions and diverse aquatic biotas in urban- suburban streams, including the Olentangy River. The abundance and continued diversity of mussels in those portions of the river that retain these features intact attest to the good water quality still present in these portions of the river. However, the history of unionid mussels in the Olentangy River and elsewhere in the Scioto Basin also documents the negative impacts that urbanization and extensive modification of stream habitat and adjacent flood plain environments have had on the river’s overall water quality and its ability to sustain pollution-intolerant species. Extensive channelization and destruction of in-stream habitat associated with the construction of State Rt. 315 in the late 1960’s and the early 1970’s appears to have led to the local extirpation or, at least, severe reductions in the numbers of five previously viable species in the Lower Olentangy River, including three “endangered” and one “state-threatened” species. Continued development in the Lower Olentangy Watershed, especially in southern Delaware County, will continue to pose a serious threat to these environmentally sensitive aquatic species.

Benthic Macroinvertebrates (Aquatic Insects) Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water’s Biological and Water Quality Surveys and ODNR's Ohio Scenic River Stream Quality Program both use the presence and abundance of pollution-sensitive benthic invertebrates, primarily aquatic insects, as indicators of stream water quality. Pollution-sensitive insect species typically include the so-called “EPT Metric”; members of the insect orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies). The relative low tolerance for pollutants and other poor water quality conditions (low dissolved oxygen and turbidity) characteristic of most members of these three insect groups is well documented and these insect groups usually dominate gravel and cobble riffle habitats in good quality rivers and streams. Other common indicators of good water quality conditions in central Ohio streams, including the Olentangy River, include an abundance of “water pennies” (aquatic beetle larvae), “hellgrammites” (larval stage of the Dobsonfly), and various species of gilled snails.

Determinations of Ohio EPA’s Invertebrate Community Index (ICI) involve the use of stationary Hester-Dendy multi-plate artificial substrate samplers to obtain quantitative samples of benthic invertebrates, primarily insect larvae or nymphs. The emphasis is on the identities, diversity, and abundance of species of mayflies, caddisflies, and midges collected from these samples (Ohio EPA, 1987; Deshon, 1995). ODNR’s Stream Quality Monitoring Program is more inclusive and involves the use of kick-seines to sample rivers and streams

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more qualitatively, measuring the diversity and relative abundance of pollution-sensitive benthic macroinvertebrates whose presence or absence is used to calculate a cumulative stream quality index using the occurrence of these key species as indicators of water quality. The emphasis is on the number of different key pollution-sensitive species (EPT, water pennies, hellgrammites, gilled snails) relative to the total number of invertebrates collected.

Ohio EPA 1999 Biological and Water Quality Study Ohio EPA’s biological and water quality study of the Lower Olentangy River carried out in the summer of 1999 indicated a variety of water quality conditions in the main stem of the river, resulting in benthic invertebrate communities with ICI scores ranging from excellent (ICI=48-52) to poor (ICI = 12). Exceptional aquatic insect communities were collected from sites in the vicinity of High Banks Metro Park and were dominated by net-spinning caddisfly larvae and clinging and swimming mayfly nymphs with correspondingly high EPT metrics (=21-23). Poor ICI scores were recorded from impounded and modified portions of the river within Franklin County (upstream of the Fifth Avenue dam and at the confluence with the Scioto River) with biotas dominated by midge larvae and aquatic worms (Ohio EPA, 2001).

FLOW River Monitoring Results (1998-2001) FLOW has systematically monitored benthic macroinvertebrates at select sites along the Lower Olentangy River for the past two years. Kick-seines are used to collect benthic invertebrates from identified riffle areas at least three time a year with samples usually taken in the late spring, the mid-summer, and the late summer or early fall. Screened invertebrates are identified as their general group (mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, gilled snails, etc.) and counted with regard to their relative abundance. As indicated above, these data are used to calculate a cumulative stream quality index (=CSQI). Pollution-sensitive species count more than pollution-tolerant species and the higher the index value the better the water quality of the stream. Data for two riffle localities, one downstream and one upstream of the Henderson Road bridge in Clintonville, are presented in Table 20.

Collected biotas from the sites north and south of the Henderson Road bridge are dominated by pollution-sensitive species, including “water pennies” ( Psephenus herricki), both clinging (Stenonema spp.) and swimming mayfly nymphs (Isonychia sp.), net-spinning caddisfly larvae (Hydropsyche spp.), and riffle beetles (F elmidae). The site upstream of the Henderson Road Bridge also regularly supported abundant populations of high-spired gilled snails (cf. Goniobasis spp.). The downstream site had significant populations of stonefly nymphs (Acroneuria evoluta, Isoperla spp.), especially in the late spring and early summer months. These results indicate consistent water quality values in the good or excellent range (CSQI values 18-27). The only low value (=14, fair quality) resulted from a sample collected in the early spring (4/10/99) possibly before many insect larvae had hatched out or become active.

Other Biotas Found in the Lower Olentangy Watershed Mammals such beaver, mink, and muskrat can be found in and along the banks of the Olentangy River. More terrestrial species, such as white-tailed deer, coyotes, raccoons, red fox, the eastern cottontail rabbit, eastern gray squirrel, red squirrel, groundhogs, and a variety of smaller rodents including deer mice, field mice, and the meadow vole, occur in forested

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riparian corridors surrounding the main stem of the river, even in more heavily urbanized portions of Franklin County. Along with these mammals, a diverse avian fauna, including migratory neotropical songbirds as well as a variety of wading birds, ducks, raptors, and perennial songbirds, have been observed along the river’s corridor in Delaware and Franklin County.

The garter snake, northern water snake, painted turtle, snapping turtle, and spiny soft-shelled turtle along with the American toad, bullfrog, green frog, and leopard frog, live in and along the river’s banks.

The forested corridor along the Lower Olentangy is dominated by large, towering specimens of American Sycamore and Cottonwood, stabilizing the riverbank, providing a canopy over the river channel, and providing a diverse habitat for a variety of riparian birds and mammals. Exposed root balls along the channel provide cover and habitat for an additional number of aquatic species. Smaller Box Elder and Black Willow trees further complete the forest corridor. Protected, isolated areas within the steep ravines flanking most of the tributaries of the Lower Olentangy River may support diverse humidity and temperature sensitive floras, including a variety of wild flowers, ferns, and mosses that often are found no place else in central Ohio.

Even though an urban environment surrounds much of the Olentangy River corridor in Franklin County, many different species can found living in the parks and open spaces along the river. The 2001 City of Columbus Parks and Recreation “BioBlitz” provided abundant evidence of this diversity. Over the course of a rainy two-day period, a volunteer cadre of field scientists and other biology professionals conducted an inventory of all of the species found in the vicinity of the river in Kenny, Antrim, and Delawanda parks. A total of 1,030 species were observed and identified (shown in Table 7).

National Heritage Database Records for the Lower Olentangy Watershed As part of the National Heritage Database, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, has catalogued information regarding the presence of a number of rare, unusual, or unique species of plants and animals in the Lower Olentangy River mainstem and adjacent portions of the watershed. Table 8 lists a number of rare and endangered aquatic species listed from the mainstem of the river (fish and freshwater mussel species). A significant number of rare or endangered bird and plant species are shown in Table 9. A list of unique preserves, parkland and special features (including everal “champion” trees) are shown in Table 10. (See Appendix D.3 for a map and chart of unique places of interest and recreational resources).

Many of these observations were made in the “Scenic River” portion of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, which, up until recently, remained little impacted by human development in the watershed. All of this has changed in the last several years with this portion of the watershed being one of the fastest growing areas in Ohio. These occurrences further document the importance of maintaining the river and its flanking riparian corridor in a more natural state, preserving a variety of natural habitats which, in turn, support a diversity of animals and plants, many of which are unique to this area.

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Table 7: Columbus City Parks and Recreation BioBlitz Results (2001)

Animal or Plant Group Number of Species identified Arthropods (Insects, spiders, etc.) 570 Mollusks (snails, mussels, clams) 14 Fish 16 Amphibians 4 Fungi 7 Lichens 3 Mosses 24 Grasses/Sedges 36 Wildflowers 227 Shrubs 19 Trees 40 Grand Total 1,030 species

Table 8: Unique Biological Life- Aquatic Unique Aquatic Life: Location(s) Common Name Scientific Name State Status Confluence of Adena Brook Northern Brook Ichthyomyzon fossor Endangered Lamprey North of Antrim and Delawanda Snuffbox Epioblasma triquetra Endangered Parks, north of Bartholomew Run, North of City Delaware Confluence of Flint Ravine and Bluebreast Darter Etheostoma camurum Threatened Rush Run, North of Henderson Rd. Bridge and adjacent to Highbanks and Kenny Park Just south of St Rt 161 and north Rayed Bean Villosa fabalis Endangered of the City of Delaware Adjacent to Lambourne Ave. Spotted Darter Etheostoma maculatum Endangered Just north of I-270 and Mollusk Bed Lampsilis faciola Special Interest downstream and upstream of (Wavy- Rayed 750, and adjacent to Liberty Lampmussel Church. Downstream of trailer park in Del Co. Adjacent to a gravel pit in Del. Mollusk Bed Villosa fabalis Endangered Co. 1 mile downstream from the (Rayed Bean & Lampsilis faciola Special Interest Del Dam. Wavy-Rayed Lampmussel) South of 5th and north of 3rd Ave. Pondhorn Uniomerus tetralasmus Threatened

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Table 9: Unique Biological Life – Birds and Plants Unique Birds: Location(s) Common Name Scientific Name State Status Adena Brook & Yellow-Crowned Nyctanassa violacea Endangered Highbanks Night Heron Bill Moose Run & Yellow Bellied Sphyapicus varius Endangered Highbanks & 5277 Forest Sapsucker Ave. Bill Moose Run & Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia Endangered Highbanks & 5277 Forest Ave Bill Moose Run & Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea Special Interest Highbanks & 5277 Forest Ave Bill Moose Run & 5277 Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus Endangered Forest Ave Highbanks & Bill Moose Golden Winged Vermivora chrysoptera Endangered Run Warbler Highbanks & 5277 Forest Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis Endangered Ave. Highbanks Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis Endangered Highbanks & 5277 Forest Double-crested Special Interest Ave. Cormorant Highbanks American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus Endangered Highbanks Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Special Interest Highbanks American Black Special Interest Duck Highbanks Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Endangered Highbanks & 5277 Forest Sharp-shinned Accipiter striatus Special Interest Ave. Hawk Highbanks Red-shouldered Buteo lineatus Special Interest Hawk Highbanks Sora Porzana carolina Special Interest Highbanks Common Gallinula chloropus Special Interest Moorhen Highbanks Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Endangered Highbanks Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda Threatened Highbanks Long-eared Owl Asio otus Special Interest Highbanks Northern Saw- Aegolius acadicus Special Interest whet Owl Highbanks Purple Martin Progne subis Special Interest Highbanks & 5277 Forest Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Endangered Ave.

Table 9 continued on the next page.

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Continued from the previous page.

Table 9: Unique Biological Life – Birds and Plants Unique Birds: Location(s) Common Name Scientific Name State Status Mirror Lake-OSU Barn Owl Tyto alba Endangered 1.5 miles south of the Bald Eagle Haliaeetus Endangered Delaware Dam; leucocephalus Federal LT Highbanks Highbanks, 4277 Forest Osprey Pandion haliaetus Endangered Ave.; Whetstone Park. 373 Charleston Ave.; Bill Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Endangered Moose Run Unique Plants: Location(s) Common Name Scientific Name State Status Highbanks Weak Spear-Grass Poa languida Potentially Threatened Species Highbanks Spotted Coral Corallorhiza maculata Potentially Threatened Root Species North and south of Snow Trillium Trillium nivale Potentially Threatened Camp Lazarus Species Delaware Run Park Shining Ladies Spiranthes lucida Potentially Threatened Tresses Species Woodlot east of Grove Sandwort Arenaria lateriflora Potentially Threatened Delaware Run Species Delawanda Park Early Buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis Potentially Threatened OSU Campus Oval Silverbell Halesia carolina Presumed Extirpated

Table 10: Unique Preserves, Parkland and Special Features Location Feature Stratford, Delaware County Stratford Woods State Nature Preserve Beechwold Ave. Columbus, Franklin Co. Champion Tree- Black Walnut Highbanks Metro Park, County line Cliffs Highbanks Metro Park, County line Concretion Deposit Bartholomew Run Oak-Maple Forest Olentangy Indian Caverns Cave or Cavern West of C&O RR, Delaware County Champion Tree- Bur Oak OSU- near Mirror Lake Glacial Erratic

(See Appendix D.3 for a map and chart of Unique Places of Interest and Recreational Resources)

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Table 11: Pollution-Intolerant Fish Species Collected from the Olentangy River (Ohio EPA, 1999; 1979-1999)

Species Feeding Tol. Hab. Lower Olentangy Olentangy (1979- Guild Pref. (1999) 1999) Black Redhorse I I P 276 (2.6%) 717 (1.5%) River Redhorse * I I P 8 (0.07%) 36 (0.08%) Silver Redhorse I M P 126 (1.5%) 300 (0.7%) Golden Redhorse I M P 935 (9.5%) 1,878 (3.9%) Shorthead Redhorse I M P 2 (0.02%) 3 (0.01%) Northern Hogsucker I M R 399 (3.4%) 1,022 (1.8%) River Chub I I B 8 (0.07%) 76 (1.6%) Silver Shiner I I P 65 (0.6%) 227 ((0.4%) Rosyface Shiner I I R 3 (0.03%) 4 (0.01%) Rosefin Shiner I M P 182 (0.3%) Sand Shiner I M B 497 (5.5%) 640 (1.45%) Mimic Shiner I M B 1 (0.001%) Stonecat Madtom I I R 104 (1.0 %) 151 (0.24%) Brook Silverside I M P 37 (0.34%) 141 (0.35%) Smallmouth Bass C M P 1,036 (8.6%) 2,765 (5.4%) Longear Sunfish I M P 514 (4.9%) 2,937 (5.7%) Logperch I M B 153 (1.3%) 266 (0.5%) Greenside Darter I M R 149 (1.07%) 1,818 (2.9%) Banded Darter I I R 164 (1.45%) 233 (0.43%) Bluebreast Darter** I R R 4 (0.03%) 6 (0.01%) Rainbow Darter I M R 72 (0.6%) 484 (0.76%)

Total Number Fish Collected 1999 = 10,789 (48 species); Total Number of Fish Collected 1979-1999 = 55,256 (68 species) * = State Special Interest species ** = State Threatened species Feeding Guild = What the fish eats. I = Insectivore; C = Carnivore; Tol. = Pollution Tolerance R = Rare, Intolerant; I = Intolerant; M = Moderately Intolerant Hab. Pref. = Habitat Preference P = Pool, R = Riffle, B = Both

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Table 12: Comparisons Of Central Ohio Streams with Regard to the Abundance Of Pollution-Intolerant Fish Species River # Pollution-Intolerant # Pollution-Intolerant Species Individuals Olentangy River (Entire, 21/68 species (31%) 13,887/55,256 (25%) 1972-1999) Lower Olentangy River 19/48 species (40%) 4,582/10,789 (43%) (1999) Big Darby Creek 26/71 species (37%) 13,164/28,492 (46%) (Franklin County, 1979- 2000) Scioto River (Delaware & 25/88 species (28%) 27,539/113,490 (24%) Franklin Counties, 1979- 2000) Alum Creek (from dam 19/68 species (28%) 6,542/24,537 (27%) to confluence, 1986- 2000) Big Walnut Creek (Port 24/70 species (34%) 7,941/17,902 (44%) Columbus to confluence, 1979-2000) Data from Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water (2001)

Table 13: Abundance of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) In Central Ohio Streams River Number of Total % Of Fish Collected Individuals Entire Olentangy River 2,765 5.4 Lower Olentangy River 1,036 8.6 Big Darby Creek (Franklin 660 2.3 County) Scioto River (Delaware & 6,132 5.5 Franklin Counties) Alum Creek 138 <1.0 Big Walnut Creek 702 4.1 Data from Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water (2001)

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Table 14: Distribution of Fish Species Collected at Individual Collection Sites on the Lower Olentangy River Mainstem in Delaware County (Ohio EPA, 1999) River Location Number Number Pollution Most Abunant Fish Mile of Fish of Intolerant Species Collected Species Species 32 Main Road, below 659 28 8 Bluegill = 19% Delaware Dam Black Crappie = 15% O. S. Sunfish = 12% 27.9 Panhandle Road, 490 22 9 Spotfin Shiner = 31% Delaware Co. Smallmouth B.= 21% C. Stoneroller = 9% 25.4 Upstrm Delaware 530 27 12 Bluegill = 19% WWTP, Delaware River Carp = 10% Redhorse* Spotfin Shiner = 9% 25.3 Delaware WWTP 170 21 9 Bluegill = 12% mixing zone Carp =12% Smallmouth B. = 7% 24.5 Dwnstrm Delaware 1,713 23 9 Spotfin Shiner =51% WWTP C. Stoneroller =14% Smallmouth B. =12% 22.3 U.S. Rt. 23 bridge, 859 18 8 Spotfin Shiner =43% Delaware Co. Smallmouth B. =19% C. Stoneroller = 8% 19.4 Hyatts Road 589 26 12 Spotfin Shiner =22% Bridge, Delaware Smallmouth B. =18% Co. C. Stoneroller =12% 15 Powell Road bridge 663 31 15 Gold Redhorse=20% at High Banks Bluebreast Smallmouth B. =14% Metro Park Darter* Spotfin Shiner =12% 13.4 OECC WWTP 133 9 5 Spotfin Shiner =40% mixing zone, Bluntnose Min.= 34% Delaware Co. Banded Darter =11% * State Endangered, Threatened, or Special Interest Species

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Table 15: Distribution Of Fish Species Collected At Individual Collection Sites on the Lower Olentangy River Mainstem in Franklin County (Ohio EPA, 1999) River Location Number Number Pollution Most Abundant Fish Mile of Fish of Species Intolerant Species Collected Species 12.4 At Mt. Air 601 25 13 Gold. Redhorse=25% north of I-270 Blk. Redhorse = 14% Worthington Bluntnose Min. =13% 7.8 Kenny Park at 423 29 15 Banded Darter = 13% Bethel Road, Bluebreast Sand Shiner =13% Clintonville Darter* Gold. Redhorse=12% 6.8 Henderson 579 26 12 Gold. Redhorse=21% Road bridge, Sand Shiner =17% Clintonville Silver Redhorse=10% 5.5 North 363 20 6 Gold. Redhorse=22% Broadway Longear Sunfish=16% bridge Green Sunfish =15% 3.9 Dwnstrm 728 28 13 Bluegill = 13% Dodridge Longear Sunfish=11% Road dam Gold. Redhorse=11% 2.0 Upstrm 5th 537 23 7 Longear Sunfish=26% Avenue dam Bluegill = 16% at OSU Gold. Redhorse=12% 1.8 Dwnstrm 5th 617 26 12 Bluntnose Min. =21% Avenue Dam, Sand Shiner =13% Columbus Gold. Redhorse=11% 0.7 At Goodale 477 22 8 Longear Sunfish=12% Road, River Gizzard Shad =12% Columbus Redhorse* Gold. Redhorse=10% 0.3 Just above 658 25 9 Gizzard Shad = 17% confluence Bluegill = 14% with Scioto Bluntnose Min. = 9% * State Endangered, Threatened, or Special Interest Species

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Table 16: Living Unionid Mussels Species Recorded from the Olentangy River just below the 5th Avenue Dam In Columbus, Franklin County (Modified From C. Stein, 1972) Mussel Species 1956-1967 1971 2000 (C. Stein, (C. Stein, 1972) (R.C. Frey) 1972) Elliptio dilatatus X Amblema plicata X X Pleurobema sintoxia * X Uniomeris tetralasmus ** X ? Anodonta imbecilis X X X Anodonta grandis X X X Alasmidonta marginata X ? Alasmidonta viridis X Lasmigona costata X ? Strophitus undulatus X Lampsilis cardium X X Lampsilis fasciola * X Lampsilis radiata luteola X X Ptychobranchus fasciolaris X Epioblasma triquetra *** X Toxolasma parva X Villosa iris X ?= Species represented by fresh-dead shells only * = State Special Interest **= State Threatened species *** = State Endangered species

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Table 17: Abundance of Live Specimens of Freshwater Mussel Species in the Olentangy River in the Vicinity of Whetstone Park and the Henderson Road Bridge, Franklin County (1998-2000) Species 1998 1999 2000

Elliptio dilatatus 1 2 1 Amblema plicata 126 65 115 Pleurobema sintoxia * 2 5 12 Fusconaias flava 0 2 10 Anodonta grandis 16 1 5 Anodonta imbecilis 2 2 1 Alasmidonta marginata 7 9 6 Lasmigona complanata 27 41 65 Lasmigona costata 9 3 16 Strophitus undulatus 1 3 Lampsilis cardium 43 32 23 Lampsilis fasciola * 9 4 5 Lampsilis radiata luteola 55 37 29 Ptychobranchus fasciolaris 1 2 1 Total Number of Individuals 299 205 292

* = State “Special Interest” Species

Table 18: Abundance of Living Specimens of Freshwater Mussel Species From the Olentangy River at High Banks Metro Park, Delaware County SPECIES Hoggarth, 1989 Frey, 2001 Elliptio dilatatus 1 Amblema plicata 3 4 Alasmidonta marginata 1 1 Lasmigona complanata 0 1 Strophitus undulatus 2 0 Lampsilis cardium 1 14 Lampsilis fasciola * 3 4 Lampsilis radiata luteola 6 8 Ptychobranchus fasciolaris 7 1 Epioblasma triquetra ** 1 0 Total Number of Individuals 25 33

* =State “Special Interest” Species ** =State “Endangered” Species

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Table 19: Abundance of Living Specimens of Freshwater Mussel Species from the Olentangy River Just Upstream from the Orange Road Bridge, Delaware County Species Hoggarth, 1989 Frey, 2001

Elliptio dilatatus 1 0 Amblema plicata 2 1 Anodonta grandis 0 1 Alasmidonta marginata 7 1 Lampsilis cardium 7 2 Lampsilis fasciola* 6 1 Lampsilis radiata luteola 10 4 Ptychobranchus fasciolaris 10 0 Total Number of Individuals 43 10

* = State “Special Interest Species”

Table 20: Cumulative Stream Quality Results: F.L.O.W. Sampling of the Olentangy River Upstream & Downstream of the Henderson Road Bridge. Franklin County (1998-2001) Downstream of Bridge Upstream of Bridge

1998 1998

10/24/98 NO SAMPLE 10/24/98 CSQI = 27/ EXCELLENT

1999 1999 4/10/99 NO SAMPLE 4/10/99 CSQI = 14/ FAIR 5/15/99 CSQI = 25/ EXCELLENT 5/15/99 CSQI = 20/ GOOD 9/11/99 CSQI = 24/ EXCELLENT 9/11/99 CSQI = 25/ EXCELLENT 2000 2000 7/3/00 CSQI = 26/ EXCELLENT 7/3/00 CSQI = 24/ EXCELLENT 8/12/00 CSQI = 20/ GOOD 8/12/00 CSQI = 18/ GOOD 2001 2001 5/5/01 CSQI = 23/ EXCELLENT 5/5/01 CSQI = 23/ EXCELLENT 6/30/01 CSQI = 22/ GOOD 6/30/01 CSQI = 18/ GOOD

CSQI = Cumulative Stream Quality Index (Kick-Seine Sampling)

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6. Human Impacts on the Lower Olentangy River Watershed

Cultural History

Prehistoric Indians found the Olentangy watershed to be a fertile land for emerging agriculture as well as a source of rocks and flint needed for tool making. These early cultures -- Paleo Indian, Adena, Hopewell and Fort Ancient -- left behind artifacts, ceremonial and burial mounds, and traces of villages that still tantalize archaeologists. There is evidence that the Wyandotte Indians used the Olentangy Indian Caverns, located off Home Road in Delaware County, as a haven from the weather and from their enemies, the Delaware Indians. One of the large rooms contains "Council Rock," used by the Wyandotte for tribal ceremonies. Various artifacts found in the caverns indicate that the Indian Council Room was used by Wyandotte braves for making arrows and other stone implements until as late as 1810. Hundreds of these items were found when the caverns were opened and some are on display in the Museum. His own people killed “Leatherlips,” the chief of the Wyandotte, at the entrance to the cavern. Concrete stairways descend 55 feet to the maze of natural passages and rooms occupying three different levels. The second level contains "Indian Lover's Bench," "Battleship Rock" and "The Crystal Room." "Fat Man's Misery" is a narrow passage leading to "Cathedral Hall" and "The Bell Tower" room 105 feet below the earth's surface. Beyond are passages and rooms still unexplored. A fourth level where an underground river is flowing to the Olentangy River a half-mile east has been partially explored, but not opened to the public. It is known that the river has formed a lake, but its size has not been determined. Many miles of passages have never been explored and new mysteries - including the location of the lost burial ground of the Wyandotte Indians - are expected to unfold as these passages are opened. (Central Ohio Source- Olentangy Indian Caverns) When European settlers entered North America, the Olentangy was part of a vast uninhabited area controlled by the Iroquois Nations. The influence of the Iroquois began to wane in the early 1700’s as European settlers moved in. The Indian tribes of the Olentangy Valley were forced westward and their riverside villages were quickly resettled.

Louis Sullivant laid out Franklinton in 1797 at the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers. Worthington was founded in 1803 along the northern part of the watershed and in 1812 Ohio’s new capital in Columbus was laid out on the east side of the confluence of the Olentangy and the Scioto Rivers. The new capital grew rapidly and much of the growth extended north along the still unspoiled Olentangy River.

The name Olentangy, meaning “river of the red face paint”, was a Delaware name given to what we now call the Big Darby. The river we now call the Olentangy was once called “Keen-hong-she-con-sepung,” meaning “sharp more and more tool river” or “Whetstone.” Whetstones from the Olentangy were used to sharpen tools. In 1833 the Ohio legislature

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changed the river’s name from the Whetstone to Olentangy as part of a statewide plan to restore Indian names to Ohio streams, unfortunately getting the Indian names for Darby Creek and the Olentangy River confused.

The Ohio State University was founded in 1887. Today its main Columbus campus occupies 1,715 acres on the banks of the Olentangy. The University serves over 50,000 students each year, and is a significant landmark in Ohio.

On the bank of the picturesque Olentangy, at north Columbus, stood the old Piatt Mill (Figure 6-1). For a number of years the father of John James Piatt, the well-known literary personage, operated it. The future poet spent many of his boyhood days playing about the old mill, and doubtless the impressions made by its surroundings found expression in his work. The old mill was located at the northern boundary of Olentangy Park, owned by the Columbus Street Railway Company, and was considered one of the most picturesque spots in Ohio (OSU Department of History). In 1899, the Dussenbury brothers purchased the park, which featured a small merry-go-round. The Dussenburys were responsible for the construction of a theater, a dance pavilion and rides such as the “loop-the-loop”, “whirlwind” and “shoot the chutes”. During the 44 years that Olentangy park was open, it

Figure 6-1: The Old Piatt Mill on the Olentangy River.

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-54 Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed March 2002 / edited 2003 featured four roller coasters (Red Devil, Racer, and Whirlwind), the Ye Olde Mill, a swimming pool, two Ferris wheels, a pony track, a train ride, two carousels, and many more attractions (Figure 6-2). In 1938, the park was sold to L.L. LeVeque, and was turned into the Olentangy Village apartment complex (Clintonville Historical Society).

Development soon spilled northward and westward. By the 1960’s there was pressure for a major highway that would parallel the river. The construction of S.R. 315 ended in 1978, and resulted in great changes. Two hundred and thirty acres of wildlife habitat, including 22 acres of wetlands, and over 2,000 feet of natural streams were lost. In addition, more than 2,300 feet of riverbed were channelized to make room for the highway.

Impacts over Time

The Olentangy River Watershed has changed dramatically in the past several hundred years since the arrival of Europeans into the Ohio Valley in the late 1700’s. These changes in Ohio’s landscape, including those in the Olentangy River Watershed, have been well documented. Vegetation maps based on early land surveys and historical accounts plus subsequent studies by various state agencies show a dramatic decrease in forest cover across the watershed starting in the early 1800’s and culminating in a near total lack of forest cover by the first several decades of the 20th century. The Olentangy River Watershed in pre- European times boasted a dense mix of beech and oak-maple forests (Figure 6-3). As rivers were the main transportation routes penetrating the interior of the state and streams and

Figure 6-2: Olentangy Park

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rivers were major sources of drinking water, the river’s floodplain and the mouths of its tributary streams were the initial areas colonized by the Europeans. Soon, in the Olentangy River valley, scattered Wyandot villages and small cornfields were giving way to an extensive patchwork of European family farms producing corn and livestock. As indicated previously, deforestation in the watershed resulted in a loss of stream canopy and forested riparian corridors, leading to increased stormwater runoff, increased flash flooding, and increased sedimentation, severely impacting water quality. These impacts also led to significant declines in biologic diversity.

Dr. David Stansbery (1961), studying the historical decline of pollution-sensitive freshwater mussels in the Scioto River basin (including the Olentangy River), divided the history of human impacts on stream water quality in the basin into three successive stages:

1) 1800-1850: Deforestation and the rise of row-crop agriculture: increased bank erosion, siltation, turbidity, and water temperature resulting from conversion of forests to farm fields.

2) 1850-1890: Rise of Urban areas: increased pollution resulting from increasing urbanization and human activity in the watershed; nutrient enrichment, low dissolved oxygen, and increased bacterial loads resulting from untreated sewage, slaughterhouse waste, brewery wastes, and sawdust from sawmills.

3) 1890-Present: Advent of Industrialization: increased pollution in the form of toxic chemicals resulting from increased industrial discharges to the river, loss of stream quality and habitat due to hydromodification of the river and its tributaries through channelization and damming of the main channel by lowhead dams, and increased impermeability due to urban encroachment onto the floodplain.

The cumulative impacts of these successive assaults on central Ohio streams and rivers has been significant in terms of decreasing water quality, loss of in- and out-stream habitat, and decreases in the diversity and abundance of both aquatic and terrestrial life. All of these trends continue to impact the Olentangy River at the present with the exception of forested cover in the watershed, which appears to be undergoing a slight reversal of its declining trend following WWII.

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Figure 6-3: Original Vegetation (Pre-European) Data Source: Original Vegetation, Robert Gordon, Ohio Biological Survey

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Human Population in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed

Population trends in the Olentangy River Watershed have remained relatively constant since the establishment of permanent European settlements in the watershed in the early 1800’s. Most all of the population growth in the basin in the past 100 years has been due to expansion of the larger cities and their immediate environments. Rural and small town populations, in contrast, have remained fairly constant during the same time period (Youngquist et al., 1963). Most of the population increases in the region has been associated with the expansion of the city of Columbus within Franklin County. Within the broader Scioto River Basin, the Greater Columbus area and Franklin County accounted for 40% of the total population in the basin in 1910, 61% in 1960 (Youngquist et al. 1963), and nearly 75% in the year 2000.

Population in Franklin County grew 11% between 1990 and the year 2000. Population in Delaware County has grown 64% during the same decade. Table 21 shows census data from 1990 and 2000. Much of this growth is taking place in southern Delaware County in the Scenic River portion of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed. Population density in 2000, however continues to be highest in Columbus portions of Franklin County. (See also Appendix D.4).

Table 21: Census Data Comparison for 1990 and 2000 The Lower Olentangy Watershed Franklin and Delaware Counties Location Total Pop. Housing Total Housing Acres in Farms 2000 Units Pop. 1990 Units 1990 Census Census 2000 Census 1990 Census Census Franklin 228,463 99,686 189,909 77,934 County watershed Delaware County 27,953 10,414 5,944 2,019 179,000 watershed (whole county)

Current Land Use in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed

Current land use patterns in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed have been tabulated by ODNR’s REALM and the FEMA programs. Forty-nine percent of the Lower Olentangy Watershed is agricultural but a significant percentage (26%) is urban (Table 22). Land use in the Delaware County portion of the Olentangy River floodplain in 1994 consisted primarily of agricultural land (37%) and wooded acreage (31%), with less than 1% classified as urban (Table 23). In contrast, land use in the floodplain in Franklin County in1998 was dominated by impervious urban areas (43%), some wooded acreage (31%), and declining agricultural acreage (11.5%) (Table 24).

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Table 22: Land Uses in the Lower Olentangy Watershed Land Use Acreage Percent Area Urban (open impervious surfaces) 18,770.45* 26% Agriculture / Open Urban Areas (lawns) 34,639.11 49% Shrub / Scrub 625.58 <1% Wooded 16,298.16 23% Open Water 306.58 <1% Non-Forested Wetlands 542.40 <1% Barren (Quarries, Sand and Gravel Pits) 142.86 <1% Total Acreage 71,326.10

Table 23: Land Uses in the Lower Olentangy Watershed Floodplain in Delaware County 1994 Land Use Acreage Percent Area Agriculture / Open Urban Areas 2,880.75 37% Non-forested Wetlands 365.00 5% Open Water 1,150.48 15% Shrub / Scrub 145.48 2% Unknown 0.46 Urban 208.60 3% Wooded 3,036.68 39% Total Acreage 7,787.21

Table 24: Land Uses in the Lower Olentangy Watershed Floodplain in Franklin County 1998 Land Use Acreage Percent Area Agriculture / Open Urban Areas 244.81 12% Non-forested Wetlands 21.61 1% Open Water 257.78 12% Shrub / Scrub 16.67 <1% Urban (impervious surface) 920.61 43% Wooded 663.91 31% Total Acreage 2,125.39

Land Use Data Source: ODNR, REALM 1994 Land Use Inventory of Ohio (Delaware) and 1998 Franklin County land use / land cover, ODNR 1998 (Franklin County). 100-year flood boundary, Franklin Co FEMA Pilot Project Preliminary Data, FEMA, ODNR, 2001.

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The Importance of Imperviousness

One of the main features associated with the urbanization of the watershed is the increase in “imperviousness”, especially in the floodplain of the river. “Imperviousness” refers to the amount of hardened surfaces – surfaces that are impermeable to water and cause the water to be deflected from these surfaces rather than soaking into the ground. Studies collected nationally by the Center for Watershed Protection show that imperviousness is a useful indicator with which to measure the impacts of development on streams. The percentage of imperviousness or hard surfaces such as roads, parking lots, rooftops, and driveways in a watershed has a direct relationship with the amount of runoff. For example, the total runoff from a one-inch of rainfall from a one-acre meadow would fill a standard size office to a depth of about two feet. If that same acre were paved, runoff from a one-inch rainfall event would completely fill the office plus two additional offices adjacent to it. The peak discharge, velocity, and time of concentration of the rainfall event also exhibit a striking increase after a meadow is replaced with a parking lot. In addition, an increase in imperviousness results in stream bank instability triggering stream bank erosion and habitat degradation. Recent research models developed in the Pacific Northwest suggest a threshold for urban stream stability exists at about 10% imperviousness (Booth, 1991; Booth and Reinelt, 1993).

As indicated in Table 25, the percent of imperviousness in the Lower Olentangy River increases dramatically as one goes downstream from the less-urbanized portion of the river near High Banks Metro Park and the Powell Road bridge (2.7%) to the river floodplain in Clintonville in the vicinity of Whetstone Park (49.5%), and to the increasingly more urbanized portion of the Olentangy River watershed within Columbus from the Dodridge Street bridge to the river’s confluence with the Scioto River (78%). As suggested by the discussion presented in the previous paragraph, the 1999 water and biological quality survey of the Lower Olentangy River (Ohio EPA, 2001) shows a distinctive inverse relationship between water quality in the river and increasing imperviousness in the watershed as one goes downstream from the I-270 bridge to the river’s confluence within Franklin County.

It is evident, given the current explosive rate of population growth in southern Delaware County, that land use across this portion of the watershed is changing at a rapid pace (See Appendix D.5). Development and the resulting urbanization of these former agricultural areas is now dramatically increasing the percent imperviousness in the Scenic River portion of the Olentangy River Watershed (Figure 6-4). Barring any intervention to mitigate the effects of increasing imperviousness in this area, it is anticipated that the current exceptional water quality along this stretch of the river in Delaware County will surely decline as it has in heavily-urbanized portions of Franklin County.

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Table 25: Percentage of Imperviousness 14 Digit Subwatershed % Imperviousness 05060001120010 Olentangy River below Horseshoe Run to 11.7% below Delaware Run 05060001120020 Olentangy River near Powell 2.7% 05060001120030 Olentangy River near Worthington 17.8% 05060001120040 Olentangy River near Worthington to 41% gauging station at Henderson Rd. 05060001120050 Olentangy River from gauging station at 49.5% Henderson Rd. to Dodridge St. 0506000120060 Olentangy River from Dodridge St. to Scioto 78.1% River Key: Sensitive (attaining WQS) = 0-10% Imperviousness Impacted (partially attaining WQS) = 11-25% Imperviousness Non-supporting (non-attaining WQS)= 26-100% Imperviousness

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Figure 6-4: Aerial Photography 1994 2000 comparison.

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Human Impacts: Permitted Point Sources

About 30 permitted facilities discharge into the Olentangy River in southern Delaware and Franklin counties (Figure 6-5). Permitted dischargers are allowed to discharge wastewater effluent into the river under a federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Ohio EPA and these companies are required to regularly monitor these discharges to insure that they do not exceed the limits for various chemicals set forth in the permit. These limits are based on the assimilative capacity of the stream and Ohio EPA’s Aquatic and Human Health Water Quality Criteria. The two largest permitted dischargers are the city of Delaware Waste Water Treatment plant (WWTP) on Cherry Street in Delaware and the Olentangy Environmental Control Center WWTP in Liberty Township, also in Delaware County. These permitted dischargers are considered to be point sources as they typically allow for the discharge of chemicals or pollutants to the river from one or only a few specific outfalls.

Delaware County WWTP

The Delaware WWTP discharges directly into the Olentangy River at RM 25.26 at the south end of the city of Delaware and upstream of the US Rt. 23 bridge. The plant was upgraded in 1986 and currently has a design capacity to discharge 5.5 million gallons of wastewater effluent per day (MGD) into the river. In 1999, the plant’s discharges averaged about 4.5 MGD. Plant influent consists of 95% sanitary wastewater and 5% industrial wastewater. Ohio EPA (2001) reported that the Delaware WWTP was operating properly during this time period. Ohio EPA documented clear and marked impacts on fish biotas downstream of the plant in 1989. The impacted segment of the river appears to have fully recovered in 1999 (Ohio EPA, 2001). Plant upgrades in the late 1980’s resulted in significant reductions in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia, and metals loadings. Levels of toxic ammonia have decreased as the result of nitrification of the ammonia but nitrate loadings downstream of the site have increased. While whole-effluent toxicity tests performed in April 1999 failed, previous tests in 1994 and 1998 indicated no acute effluent toxicity. Ohio EPA in their 2001 report indicated “the Delaware WWTP did not appear to negatively impact the chemical quality of the Olentangy River downstream from the discharge (point).” However, Ohio EPA noted in the same report that “the general contributions of phosphorus and nitrate are a concern and should be monitored as nutrient enrichment may become more of a problem in the future with continued heavy development in the city of Delaware and the surrounding country.”

Olentangy Environmental Control Center WWTP

The OECC WWTP is owned and operated by Delaware County and discharges directly to the Olentangy River at RM 13.39, immediately west of the overlook at the High Banks Metro Park in Liberty Township. This plant was upgraded in 1998 with system changes designed to increase the capacity of the plant from 1.5 to 4.5 MGD. The OECC recently submitted a request to Ohio EPA to further increase their treated effluent discharge from 4.5 to 6.6 MGD.

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OECC influent consists of nearly 100% conventional sanitary sewage. 1999 data suggested that the OECC WWTP was operating properly with pollutant concentrations in the effluent all within permit limits (Ohio EPA, 2001). Whole effluent toxicity tests indicated no acute toxicity in 1998 and 1999. Although Ohio EPA indicated that the OECC did not appear to impact the chemical quality of the water of the Olentangy River downstream of the plant outfall, fish biotas in the mixing zone in the river at the outfall had significantly poorer scores than upstream and downstream of the OECC outfall. Increased concentrations of nitrates, phosphorus, chloride, and sodium were noted in river surface water downstream of the effluent outfall, but were within allowable plant discharge parameters. Close monitoring of the levels of the chemicals in river below the OECC outfall will be necessary to insure that increased discharges from the plant likely to occur in the near future do not further impact water quality and aquatic biotas in downstream portions of the river.

Besides these two wastewater treatment plants, there are 27 other permitted wastewater dischargers scattered throughout the Lower Olentangy River Watershed (Table 26 and Figure 6-5). These include a variety of public and private facilities, including Shroyer’s Mobile Home Park off US Rt. 23 north of Delaware, the Methodist Theological Seminary in Delaware, Marzetti’s in Clintonville, The Ohio State University and the Battelle Memorial Institute near the 5th Avenue bridge, and the Timken Corporation on west side of Cleveland Avenue (source: Ohio EPA Jan 2001 NPDES Permit List).

Human Impacts – Current Point Sources of Pollution Ohio EPA and FLOW have identified a number of either permitted dischargers who are out of compliance with their permits or defunct facilities that are sources of pollution currently impacting the Lower Olentangy River.

Old Delaware City Landfill The Old Delaware City Landfill is a 15-acre site east of Cherry Street and fronting the Olentangy River at the south end of the city of Delaware. The site was operated by the city of Delaware as a solid waste landfill from 1951 to 1975, accepting household, commercial, and industrial solid wastes. Landfill operations ceased in 1975 and the site was filled and graded. The current city WWTP, a recycling center, and the city maintenance garage are all situated on top of the former landfill. Explosive levels of methane gas have been routinely detected across the property. Ohio EPA reported leachate seeps discharging low levels of chemicals (organics like ethylbenzene, xylene, and various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs] and the metals arsenic, iron, and lead) into the Olentangy River along the east bank of the landfill site in the early 1990’s (Ohio Department of Health, 2000).

T. Marzetti Company This is an operating facility located along Indianola Avenue and discharging their wastewater via storm sewers to Adena Brook. The facility has an extensive history of non-permitted releases and spills of food-grade oil and/or vinegar to the creek over the past several decades. Ohio EPA records listed 10 spills or unpermitted wastewater discharges from the Marzetti facility to storm sewers or Adena Brook between 1996 and 1998. The most recent spill occurred January 15, 2001 and consisted of the release of 4,500 gallons of acidic vinegar to a sewer line, some of which entered Adena Brook.

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Table 26: NPDES Permittees Ohio EPA CDO, September 12, 2000 Entity Facility Type County AC Humko Food processing Franklin Adrian Subdivision Sanitary Delaware Battelle Institute Research Franklin BP Oil Company Petroleum storage Delaware Buckeye Valley Schools Sanitary Delaware Columbus Coated Fabrics Industrial sewage Franklin Columbus Municipal Light Electric generation Franklin Plant Del-Co Water Company Water treatment Delaware Delaware JVS Sanitary Delaware Delaware Mobile Home Park Sanitary Delaware Delaware Water Plant Water treatment Delaware City of Delaware Sanitary Delaware Evans Adhesive Corp. Franklin McCracken Power Plant Cooling Franklin Methodist Theological Sanitary Delaware School National Electric Coil Franklin Nissan North, Inc. Sanitary Delaware ODOT Office of Aviation Petroleum storage Franklin Fueling Olentangy Env. Control Sanitary Delaware Center Olentangy Local Schools Sanitary Delaware Shroyer’s Homes Sanitary Delaware Sunsprout Farms of Central Food process Franklin Ohio Superamerica Sanitary Delaware Timken Co. Cooling / Storm Franklin Tracy’s Restaurant Sanitary Delaware US Dept Agriculture Sanitary Delaware Willamette Industries Cooling Delaware Worthington Arms MHP Sanitary Delaware Worthington Hills Water treatment Franklin

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Figure 6-5 Permitted Waste Water Dischargers in the Lower Olentangy Watershed

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Timken Corporation-Columbus Bearing Plant This soon-to-close facility, located on the west side of Cleveland Avenue in Columbus, made metal ball bearings at this site for decades. “Quenching oil” was extensively used at the site to cool the molten ball bearings as part of the production process. It is estimated that thousands of gallons of this oil may saturate the soils under the facility, accumulating as the result of years of spills and accidental releases (Ohio EPA staff, pers. comm. 2001). September 10th of this year, a large oil slick was observed by a jogger entering the Olentangy River just above the Third Avenue Bridge and extending downstream to the confluence. The spill was traced through the city’s storm sewer system two miles east to the Timken facility. Ohio EPA placed booms at the storm sewer outfall to the river to try and contain the spill, but as of November 9, 2001, oil was still entering the city’s storm-sewer system unabated at the Timken property and continuing to enter the river.

AC Humko This company produced vegetable oil and other food-related products at its now defunct facility on the east bank of the river for a number of decades. Numerous spills and other accidental releases of oil at the property have caused the permeable soils under the facility to become saturated with rancid vegetable oil (Ohio EPA staff, pers. comm. 2001). The decomposing oil has caused the groundwater under the site to become oxygen-poor. This groundwater flows west and discharges under the river, evidently causing the river bottom adjacent to the facility to become anoxic and a poor habitat for aquatic life. An application has been submitted to the Clean Ohio Fund for remediation of this site.

Human Impacts – Nonpoint Sources of Pollution In contrast to point sources of pollution, nonpoint sources allow for pollutants to enter the river from many, often diffuse, sources rather than from the end of a single pipe. In contrast to point sources of pollution, which are now are regulated by Ohio EPA through the federal NPDES permits, nonpoint sources of pollution currently are largely outside the control of these agencies and today comprise the main threats to water quality in Ohio’s rivers and streams (Ohio EPA, 2001). These types of pollution include: mud and silt washing from construction sites; stormwater runoff from impermeable areas; road salt, gasoline, oil, and antifreeze, washing from roads and bridges; septic sewage releases from unsewered areas, and releases of sewage from Combined Sewer Overflows and Sanitary Sewer Overflow points scattered within the city limits of both Columbus and Delaware. Addressing water quality issues resulting from these nonpoint sources of pollution along the Lower Olentangy River is a major goal of FLOW and this inventory report is a critical initial part of this process.

Human Impacts – Nonpoint Sources: Construction Sites As indicated above, explosive growth and development in portions of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed, especially the Scenic River portion of the watershed, is encroaching on the floodplains of the mainstem of the river and of its tributary streams. Between August 1992 and June 1999, there were 21 construction sites in the watershed greater than 5 acres in size. Floodplain developments over the short term cause excessive amounts of mud and silt to wash into the river or its tributary streams, often smothering the adjacent bottom substrates with mud, killing existing bottom life and often making the stream bottom an inhospitable

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-67 Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed March 2002 / edited 2003 place for aquatic life for some time. Floodplain developments cause additional negative impacts on the river and the watershed over the long term. These include: 1) reducing the available area for water storage during flood events, resulting in increased down-cutting, increased bank erosion, and an increase in the frequency and severity of downstream flood events; 2) the loss of riparian buffer zones in the floodplain leading to increases in the volume of sediment and pollutants entering the stream, degrading water quality and adverse impacts on both aquatic and terrestrial life through the loss of quality wildlife habitat; and 3) increasing the percent of impervious surface area in the floodplain, which increases the volume of stormwater runoff, leading to increases in the volume and concentrations of pollutants entering the stream, further degrading stream water quality.

Current threats and impacts from construction in the Scenic River portion of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed in Delaware County include:

• Destruction of the forested riparian corridor and filling and culvertization of a ravine cut by an east-flowing tributary of the Olentangy River at the Nourse property at the north end of the Delaware County, east side of US Rt. 23.

• Emplacement of large quantities of dirt fill to facilitate the building of a number of “executive houses” on the flood plain of the river at Riverpoint Court, less than one mile north of the Powell Road bridge and the High Banks Metro Park, between State Rt. 315 and the west bank of the river. Sediment fences are currently down and non-functional. Four to five feet of fill emplaced within 120 feet of the riverbank.

• Proposed widening of State Rt. 315 at the Powell Road bridge, immediately adjacent to and upstream of High Banks Metro Park (and the highest quality section of the Lower Olentangy River as determined by Ohio EPA).

• Emplacement of large quantities of fill onto the flood plain of the river to facilitate another housing development on the Bodycombe property also east of State Rt. 315 just north of Mount Air and downstream of the OECC WWTP

Potential threats or current impacts from construction within the urban part of the river in Franklin County include:

• Destruction of a wooded riparian area (approximately 150 trees) along the west bank of the river as a result of the expansion of the Riverside Hospital parking lot at the southwest corner of the North Broadway bridge. Riverside Hospital’s contractor destroyed riparian areas outside of the hospital’s property line, extending into areas owned by the city of Columbus and Franklin County.

• Construction associated with expansion of the Olentangy Village Apartments complex along the east bank of the river below the Dodridge Road Bridge in Columbus. Significant quantities of mud washed off-site directly into the river before measures were taken by the contractor to control the erosion and runoff.

• Planned construction of a new bridge over the river at Lane Avenue and an ODOT project extending ramps from State Rt. 315 to the OSU campus, both upstream of the 5th Avenue bridge in the campus area.

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• Planned renovation work on the Henderson Road Bridge.

• Construction of elements of the Spring-Sandusky interchange off of State Rt. 315 near the confluence of the Olentangy River with the Scioto River, in Columbus.

All of these sites currently pose acute threats to those sections of the river immediately adjacent and downstream of these sites. Their cumulative impacts will affect water quality and biological integrity along the entire length of the river in the future as the river’s floodplain buffer continues to shrink or have its forested riparian corridor destroyed and replaced with impermeable surfaces.

Human Impacts- Nonpoint Sources: CSO, SSO and Storm Sewers

What are Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)?

In the past, sewer lines were constructed to collect both sanitary and industrial wastewater as well as rain water runoff. During dry weather, the combined sewers carry this water to treatment facilities. However, when it rains, the volume of water may exceed the capacity of the combined sewers or of the treatment plant. The sewer system is designed to have relief points where the combined wastewater is allowed to overflow untreated* into the nearest stream or river, this creates a combined sewer overflow, or CSO.

What are Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs)?

SSOs originate from sewer lines that collect sanitary and industrial wastewater but unlike CSOs, storm water is not intentionally directed into the pipes. Yet, in some locations, rainwater still percolates into the sewer lines and causes the volume of water to exceed the capacity of the treatment plant. When this occurs, there are relief points established throughout the sewer system. These relief points are usually when a manhole fills to a certain elevation or when sewage flows over a weir and the overflow of untreated wastewater is discharged directly to a stream or river.

What are Storm Sewers?

Storm sewers collect rainwater that runs off of roads, rooftops and parking lots. With the rainwater are pollutants such as trash, oil, heavy metals, bacteria and lawn chemicals. Storm sewer systems discharge this rainwater directly into the stream or river through a drainage pipe.

Why are these sewer systems a problem?

Because these systems can discharge untreated sanitary and industrial wastewater along with storm water runoff, many different types of pollutants may be present. These pollutants can present a danger to the aquatic life that inhabits the receiving waters and to the health of people who use the waters for recreation and drinking. These systems can also deposit

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debris, litter or sediment that can result in unacceptable conditions due to visual aesthetics or odor problems.

Detection of elevated levels of E.coli and fecal coliform bacteria in the mainstem of the lower Olentangy River within the city of Delaware and in the lower 5 miles of the river within the City of Columbus, as well as elevated bacteria in all of the tributaries sampled by Ohio EPA in 1999, indicate the impacts of faulty CSOs and SSOs on water quality throughout the watershed (Ohio EPA, 2001). Numerous documented CSOs and SSOs are known from the Lower Olentangy Watershed in Franklin County.

Below are a series of tables highlighting the location of these sewer systems within the Lower Olentangy River Watershed.

*some CSO’s receive primary treatment

Table 27: List of Combined Storm and Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs) Located in the City of Columbus’ Collection System. These discharge points are near combined sewer regulators. ______Ref. No. Location Outfall No. Receiving Stream ______98 First & Perry 4PF00000032 Olentangy 102 Third & Perry 4PF00000027 Olentangy 162 King Avenue 4PF00000007 Olentangy 233 Regulator at OSU/Indianola Ave. 4PF00000006 Olentangy 237 Tuttle Park at Frambes 4PF00000031 Olentangy 231 Frambes e/o Tuttle Park 4PF00000005 Olentangy 259 Hudson Street 4PF00000004 Olentangy ______

Table 28: Combined Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs) without Regulators Located within the City of Columbus’ Collection System. ______Ref. No. Location Outfall No. Receiving Stream ______156 Main Interceptor Sewer, Discharge N of Hill Ave. 4PF00000040 Olentangy ______

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Table 29: City of Columbus Sanitary Sewer Overflow Relief Points Discharging to Storm Sewers or Open Waterways. Reference number refers to the numbering system used by the city to track the SSOs in the collection system. MH = manhole. ______Ref. No. Relief Location Type Receiving Waters ______109 MH s/s Third Ave., 490' w/o Olentangy R. Rd. A Olentangy R 111 MH s/s Third Ave.,690' w/o Olentangy R. Rd. A Olentangy R. 103 MH s/s Third Ave., 290' w/o Olentangy R.Rd. A Olentangy R. 100 MH Northwest Blvd. & Hilo Lane A Olentangy R. 107 MH f/o 814 W Third Ave. A Olentangy R. 147 MH alley n/o King and w/o Star Ave. A Olentangy R. 146 MH Third & Morning A Olentangy R. 148 MH King Ave & alley w/o Virginia A Olentangy R. 151 MH Meadow Rd & Third Ave. A Olentangy R. 154 MH Third and Virginia A Olentangy R. 149 MH Fifth Ave & North Star A Olentangy R. 150 MH King and North Star A Olentangy R. 157 MH Fifth Ave & Eastview/Kenny A Olentangy R. 156* MH alley n/o Hill Ave w/o Perry St. A Olentangy R. 110 MH Third Ave & Oxley (east) A Olentangy R. 105 MH Third Ave & Oxley (west) A Olentangy R. 266 MH Howey & Briarwood A Glen Echo Ravine 299 MH Akola and Alley w/o Azelda A Glen Echo Ravine 273 MH Akola and Alley w/o Hiawatha A Glen Echo Ravine 267 MH Akola and Alley w/o Atwood Terrace A Glen Echo Ravine 271 MH Azelda and Alley n/o Hudson B Olentangy R. 263 MH Velma and Alley s/o Hudson B Olentangy R. 381 MH Maynard and Velma A Olentangy R. 274 MH Republic & Ontario A Glen Echo Ravine 380 MH Lexington & Alley n/o Hudson B Olentangy R. 276 MH Criarwood and Alley w/o McGuffy A Glen Echo Ravine 275 MH Hamilton & Alley n/o Duxberry B Olentangy R. 284 MH n/o Pacemont at Olentangy River A Olentangy R. 288 MH e/o Olentangy St. & Indianola A Glen Echo Ravine 285 MH Midgard & Alley e/o Indianola A Walhalla Ravine 292 MH Akola & Alley w/o Osceola A Glen Echo Ravine 303 MH Akola & Alley e/o Homecroft A Glen Echo Ravine 291 MH Osceola & alley s/o Weber A Glen Echo Ravine 301 MH Alamo & alley w/o Osceola A Glen Echo Ravine 304 MH Alamo & alley w/o Pontiac A Glen Echo Ravine 289 MH Akola & Alley w/o Pontiac A Glen Echo Ravine 308 MH Minnesota & Hamilton A Glen Echo Ravine 325 MH n/o N. Broadway & e/o Olentangy R. A Olentangy R. 326 MH Olentangy Blvd. & Montrose Way A Olentangy R

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Table 29 Continued:

323 MH Webster PK & Olentangy Blvd. A Ditch 329 MH e/s Indianola & alley E. N. Broadway A Walhalla Ravine 330 MH Pauline & Atwood Terrace A Adena Brook 337 MH Richards & Granden A Olentangy R. 338 MH Northridge & Atwood Terrace A Adena Brook 346 MH w/o Rustic Pl. and Olentangy Blvd. A Olentangy R. 352 MH n/s Weisheimer and Starrett A Olentangy R. 349 MH Alley e/o High & s/o Schreyer Pl. B Creek- Whetstone 351 MH w/o Olentangy Blvd & n/o Royal Frst. A Olentangy R. 350 MH Wetmore & Alley e/o High Street B Ditch e/o Rustic 360 MH s/o Rathbone & e/o Delawanda A Ditch s/o Rathbone 368 MH Alley e/o High & s/o Lincoln A Rush Run 462 MH Goodale & Edgeworth A Olentangy R. 145 MH Mulford & Alley w/o McClain A Olentangy R. 373 Riverlea Pump Station C 5693 Olentangy Blvd. 533 Foster & Alley n/o Kenbrook A Rush Run 536 Stafford & Morning A r/o 933 High St. 264 Howey & Maynard A Olentangy R. 310 McGuffey & Aberdeen A Olentangy e/o I-71 328 Como & High A Olentangy River 335 Park of Roses B Adena Brook / Indian Spring Run 576 f/o 320 Kanawha D Olentangy R. ______A- Discharge occurs when a manhole fills to a certain elevation. B- Discharge occurs when sewage flows over a weir. C- Discharge occurs when a pump station wetwell fills to a certain elevation D-Discharge occurs when the sewer line fills to a certain level n/o, north of; s/o, south of; e/o, east of; w/o, west of; n/s, north side; r/o, rear of; f/o, front of * SSO and CSO. a City of Columbus Division of Sewerage & Drainage and Ohio EPA 1999, Biological and Water Quality Study of the Middle Scioto River and Alum Creek: Franklin, Delaware, Morrow, and Pickaway Counties, Ohio. Division of Surface Water, Ecological Assessment Unit, Columbus.

Human Impacts- Nonpoint Sources: Unsewered Systems

There are several methods to dispose of wastewater where no sewer services are made available. Evapo-transpiration mounds, aeration units, or septic tank and leaching systems are the current methods for proper wastewater disposal.

The leading causes of septic system failure are sludge buildup in the septic tanks, excess water flowing into the system, and mechanical failure; especially in aeration systems (Ohio Environmental Council: The Risk to Ohioans: Pathogens in Ohio’s Waters) Many failing systems in unincorporated areas of Franklin County are due to older homes (30-40 years)

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-72 Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed March 2002 / edited 2003 with the original system, situated on lots that are too small for the system to function adequately (Franklin County Health Department).

Improper disposal of sewage to the Olentangy River and tributaries is a source of nonpoint source pollution and a human health concern.

Table 30 is a list of unsewered areas in Franklin County draining to the Olentangy River; City of Columbus and Delaware County data are missing but will incorporated as part of the Watershed Action Plan- Human Health Section. The Franklin County Engineer’s office has plans for the Rosslyn Ave. area to be connected to Columbus’ sanitary collection system by 2005.

Human Impacts- Nonpoint Sources: Hydromodification

Because rivers naturally flow back and forth over the landscape, altering a river’s channel greatly changes its dynamics, reducing biological diversity and water quality. These alterations are called hydromodification. In a study by the Ohio EPA, hydromodification was cited as the leading source of impairment to Ohio’s rivers and streams. Hydromodification is a threat because it causes siltation and sedimentation. The soil that is supposed to be on the land is washed into the water, clouding it with suspended particles and reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water available for fish and insects.

Low Head Dams in the Lower Olentangy River

An example of hydromodification that greatly affects the natural flow of the Olentangy is the series of twelve low head dams that cross the river. Many of these dams contain major sewer lines. They prevent the Olentangy from developing the natural riffle and pool sequence needed for good fish and macro invertebrate habitat. Instead they produce a series of pond impoundments, which support lake fish species rather than species found in a healthy river system. These dams also hurt the ability of the Olentangy to assimilate organic wastes from combined sewer overflows, urban runoff and WWTP effluent. Low head dams can also be extremely dangerous, physical hazard to waders, fisherman and boaters, and are an impediment to boating down the river.

Table 31 lists the locations of the lowhead dams on the mainstem of the lower Olentangy River, many of the tributary streams also have dams on them (Figure 6-7).

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Table 30: List of Unsewered Areas in the Olentangy Watershed- Franklin County* Area Township Streets Approx. # Water Status of Dwellings Rosslyn Avenue Sharon Rosslyn Ave. 369 The majority (off High Street, Kanawha Ave. W. (11 aeration has public water north of Morse Islandview Ave. 358 septic). 25 supply; the Road and south of Westview Ave. investigations Western most Rt. 161.) Riverside Dr. in the last 5 Blvd has wells. Milton Ave. years. Emerson Ave. Olentangy Blvd. Greenvale (North Perry Danbury Pl. Majority have side of Rt. 161, east Greenvale Dr. wells. of Sawmill Rd.) Brookdown Dr. Henderson Perry Brynwood Dr. Majority have Heights (north Henderson Heights Rd. wells. side of Charlbury Dr. Henderson Road, Woodview Pl. east of Sawmill Rd.) Mount Air (West Perry Entire Subdivision Public Water side of Rt. 315 at Development Supply the Delaware County Line) Flint & Park (Flint Pocono Rd. Rd. south of Forest Ridge Dr. Lazelle and east of Flint Rd. High Street) Park Rd. Melyers Ct. Berston Pl. Hard Rd. and Part of Gatehouse Ln. Olentangy River Hidden Hollow Drive Rd. just west of Rt. 315. Linworth (spotted St. Rt. 161 areas south of Olentangy River Rd. Wilson Bridge Rd., Shetland Ct. just south of Bethel Curley’s Ct. Rd. west of Rt. Castle Crest Dr. 315). W. Plesenton Dr. S. Samada Ave. Linworth Rd. Sharon Hill Dr. Clover Dr. Shuster Rd. Postlewaite Rd. Data from “Unincorporated Areas of Franklin County Contributing to NPS pollution” and maps provided by Environment Division Water and Wastewater Section, Franklin County Board of Health. * Delaware County information was absent.

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Table 31: Lowhead Dams in the Lower Olentangy Watershed Name of Dam Location Height / Owner Purpose Main Road Dam South of the Delaware Dam Panhandle Road South of Panhandle 4 / Dam Road, Delaware Central Ave. Dam South of Central Ave, 4 / For City of Delaware Delaware beautification Rec & Parks Dept. William Street South of William 4 / For City of Delaware Dam Street, Delaware beautification Rec & Parks Dept. Stratford Dam North of St. Rt. 23 4 / Bridge over River, Stratford St. Rt. 23 Dam North of St. Rt. 23 Eroding away Bridge over River, Stratford St. Rt. 161 Dam Worthington 12 Ft / Public City of Columbus- Wastewater Sewer Treatment Maintenance Broadmeadows Worthington 4 Ft. / Public City of Columbus- Dam Waste Water Sewer Treatment Maintenance North Broadway Clintonville 6 Ft./ Public City of Columbus- Dam Waste Water Sewer Treatment Maintenance Union Cemetery Clintonville 5.9 Ft./ Public City of Columbus- Dam Wastewater Sewer Treatment Maintenance Dodridge Street Columbus 6.6 Ft. / Waste City of Columbus- Dam Retention Division of (Sanitary Sewerage and Sewer Drainage Crossing) Fifth Ave Dam OSU Campus, 8 Ft. / Water City of Columbus- Columbus Supply Division of Sewerage and Drainage

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7. Water Quality in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed

In the summer of 1999, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Division of Surface Water carried out a detailed biological and water quality study of the Lower Olentangy River and select tributaries in Delaware and Franklin counties. The results of this study were officially released to the public as a report in July 2001 (Ohio EPA, 2001). The Ohio EPA, as part of its compliance with the federal Clean Water Act, has established its own system of water quality standards. Ohio EPA uses multiple chemical, physical, and biological measures to assess the health and integrity of Ohio’s surface water resources, following a rotating five- year basin-monitoring schedule. Ohio is one of only a few states that uses biological criteria, primarily measures of the health and diversity of fish and macro-invertebrates in these streams, as indicators of water quality.

Ohio EPA’s 1999 study included water quality chemical, sediment, and biological sampling carried out in the Lower Olentangy River watershed from June to October 1999. Flow conditions in the river at this time were low due to a prolonged drought period. The study area included the 32-mile stretch of the river from just downstream of the Delaware Dam to the river’s confluence with the Scioto River in the city of Columbus plus sites on nine tributary streams. The objectives of the Ohio EPA study were to:

1) Monitor and assess the chemical, physical, and biological health of the Olentangy River mainstem and associated tributary streams in 1999.

2) Characterize the consequences of various land uses on water quality in the Olentangy River watershed.

3) Evaluate the influences of the Delaware and Olentangy Environmental Control Center wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) on the river’s water quality and biological integrity.

4) Evaluate the potential impacts from spills, non-point sources of pollution (NPS), and habitat alterations on the receiving streams in the watershed.

5) Determine the attainment status of the current Warm-Water Habitat, Exceptional Warm-Water Habitat, and Modified Warm-Water Habitat aquatic life uses and other non-aquatic use designations for the studied portion of the Olentangy watershed and recommend changes if deemed necessary.

Definitions and the Basis for Evaluating Water Quality in Ohio Surface Waters

Use Attainment

Use attainment is another way of describing whether or not a stream is meeting Ohio’s water quality standards. Ohio EPA has assigned a use designation -- or a specific set of

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-76 Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed March 2002 / edited 2003 water quality standards -- to most major streams and rivers throughout the state by dividing each stream into segments and assigning each segment a specific use designation. Use attainment can be expressed in degrees (Table 32). While some streams may be meeting all of the water quality standards associated with its designation (Full Attainment), others may only be meeting some (Partial Attainment), and still others yet may not be meeting any (Non-Attainment).

Water Quality Standards

Many different sources and types of pollution constantly threaten surface water quality in Ohio. Under the federal Clean Water Act, Ohio must adopt water quality standards to protect, maintain, and improve the quality of the state’s surface waters such that they will achieve the goal of being “swimmable/fishable” waters. Ohio’s water quality standards include three major components: 1) beneficial use designations; 2) narrative “free froms”; and 3) numeric criteria for chemicals and aquatic life (fish and macro-invertebrates).

Beneficial Use Designations describe existing or potential uses of the water resource. They take into account the use and value of the waterway for Public Water Supplies (PWS), for protection and propagation of aquatic life (Aquatic Life Use), for recreation in and on the water (Recreational Use), for Agricultural Use (AWS) and for Industrial Uses (IWS). The Olentangy River throughout its lower reaches in Delaware and Franklin County is classified by Ohio EPA (Ohio EPA. 2001, Table 2) as being suitable for agricultural and industrial uses (AWS, IWS), as a public water supply (PWS in Liberty Township and at its confluence with the Scioto River), and as being suitable for “primary contact recreation” (PCR, e.g. full body contact =swimming, wading, canoeing, etc.). (See Appendix D.6).

Narrative “Free Froms” are general water quality criteria that apply to all Ohio surface waters. These state that all waters shall be “free from” sludge, floating debris, oil and scum, color- and odor-producing materials, toxic substances that are harmful to human and aquatic life, and nutrients in concentrations that may cause algal blooms.

Numeric Criteria are estimations of the concentrations of chemicals and the degree of aquatic life toxicity allowable in a waterbody without adversely impacting its beneficial uses. These are used primarily to regulate entities that discharge waste waters to the waters of the state through National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting.

These criteria include chemical criteria, which are concentration levels for a variety of individual chemicals (usually measured in micrograms/liter [ug/L] or parts per billion [ppb]) derived from laboratory studies of the sensitivity of aquatic organisms to specific chemicals or groups of chemicals. These are listed by Ohio EPA as Aquatic Life and Human Health Water Quality Criteria and are contained in Chapter 3745-1 of the Ohio Administrative Code. Currently, separate tables are used for the Lake Erie and the Ohio River drainage basins. The Olentangy River is part of the Ohio River drainage basin.

Biological criteria are based on aquatic community characteristics that are measured structurally and functionally. Communities are closely associated, interconnected populations of animals and plants living in a particular environment or habitat. These criteria

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are especially important here in Ohio as they form the basis for the evaluation of the attainment of Aquatic Life Use Designations. The data collected in these assessments (e.g. the 1999 study of the Lower Olentangy River) are used to characterize aquatic life impairment and to help diagnose the cause(s) of this impairment. These biological measurements in Ohio consist of three “indices” of aquatic life use attainment: the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), the Modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb), and the Invertebrate Community Index (ICI). The IBI and the MIWB apply to fish; the ICI applies to macro-invertebrates.

Index of Biological Integrity (IBI): is a measure of fish species diversity and species populations. The criteria used to establish the index for each of the five ecoregions in Ohio reflect the biological performance exhibited by natural or least-impacted habitats of each region based on specific reference sites. [ The Olentangy River flows through the Eastern Cornbelt Plains Ecoregion (ECPE) and uses the reference sites sampled in this region as the measure to assign Aquatic Life Use Designations] The index is a number that reflects total native fish composition, indicator species composition, pollution-intolerant and tolerant species composition, and fish physical condition. Combined, the higher the calculated index, the healthier the aquatic ecosystem. Conversely, the lower the index, the poorer the health of the ecosystem. The highest score is 60.

Modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb): is based on the index of well being which is a calculation of fish biomass and density. The Modified Index of Well Being factors out 13 pollution tolerant fish species from the calculation. This prevents false high readings in polluted streams, which might have large populations of pollution-tolerant fish. A score of 10 or above is considered to be excellent.

Invertebrate Community Index (ICI): is based on measurements of the macro- invertebrate communities living in a stream or river. Macro-invertebrates are aquatic animals that lack a backbone and are easily visible with unaided eye. They include mollusks such as snails and mussels, worms, crustacean arthropods such as water fleas and sowbugs, and a variety of insect larvae or immature nymphs. The ICI is particularly useful in evaluating stream health because: 1) there are a wide variety of macro-invertebrates which are known to be pollution intolerant; and 2) there are a number of macro-invertebrates which are known to be pollution tolerant. Like the IBI, the ICI scale is from 0 to 60 with the higher scores representing the healthier macro-invertebrate communities and therefore a higher water quality stream.

Aquatic Life Use Designations

Aquatic Life Use Designations are based on the three biological indices listed above. These indices measure the populations and diversity of fish and invertebrates living in the stream. For each of the aquatic use designations, the criteria for each index are different. For each of the five ecoregions in Ohio, there are reference sections that have established the minimum index scores that define the Aquatic Life Use Designation for each stream or segment of a stream in that ecoregion.

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Exceptional Warm-Water Habitat (EWH): is the most biological productive environment. These waters support “unusual and exceptional” assemblages of aquatic organisms, and are characterized by a high diversity of species, particularly those that are highly pollution-intolerant and/or rare, endangered, threatened, or of special status. These constitute Ohio’s best water resources and have more stringent standards for ammonia and dissolved oxygen that other use designations.

Warmwater Habitat (WWH): defines the “typical” warmwater assemblage of aquatic organisms for Ohio rivers and streams. It is the principal restoration target for the majority of water resource management efforts in Ohio. Criteria vary by ecoregion and site type.

Modified Warmwater Habitat (MWH): applies to streams with extensive and irretrievable physical habitat modifications. The biological criteria for warmwater habitat are not attainable. The activities contributing to the modified warmwater habitat have been sanctioned or permitted by state or federal law. Included are streams affected by acid mine run-off, streams that have been heavily channelized, and streams that are impounded by dams. The representative aquatic biotas are generally composed of species tolerant of low dissolved oxygen, silt, nutrient enrichment, and poor habitat quality.

The minimum scores for the three biological indices that define the various Aquatic Life Use Designations in the Eastern Cornbelt Plains Ecoregion are listed in Table 33.

Measures of Physical Stream Habitat

Besides the use of chemical and biological criteria to assess water quality in Ohio’s rivers and streams, Ohio EPA also has devised a measurement evaluating the condition and type of physical habitat characteristic of a particular stream segment. Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water staff has demonstrated that habitat plays a major role in the occurrence and maintenance of viable populations of both fish and macro-invertebrates with habitat conditions largely being dependent upon local geography and the nature and extent of man- made modifications of the aquatic environment (Rankin, 1995). The latter include obvious features such a hydromodification of the stream, including dams, straightening of stream channels, and culvertization as well more subtle impacts such as sedimentation and substrate embeddness, the nature of stream substrates, bank stability, and the nature and condition of adjacent riparian areas.

This measurement, termed the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), is a numerical index based on visual estimates of stream habitat features. These include substrate quality, in-stream cover, channel morphology, riparian zone and bank quality, pool and riffle quality, and stream gradient. As with the IBI and ICI, the higher the total index score, the better the quality of the habitat along the studied stretch of the stream or river. High quality sections of rivers and streams in Ohio typically have QHEI scores in excess of 75. Streams with QHEI scores less than 45 generally cannot sustain a warm-water biota consistent with Warm-Water Habitat biological criteria.

Another important tool in measuring health of a stream is to look at stream morphology- the stability of the stream channel. In a healthy system a stream has access to its floodplain. No

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stream morphology data has been obtained on the Olentangy River or its tributary streams to date. This data will need collected in the future and should be an action item in the Action Plan. What we do know is that along the mainstem of the River the banks are flanked with earthen dams a.k.a levees, so most of the River does not have access to its floodplain.

Measures of Chemical Water Quality:

Chemical water quality of a stream includes critical parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO) and nutrient levels (ammonia, nitrate, and phosphorus), as well as measured levels of potentially toxic substances, including organic compounds, pesticides, and heavy metals. Also included in this category are concentrations of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria detected in stream surface waters.

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Figure 7-1: Ohio EPA 1999 Lower Olentangy River Sampling Site Attainment Map

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The 2002 Ohio EPA Integrated Report lists the following causes and sources of water quality impairments in the Lower Olentangy Watershed: Causes- unknown, unknown toxicity, pesticides (banned), priority organics, metals, other inorganics, nutrients, organic enrichment / DO, flow alteration, other habitat alterations.

Sources- municipal point sources, nonirrigated crop production, urban runoff / storm sewers, channelization-development, spills, contaminated sediments, natural.

Summary of Specific Causes / Sources of Impairments organized by 14-Digit Sub-Watershed (summarizing the not-meeting (red dots) and partially meeting (yellow dots) from the sampling sites map- Figure 7-1) for the Lower Olentangy Watershed.

14 Digit Watershed: 05060001120010 Delaware Run (1.2 Limestone Park , 0.2 Henry Street) not meeting WWH due to phosphorus, bacteria, contaminated sediments, fair fish and poor macro scores because of urban runoff, habitat modification, sewage.

14 Digit Watershed: 05060001120020 Olentangy River at river mile 19.6/19.4 Hyatts Rd partially meeting EWH due to multiple stressors (Delaware WWTP, urban runoff, development)

14 Digit Watershed: 05060001120030 Bartholomew Run (1.0 Bennett Rd) not meeting WWH due to bacteria and suspended solids which are indicative of impacts from soil disturbing development and to fair habitat and macro scores because of development (flashy flows and bank erosion).

14 Digit Watershed: 05060001120040 Rush Run (0.4 / 0.3 Walnut Grove Cemetery) not meeting WWH due to exceedences of bacteria standards, nutrient enrichment, contaminated sediments and poor habitat, fish and fair macro scores from channel modifications and the impervious landscape.

Bill Moose (0.3 /0.2 Kenny Park) not meeting WWH due to bacteria and fair fish and macro scores due to SSOs and urbanized landscape.

Linworth Run (0.9 Linworth Rd) not meeting WWH due to bacteria and phosphorus exceedences, poor fish scores, fair macro scores and marginal habitat because of urbanized landscape and runoff.

Kempton Run (0.9 Linworth Rd) not meeting WWH due to bacteria, phosphorus, nitrogen exceedences; poor fish scores and marginal habitat because of urbanized landscape and runoff.

14 Digit Watershed: 05060001120050 Olentangy River at river mile 4.0 /3.9 Dodridge Rd partially meeting WWH due to urbanized character of the watershed, altered habitat (downstream of a dam) resulting in insufficient flow.

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Adena Brook (1.0 Overbrook Driver and 0.1 Whetstone Park) not meeting WWH due to exceedences of bacteria standards (SSO) and dissolved oxygen standards (urbanized landscape & spills)

Turkey Run (0.7 Shattuck Ave) not meeting WWH due to exceedences of bacteria standards, contaminated sediments, poor fish and macro scores due to excessive nutrients and toxicity associated with urban runoff and septic discharges in addition to altered flow patterns (dam at OSU golf course).

14 Digit Watershed: 05060001120060 Olentangy River at river mile 2.0 Ust. 5th Ave Dam not meeting MWH due to impoundment, silty/mucky substrate, CSO/SSO discharges and contaminated sediment.

Olentangy River at river mile 1.9/1.8 Dst. 5th Ave Dam partially meeting MWH due to artificial substrates

Olentangy River at river mile 0.6/0.7 Railroad Bridge partially meeting WWH due to slow current, limited habitat and urban impacts.

Olentangy River at river mile 0.2/0.3 Near Mouth non meeting MWH due to impoundment on the Scioto, silty/mucky substrate, CSO/SSO discharges and contaminated sediment.

Summary Results of 1999 Ohio EPA Olentangy River Study

Mainstem of the Lower Olentangy River

With regard to the chemical water quality of the mainstem of the river, Ohio EPA, based on its 1999 field study, judged the Lower Olentangy River to have generally good water quality (Ohio EPA, 2001). The only violations of Ohio Water Quality Standards consisted of excessive bacteria counts (above the Primary Contact Recreation criterion) from the river below the Delaware WWTP in the city of Delaware (RM 24.5) and in the lower reaches of the river within the Columbus city limits, including RM 5.5 adjacent to the east North Broadway bridge, RM 4.0 below the Dodridge Street dam, and at RM 0.6 below the Third Avenue bridge and above the river’s confluence with the Scioto (Figure 7-2). Ohio EPA inferred these violations resulted from storm water runoff and contributions from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and faulty sanitary sewer lines concentrated in these urban areas (Ohio EPA, 2001). Additional violations included exceedences of Aquatic Life Criteria for the pesticides Lindane and Dieldrin in the upper part of the Lower Olentangy River at RM 22.3 (U.S. Rt. 23 bridge).

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Dissolved Oxygen and Nutrient Enrichment

Mean dissolved oxygen levels were above 6 mg/L (ppm) all along the entire stretch of the river studied by Ohio EPA in 1999 with DO levels ranging from 6.1 to 9.0 mg/L. The Aquatic Life Standard for DO in Ohio surface waters is 4.0 mg/L. DO levels in the mainstem are in the good to exceptional range over the length of the river studied.

Nutrient levels in the mainstem of the Lower Olentangy River show elevated ammonia levels at the most upstream sites just below the Delaware Dam, but very low levels in the

remainder of the river to the confluence. Ammonia (NH4) is highly toxic to aquatic life and elevated levels just downstream of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were a major factor impacting biotas in the river in the past (Ohio EPA, 2001, Table 23). Nitrate and phosphorus levels in the mainstem show an inverse distribution compared to the ammonia, being low in the upstream localities and increasing significantly downstream of the city of Delaware below the Delaware city WWTP (Figure 6-3). Nitrate and phosphorus levels below the Delaware WWTP exceed proposed statewide criteria for these nutrients, both for Exceptional Warmwater Habitats (EWH) and for Warmwater Habitats (WWH) (Figure 6-4). However, with the exception of downstream portions of the river within modified stream segments (behind lowhead dams), designated aquatic life uses were typically fully attained (see Tables 33, 34). Ohio EPA (2001) has indicated that elevated nutrient levels and exceptional aquatic communities can co-exist if beneficial habitat and land use practices are present. As a result, biotas in flowing portions of the river remain viable and diverse in spite of this nutrient enrichment.

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Figure 7-2: E. coli and Fecal Coliform Trends in the Mainstem. Source Ohio EPA, Technical Support Document 1999. “Longitudinal mean concentrations of fecal coliform and E. coli from the Olentangy River, 1999.”

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Figure 7-3: Ammonia, Nitrate, Phosphorus, and Dissolved Oxygen in Mainstem. Source (Ohio EPA 1999) “Longitudinal trend of mean concentrations of ammonia, nitrate and nitrite, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen.”

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Figure 7-4: Nitrate and Phosphorus Concentrations in Mainstem Source (Ohio EPA 1999): “Nitrate and phosphorus concentrations versus river mile for the Olentangy River, June to October, 1999. Boxes enclose the 25 th and the 75 th percentiles, outliers deviate more then two times the interquartile range from the median. Proposed criteria values are included for reference purposes and do not reflect violation of current water quality standards.”

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Sediment

Ohio EPA sampled sediments as well as water in the mainstem of the river in 1999. Sediments are often “sinks” for a variety of toxic chemicals that are often short-lived in the water column but persistent in bottom sediments. Especially persistent in sediments are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some pesticides (such as DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and some heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, lead). The PCBs and pesticides such as DDT are not only persistent in sediments, but can also bioaccumulate in tissues up the food chain, potentially leading to body burdens of these chemicals in top-of-the-line predators like sport fish. Standards for aquatic and human exposures with regard to toxics in sediments are not well established. Ohio EPA has used guidelines established by the province of Ontario which establish a “Severe Effect Level” (SEL) for each chemical that indicates the level at which the chemical can be expected to have severe effects on bottom- dwelling organisms (Ohio EPA, 2001, p. 55). Any chemical concentrations above the SEL guidelines are considered to be highly contaminated and likely to have significant adverse effects on measured ICI values.

Contaminated sediments were concentrated in urban portions of the river in Delaware and Columbus. The last couple of miles of the river upstream of its confluence in Columbus were the most severely impacted, having excessive levels of both heavy metals and organic compounds.

Ohio EPA detected a metals spike in river sediments at RM 22.3 at the U.S. Rt. 23 Bridge with highly elevated levels of aluminum, barium, and chromium (Table 33). Ohio EPA speculated that possibly these high levels of metals might be the result of leachate derived from a former General Castings foundry sand disposal site upstream of the sample site. Curiously, these high metals levels in the sediment appear to have had no effect on benthic biotas in the areas as ICI scores for this locality were in the excellent range at 50.

High to extremely high metals levels (aluminum, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc) and the PAHs fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene, plus lower levels of PCBs were detected in river sediments in the lower two miles of the river in Columbus (Table 35). Ohio EPA suggested that these contaminants in the sediments along this stretch of the river were likely to be the result of a combination of factors, including run-off from city streets and highways, the former Gowdy Landfill near Goodale, and discharges from storm and sanitary sewer lines. Unlike the U.S. Rt. 23 bridge locality, ICI scores for this section of the river were poor to very poor (Table 36). It is difficult to determine if this was the result of the toxics in the sediments or other effect of other human impacts on stream habitat along this stretch of the river. However, Ohio EPA gave QHEI scores of 61.5 and 65.5 for this stretch of the river, scores indicating a habitat that supported reasonably good bottom biotas elsewhere in the river (Table 36).

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Olentangy Tributary Streams

In contrast to the good to excellent chemical water quality documented for most of the Lower Olentangy River mainstem, the chemical water quality of many or most of the sampled tributary streams in Delaware and Franklin counties was judged to be only fair or poor (Ohio EPA, 2001). The most frequent exceedences of Ohio Water Quality Standards in these streams were for fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria, symptomatic of sewage releases, commonly from CSOs and SSOs. Poor water quality in these streams may also have been exacerbated by drought conditions that existed during the 1999 Ohio EPA field season. These drought conditions led to reduced or non-existent stream flow in these ephemeral waterways, possibly concentrating bacteria and nutrients in isolated stretches of the stream that still retained pooled water.

Highly elevated levels of E. coli bacteria exceeding both Primary and Secondary Contact Recreation criterion (>575/100 mL) were found in all of the sampled tributaries (Table 37). Bacterial counts ranged from 570 to 6,800/100 mL. The highest levels of both E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria were detected near the mouth of Turkey Run [6,800 and 59,000 colonies/100 mL, respectively] in Columbus downstream of the OSU golf course.

Dissolved Oxygen and Nutrient Enrichment

DO levels below the minimum standards for Warm-Water Habitats were detected in Horseshoe Run in Delaware County (3.9 mg/L) and in Adena Brook in Clintonville, Franklin County (2.9-3.6 mg/L). Ohio EPA’s proposed statewide criteria for nitrates and phosphorus in WWH stream [Nitrates = 1.0 mg/L; Phosphorus = 0.08 mg/L) were exceeded in most of the tributaries sampled (Table 38). The pesticide Dieldrin was detected in Turkey Run surface water at concentrations exceeding the Ohio EPA Aquatic Life Criteria for this chemical.

Sediments

Elevated levels of heavy metals were detected in sediments of several tributaries. In particular, high concentrations of aluminum, barium, and cadmium were detected in sediments in Rush Run in Worthington and cadmium and zinc in sediments in Adena Brook in Clintonville (Table 39).

Pollution Spills And Fish Kills

Ohio EPA recorded 11 unpermitted releases of toxic or oxygen-demanding substances that occurred in 1999 in the Olentangy River study area. Additional releases since that time include: • A spill of 4,500 gallons of vinegar from the Marzetti facility into storm sewers leading to Adena Brook in January 15, 2001.

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• A May 12, 2000 release of 300 tons of alum sludge from a City of Columbus pipeline break near Bethel Road, impacting an unnamed tributary stream and a roughly ¼ to ½ mile stretch of the mainstem of the river across from Kenny Park at Graceland. • A May 15, 2001 release of 50 gallons of diesel fuel from an overturned dump truck into the Olentangy River mainstem at the Powell Road Bridge just upstream of High Banks Metro Park. • A September 20, 2001 release of waste oil to the river below the Third Avenue Bridge via a storm drain linking the river to the Timken Company facility to the east off of Cleveland Avenue.

These spills represented potential acute threats to water quality and to the aquatic and terrestrial life that lives in or along these portions of the river and its tributaries.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) reported six fish kills in the Lower Olentangy River watershed between 1990 and 1999. As can be seen from Table 40, two of these occurred in the Olentangy River mainstem in Delaware County, two occurred in Adena Brook, and two occurred in Turkey Run, with both of the latter two within the Columbus city limits. Fish killed in the two tributary streams were dominated by pollution- tolerant species that make up the bulk of the fish biota in these streams.

Stream Habitat Quality in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed

Lower Olentangy River Mainstem

Ohio EPA evaluated stream habitat [QHEI] at all stations studied along the mainstem of the Lower Olentangy River from the Delaware Dam to the river’s confluence with the Scioto River in Columbus. These stretches of the river scored above the Warm-Water Habitat threshold [QHEI = 60] at all sites in Delaware County and at most sites in the northern portion of Franklin County above RM 5.0 (Figure 6-5/Fig. 14 OEPA 2001). The highest habitat scores [QHEI > 75] were obtained at RM 27.9 at Hudson Road, upstream of the Delaware water plant and at RM 19.4 adjacent to the Hyatts Road Bridge along the Scenic River portion of the river, both in Delaware County (Table 34). Habitat quality declines [QHEI < 60] in downstream portions of the river within the Columbus city limits. Some stretches of the river in this area are classified as “Modified Warm-Water Habitats” mainly due to the impacts of low-head dams and local channelization of the river. The lowest habitat score [QHEI = 29] occurred at RM 2.0, immediately upstream of the 5th Avenue dam and adjacent to the OSU campus (Table 34). This stretch of the river has been slowed, straightened, broadened, and deepened, taking on the appearance of a stagnant, mud-bottom pond or lake rather than a free-flowing river.

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Figure 7-5: IBI, Miwb, and QHEI Scores Longitudinally in the Mainstem Source Ohio EPA 1999: “Longitudinal performance of the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). Modified Index of well-being (MIwb),and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index(QHEI) for the lower Olentangy River, 1999. Solid lines represent the prescribed biocriteria and area of nonsignificant departure supporting the various aquatic life use designations.”

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Lower Olentangy River Tributaries

Olentangy River tributary streams studied by Ohio EPA in 1999 had highly variable habitat scores. Habitat quality at or just above the WWH minimum [QHEI = 60] was recorded for Horseshoe Run, the upper reaches of Delaware Run, the Lewis Center tributary, all in Delaware County, and for Bill Moose Run in Franklin County (Table 36). All of these streams had unmodified or recovered channels, pool depths > 40 cm, and abundant coarse- grained bottom sediments. All except Horseshoe Run were perennial with stream flow all year round.

Habitat quality was more marginal [QHEI just below 60] for Kempton Run, Linworth Run, and the lower part of Adena Brook, all in Franklin County (Table 36). Kempton Run has a very small drainage area and lacks a diversity of in-stream features. Linworth Run and the lower stretch of Adena Brook during the 1999 field summer season were bone dry without even subsurface interstitial flow and were surrounded by an impervious urbanized landscape.

Habitat quality was judged to be poor [QHEI < 50] for studied portions near the mouth of Delaware Run in the city of Delaware [QHEI = 40], along the studied portion of Rush Run [QHEI = 48.5] in Worthington, and in the upper reaches of Adena Brook in Columbus [QHEI =43.5]. These studied stream courses were negatively impacted by significant hydromodifications (i.e. channelization) and by their surrounding impervious urban landscapes.

Biological Water Quality in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed

As indicated above, Ohio EPA uses biological criteria as a critical indicator of the water quality of Ohio’s rivers and streams. These include measures of fish diversity, abundance, and health -- Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) and the Modified Index of Well Being (MIwb); plus a measure of the diversity and abundance of pollution-sensitive, bottom- dwelling macroinvertebrates (Invertebrate Community Index/ ICI). Fish and invertebrates were sampled and collected from 17 locations along the Lower Olentangy River mainstem and 12 samples were collected from 10 Olentangy tributary streams. These measures were used to evaluate the level of aquatic use attainment for these stretches of the river (Tables 34 to 36, Figure 7-5).

Delaware County River Mainstem

The mainstem of the Olentangy River from just below the Delaware Dam at Main Road (RM 32) to the U.S. Rt. 23 Bridge south of Delaware (RM 22) is classified by Ohio EPA as a Warm-Water Habitat (WWH). Based on collections made during the 1999 Ohio EPA field study, IBI, MIwb, and ICI scores all indicated that this stretch of the river is in full attainment of its Aquatic Life Use designation (Table 34).

The “Scenic River” portion of the mainstem in Delaware County, from the Hyatt Road bridge (RM 20) to just above the I-270 Bridge is classified by Ohio EPA as an Exceptional

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Warm Water Habitat (EWH). Two out of three locations studied by Ohio EPA in 1999, the river at the Powell Road Bridge (RM 15) and just above Mt. Air (RM 12.6), were in full attainment of their EWH designation. The Hyatt Road bridge location (RM 19.5) was only in partial attainment of the EWH designation due to slightly subpar fish scores below the EWH minimum. The departure from full attainment of the EWH designation was of a minor nature with the collected fish assemblage judged to be good to very good with a slightly lower number of fish species compared to the other sampled stretches, especially in terms of pollution-sensitive round-bodied suckers and bottom-dwellers including darters, madtoms, and the Northern Hogsucker. Possible causes for this slight decrease in diversity cited by Ohio EPA (2001) included residual effects of effluents from the Delaware WWTP, increased urbanization and suburbanization of upstream portions of the river and its attendant increases in stormwater runoff and sedimentation, plus possibly the effects of the low flow in mainstem due to drought conditions for much of the 1999 field season.

Franklin County River Mainstem

The effects of increasing urbanization along this stretch of the river are evident in the declining index scores and the lack of attainment of aquatic life use designations as you go downstream into the city of Columbus. Ohio EPA did not sample stretches of the Olentangy River in northernmost Franklin County in the Worthington area in 1999. The northernmost locality fully sampled by Ohio EPA was the stretch of the river at Kenny Park, just west of the Graceland Shopping Center, between Worthington and Clintonville.

The stretch of the river in Clintonville between Kenny Park and Whetstone Park (RM 7.7 to RM 6.8), upstream of the North Broadway Bridge, is given a Warm-Water Habitat aquatic use designation by Ohio EPA and was deemed to be in Full Attainment of this classification based on the 1999 field studies. IBI, MIWB, and ICI scores were at or very close to exceptional levels for both of these sites (Table 35). Ohio EPA staff (2001, p. 67) stated that these scores “exceeded ecoregion expectations and were in the range of non-significant departure from Exceptional Warm-water Habitat use criteria.” Specimens of the state- threatened “Bluebreast Darter” were collected from this stretch of the river.

In contrast, just downstream of Whetstone Park and upstream of the North Broadway Bridge at RM 5.5, the river is classified as a Modified Warm-water Habitat. This is due to the some channelization of the river and the ponding effects of a lowhead dam downstream of the North Broadway Bridge. Ohio EPA determined that this stretch of the river was in Full Attainment of its MWH usage designation. Fish scores (IBI =40; MIwb=8.4) were good and just above the minimum level for Warm-water Habitats. The ICI score (= 22), however, was poor, right at the minimum score for MWH, reflecting poor in-stream habitat (QHEI = 44) and the deeper, low-energy silt and muck bottom in this section of the river (Table 35).

Downstream of the Dodridge Road lowhead dam (RM 4.0), the river has a WWH Use designation. At this locality, there is only Partial Attainment of this designation. IBI and MIwb fish scores were in the very good to excellent range but the ICI score (=26) was significantly below the ICI minimum for WWH (ICI=36). Ohio EPA linked the poor ICI score to the increasingly urban nature of the watershed and poor in-stream habitat with the

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only shallow areas with good flow being the artificial riprap boulders below the lowhead dam.

At RM 2.0, upstream of the 5th Avenue dam, fish scores were in the good range (39/8.7) but again; the bottom community was greatly impaired (ICI=12). Although this section of the river was given the lesser Modified Warm-Water Habitat designation, it failed to score high enough to meet even this use classification. The river in this area is highly modified, dammed, straightened and channeled, and converted to a stagnant pond adjacent to the OSU campus rather than a free-flowing stream. The impounded, deepening of the river; the effects of CSO/SSO discharges to the river, plus the reduced flow and low-energy bottom conditions again caused this section of the river to be in Non-Attainment of its use designation.

Downstream of the 5th Avenue dam (RM 1.9), the river develops better in-stream habitat with a QHEI score of 65.5 and a WWH designation from Ohio EPA. Although fish scores are very good to exceptional (ICI=42; MIwb=9.7), the river here is only in Partial Attainment of its use designation as the result of an ICI score (=20) significantly below WWH minimum (ICI=36). Bottom biotas are dominated by pollution-tolerant midges and aquatic worms leading Ohio EPA to suggest that the impairment along this stretch of the river was likely due to effects from upstream CSO/SSO outflows and the heavily-urbanized nature of the surrounding land areas.

Downstream portions of the river to its confluence with the Scioto (RM 0.6 to RM 0.2) are designated as WWH by Ohio EPA. The river at the sampled sites, however, was only in Partial or in Non- Attainment of its aquatic use designation at these two sites, respectively. Fish scores were in the good range (IBI = 35/40; MIwb=8.9/9.7) but again; ICI scores were significantly below the WWH minimum (28/12 compared to 36). Ohio EPA attributed the lack of attainment along this stretch of the river to be result of the low current flow, limited in-stream habitat, and silty-muck bottoms typical of this section of the river. The dominance of pollution-tolerant midges and worms and the low numbers of pollution-intolerant EPT taxa again indicate the adverse impacts of sewer and storm-water run-off and possibly discharge of oxygen poor groundwater from the defunct A.C. Humko plant along this heavily urbanized section of the Olentangy River.

While the pollution-intolerant state special interest River Redhorse was collected at RM 0.7, other fish collected along this heavily-urbanized portion of the river show a dramatic increase in “DELT” anomalies, deformities, eroded fins, lesions, and tumors (Figure 7-6). Ohio EPA associates the increased presence of these DELTs in fish to increased levels of sub-lethal stress. As indicated in Figure 6-6, the incidence of these anomalies in fish from the Olentangy River shows a longitudinal increase with the highest numbers recorded for fish from the lower-most stations closest to the river’s mouth. Again, this reflects the deleterious effects of intensive urbanization, including general urban run-off, CSOs, and SSOs, on water quality and on the aquatic biotas in the river.

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Figure 7-6: Distribution of DELTs in Fish in the Olentangy Mainstem. Source: Biological and Water Quality Study of the Olentangy River and Selected Tributaries, 1999, Delaware and Franklin Counties. Ohio EPA.

Lower Olentangy River Tributaries

The nature of the tributary streams in the Lower Olentangy River watershed (high gradient streams with often ephemeral flows running on impermeable shale bottoms through urban- suburban neighborhoods) causes stressful conditions leading to these streams being home to fish biotas dominated by pollution-tolerant and/or “pioneering” species tolerant of fluctuating marginal water quality conditions. As a result, only one tributary stream, Horseshoe Run in Delaware County, possesses a fish biota consistent with the WWH designation applied by Ohio EPA to these tributary streams. All other Olentangy tributaries studied by Ohio EPA in 1999 failed to support a WWH fish biota with IBI scores evenly split between fair (IBI=30-34) or poor (IBI scores <26).

“Fair” sites included Delaware Run, the Lewis Center tributary, Bill Moose Run, and the lower portion of Adena Brook. Environmentally-sensitive fish species are lacking or rare, with 62% of the collected fish being pollution-tolerant species (Ohio EPA, 2001). All of these streams had perennial flows, even during drought periods like the summer of 1999.

“Poor” fish communities characterized Linworth Run, Kempton Run, Rush Run, Turkey Run, and the upper part of Adena Brook. Fish biotas in these streams had IBI scores that departed significantly from WWH criteria. All stream sites sampled had low diversity faunas with poorly organized fish communities comprised up to 98% by pollution-tolerant species. While several of these streams were ephemeral with intermittent stream flow during summer

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months, Ohio EPA (2001) believed that the numerous non-point pollution sources identified adjacent to these largely urban streams were the most important factors impacting these fish biotas.

Quantitive ICI scores were not used to measure the status of macroinvertebrate biotas in the sampled tributary streams. Instead, a qualitative approach based on sampling and observations of faunas on natural substrates was used. This approach focused on the abundance and diversity of pollution-sensitive “EPT” biotas (mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies) and a calculated median pollution tolerance measure grading the biotas as good, fair, or poor.

The best stream with regard to ICI scores was the Lewis Center Tributary in Delaware County which was classified as being “Good” with a diverse invertebrate fauna of 36 species, dominated by more pollution-tolerant isopods and flatworms, but with nine identified EPT species (Table 36).

Four tributary sample sites, including Bartholomew Run in Delaware County and Linworth Run, Rush Run, and Bill Moose Run in Franklin County, were judged to have “Fair” invertebrate biotas with moderate diversities (15-25 species) dominated by isopods, midge larvae, and net-spinning caddisflies, with lesser number of EPT taxa (< 4 species).

Poor sites with regard to bottom-dwelling invertebrate biotas included Delaware Run in Delaware, and Turkey Run and the upstream site on Adena Brook, both within Columbus in Franklin County. Biotas were of low diversity (< 15 species) with very few (1-3) EPT species, and were dominated by pollution-tolerant forms including black fly larvae, flatworms, midge larvae, and air-breathing snails.

Table 32: Aquatic Life Use Designations and Minimal Biological Index Scores for the Eastern Cornbelt Plains Ecoregion Ohio EPA Aquatic Life Use Index of Modified Index Invertebrate Designations Biological of Well Being Community Integrity (IBI) (MIWB) Index (ICI) Exceptional Warm-Water 50 9.4/9.6 46 Habitat Warm-Water Habitat 40/42 8.3/8.5 36

Modified Warm-Water 24 5.8/6.2 22 Habitat

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Table 33: Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Organic Compounds In Sediments (Parts Per Million) in the Lower Olentangy River Mainstem, (Ohio EPA, 2001) River Location Al Ba Cd Cr Zn PCBs Total Mile PAHs 32 Main Road below 18,300 84.8 0.28 17.4 68.5 Delaware Dam 25 Upstrm Delaware 10,300 75.5 0.27 13.5 65.6 5.78 WWTP 22.3 U.S. Rt. 23 bridge 46,700** 257* 0.38 46.5* 149 19.4 Hyatts Road 18,500 126 0.24 22.4 84.5 25.7 bridge 13.4 OECC WWTP 25,100* 156 0.39 28.9 112 Mixing Zone 12.4 Upstrm of Mt. Air 14,200 115 0.22 20 69.4 at county line 6.8 Henderson Road 20,900 164 0.73 28.6 187 22.3 bridge 2.1 Upstrm 5th Ave. 21,800 133 0.67 28.2 177 165 26.6 Dam at OSU 1.8 Dwnstrm 5th Ave 23,500* 186 0.86 33.2 293* 86.2 549** Dam, Columbus 0.6 Railroad bridge 32,800* 235* 1.31* 46* 292* 315 29.3 dwnstrm 3rd Ave * = Highly elevated ** = Extremely elevated

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Table 34: Biological and Water Quality Data for the Olentangy River Mainstem, Delaware County (Ohio EPA, 2001) Rm Location IBI MIwb ICI QHEI Use Attnmt Comments Design Status 32 Main Road 42 9.4 34 69 WWH Full below dam

25.4 Upstrm city 43 9.8 n/a 66.5 Full WWTP

25.3 Dwnstrm 39 9.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a Acute city WWTP toxicity in 4/99; no evidence of neg. impacts 24.5 Olentangy 42 8.6 40 69 WWH Full Ave. in Delaware 22.3 US RT 23 40 7.9 50 74 WWH Full Except. bridge ICI, metals spike 19.5 Hyatts Road 44 9.0 52 75 EWH Partial Except. ICI bridge & good QHEI 15 Powell Road 53 10.3 50 65 EWH Full Except. bridge Scores all HBMP across 13.4 Mixing zone 26 6.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a Poor fish –dwnstrm scores, no OECC other data, no use/attain- ment data n/a: data not available

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Table 35: Biological and Water Quality Data for the Olentangy River Mainstem, Franklin County (Ohio EPA, 2001) RM Location IBI MIwb ICI QHEI Use Atnmt Comments Design Status 12.6 Upstrm of 50 9.6 44 63.5 EWH Full Except. fish Mt. Air scores +Good ICI

7.7 Kenny Park 48 9.0 42 54.5 WWH Full Urban impact at Graceland on QHEI, good IBI +ICI; E. camurum 6.8 Upstrm of 50 9.7 44 60 WWH Full Except. fish Henderson scores, very Road bridge good ICI

5.5 Upstrm of 40 8.4 22 44 MWH Full Impacted by N. Broadway lowhead dam; bridge very high bacteria 4.0 Dwnstrm of 49 10.1 26 56.5 WWH Partial Good fish Dodridge scores but Road dam poor ICI; high E. coli 2.0 Upstrm of 39 8.7 12 29 MWH Non Urban 5th Ave. impacted Dam at habitat-poor OSU ICI & QHEI campus 1.8 Dwnstrm of 42 9.7 20 65.5 WWH Partial CSO impacts 5th Ave. on ICI, toxics Dam in sediment 0.6 Upstrm of 35 8.9 28 61.5 WWH Partial Urban RR bridge; impacts, hi E. upstrm of coli & metals Long Street spike in sediment 0.2 Upstrm of 38 9.3 12 54.5 WWH Non Fish OK but confluence ICI poor, with Scioto urban River impacts: toxic sediments

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Table 36: Biological and Water Quality Data for Olentangy River Tributaries (Ohio EPA, 2001) RM Location IBI MIwb ICI QHEI Use Atnmt Comments Design. Status 0.3 Horseshoe 38 n/a Fair 63.5 WWH Partial Limited flow, Run, high E. coli; Panhandle DO<4 Rd., DC 1.2/ Delaware 34/ n/a Very 61/40 WWH Non Perennial; high 0.2 Run 30 Poor E. coli; Limestone /Ver chlordane Park/Henry y spike St, DC Poor sediments 0.1 Lewis Ctr. 32 n/a Goo 65.5 WWH Partial Perennial flow Trib., d Orange Twp., DC 1.0 Bartholome n/a n/a Fair n/a WWH Non Perennial flow, w Run, Very high Liberty bacteria levels Twp., DC 0.9 Kempton 22 n/a n/a 54.5 WWH Non Ephemeral Run, flow; Very Linworth, high bacteria FC 0.9 Linworth 26 n/a Fair 53.5 WWH Non Ephemeral Run, flow, high E. Linworth, coli FC 0.4 Rush Run, 28 n/a Fair 48.5 WWH Non Good flow in Worthington drought; very FC high E. coli, metals spike in sediments 0.2 Bill Moose 30 n/a Fair 57 WWH Non Perennial flow, Run at very high Kenny Park, bacteria FC 1.0/ Adena 22/ n/a Very 43.5/ WWH Non Ephemeral 0.1 Brook 32 Poor 54 flow, very high Clintonville. / bacteria, lo FC n/a DO 0.7 Turkey Run 20 n/a Very n/a WWH Non Ephemeral @ Shattuck, Poor flow, very high FC bacteria DC = Delaware County n/a = data not available FC = Franklin County

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Table 37: Chemical Water Quality in Sampled Olentangy River Tributaries (Ohio EPA, 2001) Tributary Dissolved Nitrate Phosphorus E. coli Fecal Oxygen bacteria coliform bacteria Water Quality 4.0 1.5 0.175 575/100 2,000/100 Standards (mg/L) mL mL Horseshoe Run, 3.9 2.15 0.37 685 Delaware Co. Delaware Run at 1.16 0.64 697 Delaware Lewis Center Trib, 2.44 1.35 Orange Twp. Kempton Run, 2.01 0.19 3,100 17,000 Bartholomew Run, 0.98 0.15 809 11,818 Liberty Twp. Linworth Run, 0.26 1,296 Worthington Rush Run, 0.13 1,150 Worthington Bill Moose Run, 0.16 624 10,636 Clintonville Turkey Run, 0.25 6,800 59,000 Arlington Adena Brook, 2.97 2.32 0.16 945 12,500 Clintonville

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Table 38: Chemical Contaminants (Persistent Organics and Metals) in Sediments (Parts Per Million) in Tributary Streams (Ohio EPA, 2001) Tributary Al Ba Cd Cr Zn PCBs PAHs Stream Horseshoe Run 24,800* 166 0.29 22.7 79

Delaware Run 29,700* 185 0.56 34.5 167 56.7

Bartholomew 17,600 105 0.25 22.3 83.6 9.8 Run Linworth Run 5,670 38.2 0.14 14.7 37.2

Rush Run 22,600* 267* 1.32* 29.4 224 85.6

Bill Moose Run 4,110 24.6 0.16 13.6 40 131 29.8 Turkey Run 15,800 155 0.87 26.4 96

Adena Brook 17,600 174 1.90** 34.9 353* 141.6

* = Highly Contaminated ** = Extremely Contaminated

Table 39: Fish Kills in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed, 1990-1999 (Ohio EPA, 2001) Watercourse River Known Date Chemical and Source Mile Number of Fish Killed Olentangy 2.6 10 12/23/92 Unknown chemical whose River source was OSU campus Turkey Run 1.2 142 5/14/93 Fertilizer runoff from an unknown source Adena Brook 0.9 59 7/15/93 Unknown product and source

Turkey Run 1.2 30 7/20/94 Runoff from the extinguishing of a fire Olentangy 26.3 26 9/19/94 Release of chlorinated water River from pool at Mingo Park, city of Delaware Adena Brook 0.4 60 7/05/96 Sewer line break at Whetstone Park

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8. Selected Olentangy River Tributaries

Horseshoe Run

Horseshoe Run enters the Olentangy River at RM 29.74. It drains 13 square miles in Delaware County. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 at RM 0.30. The results are listed in the table below. The effect of nearly every stressor within the basin was likely made more acute by significantly diminished stream flow within the entire catchment (EPA pg. 59). As classified by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, severe to extreme drought conditions were indicated for the period between July and October 1999 (Ohio DNR 1999)

Table 40: Horseshoe Run Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates E.coli- Highly Fish species The Score- Good to exceedence of concentrated found were rich predominant Very Good maximum levels of and consistent species found (63.5) secondary aluminum were with the Warm were alder flies recreation use present in the Water Habitat and midges. A series of criteria (685 / sediments Criteria. pools connected 100 ml) (24,800 ppm). Horseshoe Run Score- Fair by subsurface was the only rating. flow was found, Dissolved The high metal tributary indicating that Oxygen- below concentrations monitored with the catchment is minimum warm could be a result good fish minimally water habitat of leachate from scores. disturbed. DO criteria galvanized metal (3.93 ppm) products.

Nutrient levels There were no were moderately significant levels elevated. of organic contaminants Chemical water found in the quality was sediments. somewhat impaired by low DO, elevated bacterial concentrations, and nutrient enrichment.

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Delaware Run

Delaware Run enters the Olentangy River at RM 25.71. It is 6 miles in length and drains 11 square miles in Delaware County and City. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 at two locations: RM 0.2 and 1.2. The results are listed in the table below. This is a perennial stream (flows all year long). The effect of nearly every stressor within the basin was likely made more acute by significantly diminished stream flow within the entire catchment (EPA pg. 59). As classified by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, severe to extreme drought conditions were indicated for the period between July and October 1999 (Ohio DNR 1999). At some locations along the run, sulfurous groundwater seeps occurred, leaving a whitish precipitate and a rotten egg odor. However, this did not seem to impact the run negatively (Ohio EPA, 1999).

Table 41: Delaware Run Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates E.coli: At RM Significant Score- Fair (for Score- Poor (for Score- 1.20 there was a organic both locations) both locations). RM 0.2- Habitat single contamination RM 1.2 = 34 Deficient (40.0) exceedence of was found in and RM 0.2 = River snails RM 1.2- Good the maximum the sediments: 30 were the (61.0) Secondary Severe predominant Contact contamination species found. Gradient- Recreation with the Could be related RM 1.2: 13.3 criteria (697 / pesticide to the urban Toxicity and / feet per mile. 100 ml). chlordane, nature of the or excessive RM 0.2: 3.70 PAH’s as well as catchment organic feet per mile Nutrients: methoxychlor. (storm runoff, enrichment Phosphorus habitat were impacting Though drought concentrations Metals: Highly modification, the stream. conditions were elevated in elevated levels sewage). existed, there all samples at of aluminum as Odor of sewage was still flow both locations. well as elevated and chlorine present in the levels of was present at channel. chromium, RM 0.2. copper and zinc were also found Potential in the impacts could sediments. be breaks in buried sewer lines and urban runoff.

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Unnamed Lewis Center Tributary

The Lewis Center tributary enters the Olentangy River at RM 18.19. It drains less than 10 square miles in Delaware County. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 at RM 0.10. The results are listed in the table below. This is a perennial stream (flows all year long). The effect of nearly every stressor within the basin was likely made more acute by significantly diminished stream flow within the entire catchment (EPA pg. 59). As classified by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, severe to extreme drought conditions were indicated for the period between July and October 1999 (Ohio DNR 1999)

Table 42: Unnamed Lewis Center Tributary Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates There were no There were no Score- Fair. Score- Good. Score- Very violations of the significant levels Good (65.5) Ohio water of organic or Could be related Isopods and flat quality standard metal to the urban worms were the Gradient- 25 criteria except contaminants nature of the predominant feet per mile. that phosphorus found in the catchment (?) species found. levels were sediments. Though drought elevated. Indicates good conditions water quality. existed, there was still flow present in the channel.

Recommendation- Find the direct source of elevated phosphorous levels, find solutions to the nutrient problems and develop strategies to protect the habitat of the stream, floodplain and riparian corridor. In addition, new development within the sub-watershed should have stringent stormwater standards.

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Bartholomew Run

Bartholomew Run enters the Olentangy River at RM 14.48. It is 1.3 miles in length and drains approximately 4 square miles in Delaware County. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 at Bennett Rd. (RM 1.0 and 0.70). The results are listed in the table below.

Table 43: Bartholomew Run Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates E.coli: Exceedence of Organic Not Score- Fair Relatively good; the maximum contamination: sampled. however Secondary Contact PAHs (above Hydropsychid extensive bank Recreation criteria the lowest effect caddisflies, erosion evident. (650,800,809 / 100 level) isopods were ml) the predominant species found. F.coliform: High exceedence of the Potential maximum Secondary impacts could Contact Recreation be due to the criteria (11,818 / existing and 100ml) future development Nutrients were not a within the basin concern. causing alteration of the Suspended solid flow regime concentrations resulting in bank surpassed the erosion. Flashy median. flows.

Bacteria and suspended solids are indicative of impacts from soil disturbing activities due to development.

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Linworth Run

Linworth Run enters the Olentangy River at RM 9.90 in Franklin County. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 at RM 0.90 (Linworth Rd.) The results are listed in the table below. Water quality in Linworth Run appears threatened (Ohio EPA 1999). As classified by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, severe to extreme drought conditions were indicated for the period between July and October 1999 (Ohio DNR 1999).

Table 44: Linworth Run Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates E.coli: There Metals: least Score- Poor Score- Fair Score- Marginal were two contaminated. 53.5 exceedences of Related to Stenonema the maximum Organic nonpoint source mayflies and Gradient- Secondary contamination: pollution. isopods were 58.82 feet per Contact not present. the predominant mile Recreation species found. criteria (570, Lack of surface 1298 / 100 ml). flow; disconnected Nutrients: pools present. Phosphorus levels exceeded Relatively the 75th and natural channel 90th percentile. present. Urbanized watershed resulted in altered flow regime.

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Rush Run

Rush Run enters the Olentangy River at RM 8.75. It is 1.5 miles in length and drains approximately 2 square miles in Franklin County. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 adjacent to Walnut Grove Cemetery (RM 0.4 and 0.3) The results are listed in the table below. Flow was substantial in this stream even during the drought. As classified by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, severe to extreme drought conditions were indicated for the period between July and October 1999 (Ohio DNR 1999).

Table 45: Rush Run Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates E.coli: High Metals: Highly Score- Poor Score- Fair Score- Low exceedence of elevated levels 48.5 the maximum of copper, Habitat Blackflies and Secondary aluminum, deficient. aquatic worms Gradient- Contact arsenic, barium, were the 55.56 feet per Recreation cadmium and Due to channel predominant mile criteria (1150/ elevated levels modification species found. 100 ml). of chromium and impervious and zinc were landscape. Nutrients were found as well as not found at slightly elevated elevated levels, levels of although the mercury, lead stream exhibited and nickel. signs of nutrient enrichment Organic (algae blooms contamination: and Significant supersaturated concentrations oxygen of chlordane conditions) and PAHs (above the lowest effect level)

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Bill Moose Run

Bill Moose Run flows from the commercial area near Sinclair Road and I-71 through the Woodward Park Elementary School and Park and Recreation Center grounds, through the State Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Wesley Glen and Graceland Shopping Center and into Kenny Park where it meets with the Olentangy River at RM 7.82. Several small tributaries enter the stream near I-71 (flowing from just west of Karl Road) and Rush Avenue. Until a portion of its upstream channel was realigned for construction at I-71 near Sinclair, it maintained a basically natural flow. Bill Moose Run has remained a natural stream for part of its course, meandering through alternating cobbles, shale, concretions, and sandy islands on the Deaf and Blind Schools' properties between Indianola and the Worthington Gardens Apartments. During spring, the area is carpeted with trillium, Virginia Bluebells, Mayapple, and Trout Lilies. On a warm spring evening the steep banks welcome nesting kingfishers and echo the songs of wood thrush and white-throated sparrows. A mature beech-maple forest towers overhead. Deer, groundhog, and raccoon share the wealth. Another important attribute of this stream is that it maintains flow all year (perennial flow). In 1996, the Sharon Heights Community Association formed a Ravine Committee (now the Environment Committee) in response to a number of concerns about this ravine. The committee has made a number of significant strides in protecting and improving their stream. The first was to develop a name for this unique resource. The committee believed that a name could be a powerful means of developing a sense of identity, pride, and heightened personal and community responsibility. Proposed names were solicited from residents, the business community and local schools. Several schools agreed to conduct class projects through which the children would learn about the process and the resource. Six names were submitted. The Environment Committee selected the name Bill Moose Run to honor the man called the "Last of the Wyandots." Bill Moose is known to have been the last of the Wyandot Indians who dwelt in Central Ohio. He was born in 1837 in northwest Ohio and moved to the Columbus area with his family when most of his tribe was displaced to Kansas and later to Oklahoma. He was known to have wandered this area around the Olentangy and Scioto rivers, living off the land. He later lived in a small shack at the corner of Indianola and Morse Roads. Bill Moose is still remembered fondly today by some Clintonville residents, who, as young children, listened to his stories. He died the age 100 in 1937, and attributed his long life to his practice of living close to nature. After the Ohio EPA conducted its study in 1999, Bill Moose Run was designated as a WWH, previously it was undesignated. However, Ohio EPA found that it was not meeting the WWH designation due to exceedences of Secondary Contact Recreational Use criterion for Fecal Coliform and E.coli. This could be due to the Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) at the manhole south of Rathbone & east of Delawanda (Ref #360 City of Columbus Division of Sewerage and Drains). This could also be due to the 369 dwellings that are not hooked into the City’s sewer system in Sharon Township. These include residences along Rosslyn Avenue, Kanawha Ave. W., Islandview Ave, Westview Ave., Riverside Dr, Milton Ave.,

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Emerson Ave and Olentangy Blvd. There have been 25 sewage related investigations in this neighborhood over the last 5 years (Franklin County Health Department).

Sediments in Bill Moose Run were the least contaminated by metals of all the tributaries sampled. However, organic sediment contamination was noticeable. PCB-1254 was found (only in this tributary was it found) at 131 mg/kg (above the lowest effect level) and chlordane and PAHs were also found, but at low levels.

The habitat Bill Moose Run provides ranked good (57.0 QHEI). This is due to minimal hydromodification of the channel, moderate to high sinuosity and low embeddedness of the substrates.

The macroinvertebrates and fish scored low, giving Bill Moose Run a rating of Fair. Though Bill Moose Run is the least impacted by runoff or CSO/SSO discharges of all the tributaries sampled throughout Franklin County, the low diversity of species found indicates the impact of an altered flow regime caused by increase of impervious surfaces.

Data sampled more recently (July 21st and 22nd 2001) by FLOW Hellgrammite monitors, Ellie Nowels and Kathy Reuter using the Leaf Pack experiment kit by LaMotte show this same FAIR rating.

Table 46: Bill Moose Run Monitoring Results Location of Sampling Site Temp; Biotic Index Value = Water Quality Ohio School for the Deaf near Indianola 22 C; 5.6 Biotic Index = Fair Condition Olentangy Village Apts., Blind School 24 C; 5.9 Biotic Index = Fair Condition Border Behind Fenway Condos (end of Fenway 24 C; 6.1 Biotic Index = Fair Condition Blvd)

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Kempton Run

Kempton Run enters the Olentangy River at RM 7.74. It drains 1.5 square miles in Franklin County. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 at RM 0.9 (Linworth Rd.) The results are listed in the table below. This is a perennial stream (flows all year long). As classified by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, severe to extreme drought conditions were indicated for the period between July and October 1999 (Ohio DNR 1999).

Table 47: Kempton Run Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates E.coli: There were Not Score- Poor Not sampled. Score- Marginal two exceedences of sampled. 54.5 the maximum Related to Secondary Contact nonpoint source Gradient- Recreation criteria pollution. 76.92 feet per (775, 3100 / 100 mile ml). Though drought F.Coliform: conditions Extremely high existed, there exceedence of the was still flow maximum present in the Secondary Contact channel and Recreation criteria many positive (17,000 / 100 ml) features.

Nutrients: Lack of diverse Phosphorus levels physical features exceeded the 75th may be due to percentile. its small size & drainage area. Organic nitrogen was also present in concentrations greater than the median.

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Adena Brook

Adena Brook begins behind Brookhaven High School and meanders its way to the Glenmont School and through Whetstone Park (Whetstone Library and the Park of Roses), where it empties into the Olentangy River (RM 6.00)

Adena Brook was once called Big Run (1895). Due to the commonality of the name “Big Run” and local residents’ desire to recognize the historical importance of their creek, the Columbus City Council Members and Franklin County Commissioners passed resolutions to change the name to Adena Brook after the mound-building Indians who lived by the creek as early as 300 B.C. (1954).

In the early 1960’s workmen conducting excavations for new streets unearthed an old Adena burial mound containing two skeletons and the remains of tools at what is now the corner of Yaronia and Wynding Drives.

In the early 1800’s, President John Adams granted John Rathbone 4,000 acres of land in the Adena Brook watershed for services in the Revolutionary War. Congress authorized land grants on June 1, 1796. John Rathbone sold most of it off in parcels.

Adena Brook is an intermittent stream and has been since area residents can remember. However, it used to sustain deep pools where schools of fish survived during periods of dry weather.

Adena Brook is over 2 miles long and has a drainage area of 3.5 square miles. It drops 69 feet per mile. In a study conducted by the Ohio EPA in 1999, the brook was not meeting its water quality standards (WWH) due to exceedences of bacterial standards and low dissolved oxygen levels. This is due to food-grade oil spills, sanitary sewer overflows, and the urbanized landscape of this watershed.

Sanitary Sewer Overflows present in Adena Brook: Manholes at Pauline and Atwood Terrace and Northridge and Atwood Terrace, east of Indianola Ave., discharge occurs when the manhole fills to a certain elevation.

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Table 48: Adena Brook Past Pollution Incident Reports Received by Ohio EPA River Date Fish Kills Source Mile (if any) n/a 03-17-01 T. Marzetti Co.- equalization tanks backed up, washing on property resulting in 5 gallons of salad dressing- Questionable n/a 03-17-01 Unknown- water line leak from housing development north of Cooke Rd. n/a 01-15-01 T. Marzetti Co. 4,500 gallons of vinegar to sanitary sewer which leaked into separate storm sewer n/a 02-15-00 T. Marzetti Co- salad dressing oil spill. 0.9 7-15-93 59 Fish Unknown Killed 0.4 7-05-96 60 Fish Sewer line broke in Whetstone Park Killed n/a 02-96 Midwest Farms/ Chubby Chicken (chicken guts) n/a 05-96 City of Columbus- Sewage n/a 06-96 Unknown- petroleum sheen/odor n/a 06-96 Unknown- bright green discoloration n/a 07-96 City of Columbus- Sewage n/a 08-96 Unknown- orange substance n/a 10-96 City of Columbus-Sewage (sewer pipe vandalized) n/a 11-96 Unknown- white substance n/a 11-96 Unknown- brown/gray substance n/a 12-96 City of Columbus- sewage n/a 04-97 Unknown- orange substance n/a 04-97 City of Columbus- WWTP Lime Sludge n/a 10-97 T. Marzetti Co.- high pH/O&G WW n/a 01-98 Unknown- green/gray discoloration n/a 02-98 Crawfish killUnknown n/a 03-98 City of Columbus- Sewage n/a 03-98 T.Marzetti Co (suspected only)- black discharge n/a 03-98 T. Marzetti Co. – salad dressing n/a 04-98 Unknown- muddy brown discoloration n/a 04-98 Unknown- white goo n/a 05-98 T. Marzetti Co.- brown, high pH/O&G WW n/a 05-98 City of Columbus- fluorescein dye n/a 06-98 T. Marzetti Co.- milky-white wastewater discharge.

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Turkey Run

Turkey Run enters the Olentangy River at RM 5.82. It is 1.5 miles in length and drains 2.4 square miles in Franklin County. The Ohio EPA monitored this tributary in 1999 at Shattuck Avenue (RM 0.7). The results are listed in the table below. When this stream was sampled, it had interstitial flow. The effect of nearly every stressor within the basin was likely made more acute by significantly diminished stream flow within the entire catchment (EPA pg. 59). As classified by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, severe to extreme drought conditions were indicated for the period between July and October 1999 (Ohio DNR 1999).

Table 49: Turkey Run Monitoring Results (Ohio EPA, 2001) Chemistry Sediments Fish Macro- Habitat invertebrates E.coli: Extremely Organic Score- Poor. Score- Poor Score- High high exceedence of contamination: (66.0) the maximum Significant Could be Flatworms, Secondary Contact concentrations related to the blackflies and Gradient- 55.56 Recreation criteria of chlordane diffuse urban aquatic worms feet / mile (6800 / 100 ml). and PAHs nonpoint were the (above the sources of predominant Fecal Coliform: lowest effect pollution. species found. Extremely high level) exceedence of the Potential maximum Metals: Highly impacts could Secondary Contact elevated levels be excessive Recreation criteria of copper and nutrients and (59,000 / 100 ml) elevated levels toxicity of cadmium associated with Dieldrin (pesticide): were found. urban runoff Exceedence of the and SSO Ohio River discharges in drainage basin addition to water quality altered flow criteria for the patterns (dam at protection of OSU golf aquatic life (0.011 course). mg/l)

Nutrient concentrations were noticeable, but not exceptional (potentially the golf course)

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Glen Echo Tributary

The Glen Echo Tributary flows in a ravine from I-71 under the railroad tracks through Glen Echo Park, by residential homes, small-scale retail and two schools. It enters the Olentangy River at RM 4.0 in Franklin County, City of Columbus upstream from the Dodridge Street Dam.

The ravine is home to many birds such as Pileated Woodpeckers, Great Horned Owls, Coopers Hawks, Sharp-Shinned Hawks, and Ringnecked Pheasants as well as many mammals and wildflowers. There is a large wooded area within the Glen Echo Park that provides habitat for many of these creatures.

However, Glen Echo is in horrible condition. It often smells of sewage due to the old failing sewer lines that run under and alongside its bottom. There is litter scattered within the channel despite neighborhood clean up efforts. The water levels rise rapidly after rain events and because of this, the banks of the channel are eroding. Paint has been found in the stream which indicates there may be dumping to area storm drains. It appears that the stream has been dewatered possibly from the sewer line. You can watch water come out of a pipe under the railroad tracks and see it disappear under the stream bottom.

Residents living on or near the Ravine care for it deeply. In fact, they have asked the City of Columbus to develop a comprehensive plan for its preservation as a natural area. Many residents visit the Ravine; this is evident from the amount of walking paths present. There is a path alongside the Calumet Bridge, near the Rax and Big Bear parking lots, and at the Olentangy Village Apartments in addition to the paths at the Glen Echo Park.

There is a citizens group that has formed, Friends of the Ravines; Glen Echo (FORGE).

Plans are underway to repair the sewer line that runs under and along the stream. Contact the City of Columbus c/o Laura Young Mohr 645-2123 for more information.

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Iuka Ravine

The Campus Partners University Neighborhoods Redevelopment Master Plan calls for the “development of an Iuka Ravine Master Plan for conservation, rehabilitation and management of the University District’s most unique resource.”

An intermittent stream courses through Iuka Ravine. Water is present in the stream only after heavy rain events. It runs through the Historic University District, through The Ohio State University, Indianola Middle and Elementary Schools, small scale retail, Iuka Park and Indianola Presbyterian Church.

Iuka Avenue runs through the ravine, providing access to vehicles and pedestrians.

The riparian corridor is good throughout the park, by single and multi-family housing and along area roadways, but more trees may be desired in Iuka Park.

Banks of the stream are eroding due to nearby pavement runoff. The accumulation of litter is present and trashcans are lacking. Graffiti is present on the bridges. A neighborhood clean up of this area may be desired.

The Summit Ave. Bridge and housing throughout the area make this a Columbus Historic District.

No water quality data has been collected to date.

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9. Conclusions

The State of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed in 2001

Based on the information collected for this watershed inventory, the Lower Olentangy River is currently meeting the Clean Water Act goal of being “fishable and swimmable”. It is an important and critical natural resource to an increasing number of Central Ohio residents. Much of the river, especially upstream of the city of Columbus, currently is in full attainment of its use designations as: (1) a public drinking water supply; (2-3) a source of agricultural and industrial waters; (4) primary contact recreational uses, and (5) a diverse and abundant aquatic biota.

Natural stream flow in the Olentangy River and its tributary streams consists of typically low flow conditions punctuated by short-term, high-volume discharge “spikes” resulting from significant rainfall events in the watershed. The periodicity and impacts of flood events in the watershed have been exacerbated by extensive deforestation and by the development of impermeable surface areas associated with urbanization. These alternating extremes in stream flow in the Lower Olentangy River watershed have been muted by the construction of the Delaware Dam for flood-control in 1949. The dam, north of the city of Delaware, controls downstream flow in the river, leveling out this flow by blunting the effects of flood events and insuring minimum flow levels during drought periods to downstream communities who are dependent on the river for their drinking water supplies.

Major “withdrawals” from this portion of the river include the city of Delaware water plant north of the city and the DelCo Water Company water plant in Liberty Township in southern Delaware County. The city of Columbus is also now using downstream portions of the Olentangy River as a back-up water supply for its Dublin Road water plant. Downstream flow is increasingly augmented by “deposits” of treated effluent from the Delaware Wastewater Treatment Plant in Delaware and the Olentangy Environmental Control Center WWTP in southern Delaware County such that as much as two-thirds of the stream flow in the lower stretches of the river today is treated wastewater. These discharges will likely increase in the future as explosive population growth and development continues in this portion of the watershed -- the fastest growing area in the state.

Physiographically, geologically, and culturally, the Lower Olentangy River watershed can be divided into two distinct rivers. The upper “State Scenic River” portion of the river currently retains much of its original natural beauty, running in a narrow gorge incised into steep shale bedrock cliffs as its moves south across rural and low-density suburban portions of southern Delaware County. In contrast, the lower “Urban River” in Franklin County flows through a broader valley impacted by significant hydromodifications of the river and its floodplain. These include numerous low-head dams and a locally deepened and straightened channel, as well as the encroachment of dense urban development onto the river’s flood plain.

The Olentangy River and what’s left of the forested corridor through which runs still sustain relics of the incredibly diverse and abundant aquatic and terrestrial biotas characteristic of

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Ohio prior to the arrival of Europeans in the area in the late 1700’s. These include diverse and abundant fish populations that contain pollution-sensitive redhorse suckers, madtoms, and darters plus significant numbers of Ohio’s premier gamefish, the smallmouth bass. Endangered or threatened species include the Spotted Darter, the Bluebreast Darter, the River Redhorse, and the Northern Brook Lamprey. The Lower Olentangy river also supports viable populations of in excess of 14 species of freshwater mussels, including the state endangered “Snuffbox” and “Rayed Bean”, the state-threatened “Pondhorn”, and the state special interest “Round Pigtoe” and “Wavy-lined Lampshell”. The river corridor provides an important flyway and habitat for a diverse variety of Neotropical migratory songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors, including the endangered Bald Eagle, the Osprey, and the Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Forested riparian habitats flanking the river, even in heavily urbanized portions of Columbus, support surprising populations of white-tailed deer, beavers, muskrat, coyotes, and possibly even the state-threatened River Otter.

The Olentangy River and its watershed continue to be a focal point for the human communities that have grown-up along its course – providing critical natural resources, drinking water and game fish; and recreational opportunities, including fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and bicycling, to its residents. Rather than being a barrier physically separating these communities, the river serves as the common thread that binds these neighborhoods together. As the stresses and demands of the modern world continue to increase, the preserved natural areas along the river, especially in urban areas, provide a needed quiet respite from the noise, hustle, and bustle of the surrounding urban environments. The river and its corridor contribute significantly to the quality of life of its residents and neighbors. The economic potential of these communities is linked directly to the natural beauty, quality, health, and welfare of the river and tributary streams that make up the watershed.

Report Card for the River Mainstem

The 1999 Ohio EPA biological and water quality study of the Lower Olentangy River and its tributaries provided a snapshot of the health and welfare of the river and these tributary streams at the onset of the 21st century. Based largely on the results of this study, the mainstem of the Olentangy River, from the Delaware Dam to the river’s confluence, would rate a grade of B or B+.

What’s Good About the River

As indicated in the previous section and Tables 34 and 35, positive features of the mainstem of the river include: 1) generally good chemical water quality the length of the river studied with low ammonia and uniformly high dissolved oxygen values; 2) mostly good, natural instream habitats and variably developed wooded riparian areas, especially upstream of the OSU campus; 3) corresponding good to excellent fish biotas and mostly good bottom- dwelling invertebrate faunas, again upstream from OSU; 4) most stretches of the river were in full attainment of their aquatic use designations, at least those areas upstream from the OSU campus; and 5) a documented trend towards improving conditions on the river mainstem since the late 1980’s when surveys of water quality in the river were initiated, mainly as the result of improvements made at the city of Delaware and the OECC WWTPs

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to reduce levels of ammonia being discharged with treated effluent downstream of these facilities. (Figure 9-1)

Olentangy River: 1989 and 1999 RM 24.5 (dst. Delaware WWTP) to RM 12.4 (dst. Mt. Air)

Silver Redhorse 1999 Golden Redhorse Black Redhorse N. Hog Sucker Silver Shiner Banded Darter Stonecat Madtom *Redhorse and Hog Sucker Comprised 62% of Biomass

Silver Redhorse 1989 Golden Redhorse Black Redhorse N. Hog Sucker Silver Shiner Banded Darter Stonecat Madtom *Redhorse and Hog Sucker Comprised 34.7% of Biomass

0102030405060 Relative Abundance (No./km)

Figure 9-1: Changes in fish species abundance downstream of the Delaware WWTP, 1989 vs. 1999 (OEPA, 2001)

Good water quality conditions and good to excellent aquatic biotas are characteristic of those portions of the river that retain much of their original, natural configuration, especially being free-flowing with significant coarse-grained riffle zones and forested riparian banks. As might be expected, these areas are concentrated in the Scenic River portion of the Olentangy River in southern Delaware County. More of a surprise are the high quality habitats and biotas observed along select stretches of the river in heavily-urbanized portions of Clintonville in Franklin County, especially between Kenny Park and the mouth of Adena Brook, at the south end of Whetstone Park. These latter stretches of the river show that you can have sustainable growth in watersheds with minimal impacts on stream quality as long as natural instream habitat is preserved and sufficient riparian corridors are maintained. However, likely increases in the discharge of wastewater effluent to the river and strong development pressures in the watershed in southern Delaware County pose significant threats to the continued health of the river in and downstream of this area.

What’s Not So Good About the River

The generally good to excellent quality of the mainstem of the river north of the OSU campus are countered by poor water quality and low biological scores in the downstream portion of the river, especially near its confluence with the Scioto, within the city of Columbus. The main negative documented by Ohio EPA for the river mainstem in 1999 was the Non-Attainment of the use designations along this portion of the Lower Olentangy

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River. The Non-Attainment of use designation along this portion of the river is the result of the negative impacts of a number of factors associated with stream flow through a heavily urbanized landscape. These include: 1) the lack of good instream and riparian habitat along these stretches of the river, primarily due to hydromodifications of the river carried out in the past to allow construction of homes, businesses, and industrial facilities on the river’s flood plain; 2) the impacts of low-head dams, disrupting the free flow of the river, creating a series of isolated deep, stagnant, mud and muck-bottom “lakes” behind and upstream of these dams; environments that promote poor water quality conditions and that are not supportive of typical river bottom biotas; 3) the impacts of releases from storm drains, Combined Sewer Overflows, and faulty Sanitary Sewer Overflows, draining largely impermeable urban residential, commercial, and industrial areas; and 4) persistent toxic chemicals in river bottom sediments and the continued release of waste oils and other chemicals toxic to aquatic life from both active and defunct industrial facilities within the watershed.

Good fish scores and fair to good stream habitat scores for a few individual stretches of the river within the city of Columbus demonstrate that, with a little effort, these impacted stretches of the river might be improved enough to fulfill their use designations.

Report Card for the Olentangy River Tributary Streams

In contrast to the generally good quality of the Lower Olentangy River mainstem, the tributary streams studied by Ohio EPA in the summer of 1999 did not score near as well. The average grade for the nine tributaries studies would be a “D”. The poor scores, however, may partially reflect the drought conditions that existed for much of the 1999 field season and the ephemeral nature of stream flow in a number of the studied tributaries. The physical and hydrological characteristics of these streams – their short lengths, very high stream gradients, boom or bust flow patterns, and the impermeable nature of channels of these streams -- probably also contributed to seasonally stressful conditions for aquatic biotas living in these waterways. Ohio EPA’s biological indices for perennial mainstem rivers may not be fully applicable for such ephemeral or poor-flow headwater streams.

What’s Good about the Tributaries

The good features associated with these tributary streams include their intrinsic, scenic natural beauty, especially those flowing in the larger ravines incised into the shale cliffs best developed along the east bank of the river, from north of High Banks Metro Park to just south of the OSU campus in Columbus. These ravines, especially the larger ones, are the sites of unique microhabitats that support equally unique biotas, especially a number of temperature- and humidity-sensitive plants species found only in these areas in the Central Ohio area.

Good in-stream habitat scores were recorded for Horseshoe Run, the upper reaches of Delaware Run, and the Lewis Center tributary, all in Delaware County; and for Bill Moose Run in Franklin County. Horseshoe Run, however, was the only tributary that had fish scores that met WWH aquatic criteria. Delaware Run, the Lewis Center tributary, Bill

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Moose Run, and the lower part of Adena Brook failed to support WWH fish requirements but had “fair” fish biotas, dominated however, by “pioneer” and/or pollution-tolerant species. The Lewis Center tributary in Delaware County had the best the invertebrate community score (ICI), rating a “good”. “Fair” ICI scores were recorded for Bartholomew Run, Linworth Run, Rush Run, and Bill Moose Run. More pollution-tolerant forms like isopods, flatworms, and midge larvae, however, dominated bottom faunas in these streams.

What’s Not So Good about the Tributary Streams

Many of the water quality criteria used by Ohio EPA to evaluate stream quality were found lacking with regard to the Lower Olentangy tributaries studied in 1999. All the sampled tributaries had significant bacteriological contamination with counts exceeding Ohio Water Quality Standards. The highest levels of E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria, as well as the pesticide dieldrin, were observed near the mouth of Turkey Run in Columbus. Low dissolved oxygen levels were detected in Horseshoe Run and Adena Brook. Nitrate and phosphorus levels exceeded proposed statewide WWH criteria in most all of the streams. Elevated metals were detected in sediments in Rush Run in Worthington.

Poor habitat quality scores, due to significant hydromodification of stream channels, were especially characteristic streams in urban areas. These included the lower part of Delaware Run in Delaware, Rush Run in Worthington, and the upper reaches of Adena Brook in Columbus.

Poor fish communities were observed in Linworth Run, Kempton Run, Rush Run, Turkey Run, and the upper part of Adena Brook, all in Franklin County. Poor bottom invertebrate faunas characterized urban tributaries, including Delaware Run, Turkey Run, and Adena Brook. These poor ICI scores were largely the result of a lack of good in-stream habitat in these urban areas coupled with impacts from stormwater run-off and discharges from CSOs and SSOs.

Defining the Problems

The goal of this watershed inventory is to assess the state of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed -- to catalogue the natural resources present, assess the health and welfare of the river and its tributary streams, and to determine what is good and what is bad with regard to the river, its water quality, and resources. This information is to be used to “define the problem”. This includes defining the problems that are impacting those stretches of the river that do not currently fulfill their water quality use designations, identifying problem pollutants and their sources, identifying high quality stretches of the river that need protection, and identifying potential future threats to river water quality based on current trends documented for the watershed in the inventory report. This has resulted in a list of problems impacting water quality in the watershed that need to be addressed.

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Based on this inventory report, the following is a list of existing problems and future threats to water quality and aquatic life in the Lower Olentangy River Watershed. Those identified here include:

Scenic River Portion of the River in Delaware County:

• Continued adverse impacts on water quality in the mainstem of the river from six lowhead dams in Delaware County, impeding the free flow of the river, destroying in- stream habitat, and lowering water quality, plus obstructing movement of fish and mussels as well as canoes and kayaks up and down the length of the river.

• Increased releases of treated effluent from city of Delaware and OECC WWTP to the river leading to increased nutrient loads – nitrate and phosphorus – to downstream portions of the river.

• Threats from the intensive development planned and currently underway in the southern Delaware County portion of the watershed. Including impacts in distal portions of the watershed from the expansion of existing roads and construction of new roads, subdivisions, and infrastructure. This will lead to increases in the amount of stormwater runoff and sediment entering the headwaters of tributary streams (U.S. Rt. 23 and Sawmill Road corridors); as well as developments encroaching on the floodplain of the mainstem of the river itself (example: Bodycombe property at Mt. Air).

• Potential impacts on the river from the proposed construction of the by-pass around the city of Delaware and the widening of State Rt. 315 in the vicinity of High Banks Metro Park, immediately adjacent to the most biologically diverse stretch of the river.

• Potential for increased demands on streamflow in the river from the city of Delaware and the DelCo Water Company water systems as populations served by these utilities continue to rapidly grow.

• Influence of the old municipal landfill along the river may be chronically contributing pollutants, particularly the pesticides found in the Delaware area.

Urban Section of the River in Franklin County:

• Continued adverse impacts on water quality in the mainstem of the river from six lowhead dams in Franklin County, impeding the free flow of the river, destroying in- stream habitat, and lowering water quality, plus obstructing movement of fish and mussels as well as canoes and kayaks up and down the length of the river. Additionally, the dam downstream on the Scioto impounds the mouth.

• Continued impacts to Olentangy River water quality from stormwater runoff from impermeable urban areas and discharges of raw sewage from CSO and SSO overflows and failing septic tanks or aeration systems scattered throughout the Lower Olentangy River watershed within Franklin County.

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• Continued construction in riparian corridors flanking the river within Columbus, leading to the destruction of already minimal forested habitat and increased erosion and transport of soils to the river from these construction sites (Riverside Hospital parking lot expansion and expansion of the Olentangy Village Apartments).

• Continued releases of waste oil and other chemical contaminants toxic to aquatic life to the river from long-standing industrial point sources (Timken Products facility off of Cleveland Avenue and the A. C. Humko facility on the river below the 3rd Avenue bridge) in addition to the old Gowdy landfill.

• Continued threats to river quality and aquatic life from spills and releases due to infrastructure failures like pipeline ruptures, traffic accidents, and road salt run-off.

• Potential for adverse impacts on river water quality and flood plain integrity from proposed bridges over the Olentangy River at Lane Avenue and the ramps from State Rt. 315 to the OSU campus above the Fifth Avenue bridge.

Lower Olentangy River Tributary Streams

• Highly elevated bacteriological contamination in all of the studied tributary streams.

• Continued degradation of stream quality and lack of attainment of water quality use designations for nearly all of the studied streams, especially those in urban portions of Delaware and Columbus.

• Increasing threats to water quality to southern Delaware County tributaries due to explosive development, increasing impervious surface areas across this part of the watershed, coupled with the hydrologic nature of the tributaries, leading to negative impacts on water quality in both the tributary streams and the mainstem of the river.

Where Do We Go from Here?

The next step in this process of formulating a plan to protect the good quality stretches of the river and to address those identified problems, either currently impacting the river and its tributaries or posing a future threat to the watershed, is to develop an Action Plan or Plans to address these issues. This may involve doing further investigations of water quality in the Lower Olentangy River watershed if it is warranted (as probably is the case with the tributary streams), evaluating potential solutions for identified problems, setting goals based on measurable indicators, and selecting solutions that will achieve these goals (Figure 1-1).

As indicated above, the difficulty in this process is determining which of these factors is impacting water quality the most and which are amenable to corrective measures. What is most doable at the least cost? A significant factor to be considered when addressing these

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-123 Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed March 2002 / edited 2003 problems in this already largely urbanized watershed is the need to work around pre-existing human infrastructures, setting up the potential for conflicts between individual property rights, the need for essential municipal services like water, sewer, and drainage, and the desire to make the watershed a better place for everybody, watershed animals and plants as well as humans. This will require a consensus approach involving all of the various stakeholders living, working, or recreating in the watershed in order to be successful. Forming this consensus will be the next and probably most important part of this watershed advocacy process.

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10. References

ABELL, OLSON, DINERSTEIN, et al. 2000.

BOOTH, D. 1991. “Urbanization and the Natural Drainage System-Impacts, Solutions and Prognoses.” Northwest Environmental Journal. 7(1):93-118.

BOOTH, D. and L. REINELT. 1993. “Consequences of Urbanization on Aquatic Systems: Measured Effects, Degradation Thresholds, and Corrective Strategies.”pp.545-550 in Proceedings Watershed ’93 A National Conference on Watershed Management. March 21- 24, 1993. Alexandria , Virginia.

CROWELL, K. S. 1979. Ground-Water Resources of Marion County (Map). Division of Water, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

DESHON, J.D. 1995. Development and Application of Ohio EPA’s Invertebrate Community Index (ICI), In W.S. Davis and T. Simon (eds.), Biological Assessment Criteria: Tools for risk-based planning and decision making. CRC/Lewis Publishing.

FETTER, C.W. 1988. Applied Hydrogeology. 2nd Edition. Merrill Publishing Company. 592 p.

GOLDTHWAIT, R. P., et al. 1965. Pleistocene Deposits of the Erie Lobe, In H.E. Wright and D.G. Grey (eds.), The Quaternary of the United States. Princeton University Press. pp. 85-97.

HANSEN, M.C. 1997. The Ice Age in Ohio. Educational Leaflet No. 7. Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

HARSTINE, L.J. 1991. Hydrologic Atlas for Ohio. Water Inventory Report No. 28. Division of Water, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

HOGGARTH, M.A. 1990. A Study of the Unionidae of the Olentangy River above Columbus. Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 27 p.

HOUSE, P.L., et al. 1997. Franklin County Ground-water Resources. The Ohio State University Extension, Agricultural Engineering. 11 pp.

MEYERS, D. L. 1998. Notes from a presentation at the Flow Annual Meeting, September, 1998.

MORPC. 1997. Greenways: A Plan for Franklin County. Middle Ohio Regional Planning Commission. 53 pp. + maps.

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-125 Friends of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed Draft 3/07/2002 OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (ODH), 2000 Health Consultation for the Old Delaware City Landfill, Delaware County, Ohio. US Department of Health and Human Services. 12 pp.

OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (Ohio EPA). 1987. Groundwater. Ohio EPA Public Interest Center. 20 pp.

OHIO EPA. 1988. Biological Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life: Vol. II, Users Manual for Biological Field Assessment of Ohio Surface Waters. 152 pp. + appendices.

OHIO EPA. 1995. The Role of Biological Criteria in Water Quality Monitoring, Assessment, and Regulation. Ohio EPA Technical Report Series. 54 pp.

OHIO EPA. 1997. A Guide to Developing Local Watershed Action Plans in Ohio. Division of Surface Water. 79 pp.

OHIO EPA. 2001. Biological and Water Quality Study of the Olentangy River and Selected Tributaries, 1999, Delaware and Franklin Counties. 92 pp.

Ohio State University (OSU) Library Resources – see Appendix D.7.

RANKIN, E. T. 1995. The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), In W.D. Davis and T. Simon (eds.), Biological Assessment Criteria: Tools for Risk-based Planning and Decision Making. CRC/Lewis Publishing.

SCHMIDT, J.J. 1960. Ohio Water Plan Inventory – Olentangy River Underground Water Resources (Map). Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

STEIN, C.B. 1963. Notes on the Naiad Fauna of the Olentangy River in Central Ohio (Abstract). Annual Reports (1963) of the American Malacological Society, p. 19.

STOUT, WILBUR, K.V. STEEGS, and G.F. LAMBE. 1943. Water in Ohio. Geological Survey of Ohio, 4th Series, Bulletin 44. 694 pp.

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS). 1998. Ecoregions of Indiana and Ohio (Map).

WATTERS, G.T. 1995. A Guide to the Freshwater Mussels of Ohio. 3rd Edition. Division of Wildlife, Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 122 pp.

WESTGATE, L.G. 1926. Geology of Delaware County. Geological Survey of Ohio, 4th Series, Bulletin 30. 147 pp.

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Appendices for the Lower Olentangy Watershed Inventory

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Appendix D.1

Streamflow Hydrographs for Stretches of the Lower Olentangy River

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Appendix D.2 Delaware Reservoir Sediment Surveys

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Delaware Reservoir Sediment Surveys – page 1

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Delaware Reservoir Sediment Surveys – page 2

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Delaware Reservoir Sediment Surveys – page 5

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Delaware Reservoir Sediment Surveys – page 6

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Delaware Reservoir Sediment Surveys – page 10

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Appendix D.3

Unique Places of Interest and Recreational Resources (Table and Map)

Location Name 1779 Home Rd. Delaware OH Olentangy Indian Caverns 7625 N. High St. Pontifical College Josephenium On the hill where Plesenton Drive diverges from Jeffers Mound Olentangy River Rd. just north of 161. Northern: King Ave Near Northside Historic District Western: Battelle Blvd. Eastern: High St. Southern: Goodale 15 Fox Lane, Worthington Worthington Manufacturing Co. Boarding House 679-681 N. High Street Col. James Kilbourne House 649 High St. Old Worthington Inn (Hotel Central) 2929 N. High St Olentangy Village Western: North Star Rd Ohio State University Campus Area Eastern: North High St. Northern: Ackerman Rd. Southern: King Ave. 3083 Liberty Road Delaware OH Stratford Ecological Center Inside Stratford Ecological Center Stratford Woods State Nature Preserve (by permit only) 40 03 37 N 83 01 53 W Black Walnut- Champion Tree U.S. Route 23 about 8 miles north of I-270 in Seymour Woods State Nature Preserve Delaware Buttermilk Hill Rd, Delaware Gallant Farm Preserve- Preservation Parks Delaware County. 40 20 31 N 83 04 12 W Bur Oak- Champion Tree 9466 Columbus Pike (US Rt 23 N) Lewis center, OH Highbanks Metro Park, Highbanks State Nature 43035(northern Franklin & southern Delaware Preserve & Edward F. Hutchins State Preserve counties) 5202 US 23 N. Delaware OH 43015 Delaware State Park & Wildlife Area 1. North of 161 Bridge Olentangy Canoe Trail Boat Access Points 2. Northmoor Park, 3. Confluence of the Scioto Map from City Cols. Olentangy Recreational Trail Between Wilson Bridge Rd. and the River, south of I- Olentangy River State Wildlife Access Area 270. 352 Dodridge Street Columbus OSU Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park 7925 N High St. Columbus Camp Mary Orton 4422 Columbus Pike Delaware 43015 Camp Lazarus, Oak Maple Forest on southern end of Camp. Map from City of Columbus, Worthington & City Parks (see x) Delaware. Between the River and Camp Lazarus. Bieber Mill Scenic River Area

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Unique Places of Interest and Recreational Resources Map

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Appendix D.4

Demographic Data for Franklin and Delaware Counties (U.S. Census 2000, 1990)

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1990 Demographic Characteristics of the Friends of the Lower Olentangy Study Area and Franklin County Delaware County Franklin County FLOW Total Total Variable Delaware Franklin Total Pct Total FLOW FLOW FLOW FLOW Portion Portion Number Percent Number Percent Total Population and Households Total Population 5,944 189,909 195,853 100% 66,929 100% 961,437 100% Total Households 2,019 77,934 79,953 100% 23,116 100% 378,723 100% Race Minority Population 125 20,372 20,497 10% 23,116 35% 177,723 18% White 5,819 169,538 175,357 90% 64,888 97% 783,714 82% African American 38 11,856 11,894 6% 1,424 2% 152,840 16% Asian (includes Hawaiian Islanders) 79 7,573 7,652 4% 104 0% 2,056 0% American Indian 8 239 247 0% 385 1% 19,437 2% Other (includes multi-racial) 0 704 704 0% 128 0% 3,390 0% Hispanic 24 2,158 2,182 1% 336 1% 9,236 1% Age Elderly (population over 65 years) 356 19,892 20,248 10% 6,165 9% 93,252 10% Children (population under 18) 1,654 37,775 39,429 20% 18,408 28% 236,862 25% Disabled (population with sensory or mobility limitation) 139 5,904 6,043 8% 263 0% 32,113 3% Unemployed 63 3,874 3,937 3% 1,222 4% 26,639 4% Income Population in Poverty 103 16,474 16,577 8% 3,630 7% 121,475 13% Median Household Income $68,675 $36,418 $37,233 $41,788 $32,387 Housing Owner Occupied Housing Units 1,852 43,257 45,109 92% 18,050 78% 207,833 55% Renter Occupied Housing Units 167 34,677 34,844 8% 5,066 22% 170,890 45% Source: US Census 1990; Prepared by Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission

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2000 Demographic Characteristics of the Friends of the Lower Olentangy Study Area and Franklin County FLOW Delaware County Total Franklin County Total

Variable Delaware Franklin Total Pct Total Number in Percent in Number in Percent in FLOW FLOW FLOW FLOW County County County County Portion Portion Total Population and Households Total Population 27,953 228,463 256,416 100% 109,989 100% 1,068,978 100% Total Households 10,414 99,686 110,100 100% 39,755 100% 438,778 100% Race Minority Population 2,057 43,299 45,356 18% 6,326 6% 262,127 25% White 25,896 185,164 211,060 82% 103,663 94% 806,851 75% African American 960 23,671 24,631 10% 2,774 3% 191,196 18% Asian (includes Hawaiian Islanders) 532 12,272 12,804 5% 1,728 2% 33,250 3% American Indian 41 451 492 0% 157 0% 2,899 0% Other (includes multi-racial) 524 6,905 7,429 3% 1,667 2% 34,782 3% Hispanic 367 5,143 5,510 2% 1,109 1% 24,279 2% Age Elderly (population over 65 years) 1,974 24,094 26,068 10% 9,034 8% 104,782 10% Children (population under 18) 16,474 84,984 101,458 40% 31,061 28% 268,321 25% Disabled (population with sensory or mobility limitation) 1,540 17,264 18,804 7% 7,194 7% 97,587 9% Unemployed 325 5,051 5,376 1% 2,293 4% 24,594 4% Income Population in Poverty 1,303 32,173 33,476 30% 7,194 7% 121,843 11% Median Household Income $73,050 $45,216 $47,849 $71,402 $46,548 Housing Owner Occupied Housing Units 7,794 49,283 57,077 52% 31,915 80% 249,633 57% Renter Occupied Housing Units 2,620 50,403 53,023 48% 7,759 20% 189,145 43% Source: US Census 2000; Prepared by Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission

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Appendix D.5

Delaware County: List of Comprehensive Plans

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Delaware County Cities and Townships in the Lower Olentangy Watershed

Townships Adopted Last Amended Map found at: Berlin Twp. October 1999 March 2003 www.dcrpc.org

Brown Twp. July 2001 www.dcrpc.org

Delaware Twp. - no-

Liberty Twp. October 1989 August 1995 www.dcrpc.org Marlboro Twp. - no-

Orange Twp. May 2001 www.dcrpc.org Oxford Twp. - no -

Troy Twp. 2003 www.dcrpc.org Ashley (City) 2004 – proposed

Delaware (City) See website www.delawareohio.net/planning_ compplan_draft/html

Powell (City) See website www.ci.powell.oh.us/library.asp

Source: Delaware County Regional Planning Commission (www.dcrpc.org)

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Appendix D.6

Ohio EPA Beneficial Use Designation Chart for the Olentangy River and Tributaries

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Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-154 MAS/2000-12-6 1999 Olentangy River TSD April 11, 2001

Table 2. Waterbody use designations for the Olentangy River basin. Designations based on the 1978 and 1985 water quality standards appear as asterisks (*). Designations based on Ohio EPA biological field assessments appear as a plus sign (+). Designations based on the 1978 and 1985 standards for which results of a biological field assessment are now available are displayed to the right of existing markers. Designated uses based on results other than Ohio EPA biological data are marked with an circle (o). A delta ()) indicates a new recommendation based on the findings of this report.

Use Designations Aquatic Life Habitat Water Supply Recreation

S W E M S C L P A I P S B Water Body Segment R W W W S W R W W W C C W W H H W H H W S S S R R

Olentangy River Delaware Dam (RM 32.3) to Old Winter *+ *+ *+ *+ Rd. (RM 20.4) *+ at RM 31.23 *+ *+ o *+ *+ *+ at RM 31.02 *+ *+ o *+ *+ *+ Old Winter Rd. to I-270 (RM 11.6) *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ at RM 18.19 *+ *+ o *+ *+ *+ I-270 to St. Rte. 161 (RM 9.7) *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ St. Rt. 161 to Adena Brook (RM 5.9) *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ Adena Brook to the Dodridge St. dam + + (RM 4.0) *+ *+ Dodridge St. dam to adjacent Tuttle Park + + (RM 3.4) *+ *+ Adjacent Tuttle Park to Fifth Ave. dam (RM 1.9) + *+ *+ +

Fifth Ave. dam to Conrail railroad crossing (RM 0.5) + *+ *+ + Conrail railroad crossing to mouth + *+ *+ + at RM 0.2 *+ o *+ *+ *+ all other segments *+ *+ *+ *+

9 MAS/2000-12-6 1999 Olentangy River TSD April 11, 2001

Table 2 Continued. Use Designations Aquatic Life Habitat Water Supply Recreation

S W E M S C L P A I P S B Water Body Segment R W W W S W R W W W C C W W H H W H H W S S S R R

Big Run (Adena Brook) *+ *+ *+ * Turkey Run *+ *+ *+ * ) Rush Run *+ *+ *+ * ) Bartholomew Run *+ *+ *+ * ) Unnamed Tributary (RM 18.19, Lewis + *+ *+ + Center Tributary) Delaware Run *+ *+ *+ *+ Horseshoe Run *+ *+ *+ * ) Linworth Run ) ) ) Unnamed Tributary (RM 7.82, Bill ) ) ) Moose Run) Kempton Run ) ) )

Future Monitoring Needs A complete reevaluation of the Olentangy River study area should be conducted in the year 2003. The reassessment is needed considering the rate of land use and population changes within the watershed and the TMDL report that is pending in 2005. Priority should be placed on revisiting segments which are identified as impaired or threatened in this report.

Additional bioassay testing at the Delaware WWTP is needed to further characterize the toxicity of the effluent and begin the process of identifying the source(s).

STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION

The Olentangy River originates in Crawford County and flows south across Marion, Delaware and Franklin counties to its confluence with the Scioto River near downtown Columbus. The 1999 study area included

10 Friends of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed Draft 3/07/2002

Appendix D.7

Reference List of OSU Library Resources (utilized by the FLOW Inventory Committee)

Note: This list is not in any particular style format but the citations should contain enough information to find the documents. Call numbers and type of document are listed (when available) to make location of the documents easier.

Bingham, Allen Edward. 1977. The effects of stream channelization on five centarchid fishes in the Olentangy River, Ohio. Thesis -Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio. Call Number: THESIS 1977MSB613 (This is a Master's thesis)

Dodson, Kinney and Lindblom. 1966. Flood plain information, Scioto and Olentangy Rivers, Ohio: Columbus area summary report. Department of the Army, Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. Huntington, West Virginia. Call Number: TC423.D63 1966 (This is an Army Corps of Engineer document -includes maps)

Edward, Clayton James. 1977. The effects of channelization and mitigation on the fish community and population structure in the Olentangy River, Ohio. PhD Dissertation -Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio. Call Number: THESISI977PHDE29 (This is a PhD Dissertation)

Herdendorf, Charles E et al. 1980. Stream assessment of the Olentangy River in the vicinity of Powell Road Bridge, Delaware County, Ohio. Ohio State University, Center for Lake Erie Area Research. Columbus, Ohio. Call Number: QH105.03 S77 (this is a CLEAR technical report)

Koreny, J.S., W.J. Mitsch, E.S. Blair, Wu-Xin Yuan and Wu-XY. 1999. Regional and local hydrology of a created riparian wetland system. Wetlands 19: 1. (This is a journal article reporting on created wetlands near the Olentangy River)

Lewis, Leslie R. 1975. Data sources and availability for use in a simulation model of the Olentangy River basin. Thesis -Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio. Call Number: THESIS1975MSL674 (This is a Master's thesis)

Olentangy River Wetland Research Park at the Ohio State University: annual report. Schoolof Natural Resources, College of Agriculture, Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio. Call Number: TD756.5 064 (all annual reports from 1992-1998 are available)

Perry , Edward Wilson. 1974. The effect of stream improvement structures on the sport fishery in a channelized section of the Olentangy River. Thesis- Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio. Call Number: THESIS1974MSP462 (this is a Master's thesis)

Lower Olentangy River Watershed Inventory D-157 Friends of the Lower Olentangy River Watershed Draft 3/07/2002 Schmidt, James J. 1960 Olentangy River basin: underground water resources (map). Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Call Number: ONR 242.16/1 :M-3 (this is a map and is available from Ohio University or Kent State University through interlibrary loan)

Stein, Carol B. 1963. The UNIONIDAE (MOLLUSCA; PELECYPODA) of the Olentangy River in Central Ohio. Thesis -Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio. Call Number: THESIS 1963MSSCBU

United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1976. Draft environmental impact statement for the Delaware County, Ohio Board of Commissioners: Olentangy Environmental Control Center and Interceptor System. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region V. Chicago. Call Number: EP 1.57/4:01 2 (this is a 463 page document and is available from Ohio University or Kent State University through interlibrary loan)

United States Soil Conservation Service. 1992. Nonpoint source assessment of Ohio's streams 37 (0207). Lower Olentangy River Watershed: Delaware, Franklin, Madison, Pickaway and Union Counties, Ohio. National Cartographic Center. Ft. Worth, Texas. (This is a map. I'm not sure whether it's available here at OSU)

Weihe, Paul Edward. 1996. Colonizing and introduced vegetation in created riparian wetlands: establishment during the first two growing seasons. PhD dissertation -Ohio State University . Columbus, Ohio. (This is a PhD dissertation)

Wood, L.C. and B.L. Griswold. 1980. Channelization and mitigation: their effects on macroinvertebrate communities of the Olentangy River, Columbus, Ohio. The Warmwater Streams Symposium Proceedings. Knoxville, Tennesee. Call Number: DNAL SH221. W3 7 1980 (This is a conference presentation)

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