Lower Mill Creek Watershed Action Plan July 2014 Watershed Coordinator To be determined…the Lower Mill Creek does not have an officially designated “Watershed Coordinator”. In the meantime, implementation will be coordinated by the members of this Watershed Action Plan working group and associated stakeholders. Watershed Plan Contacts: Jennifer Eismeier Executive Director Mill Creek Watershed Council of Communities 1223 Jefferson Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45215 Phone: (513) 563-8800 Email: [email protected] Brian Wamsley Senior Planner Hamilton County Planning and Development Department 138 East Court Street, Room 801 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Phone: 513-946-4496 Email: [email protected] Purpose Statement The overriding goal of this Plan is to initiate a process that restores an urban stream system to its former standing as a vibrant regional asset. That goal supports the Plan’s purpose statement: “The purpose of the Lower Mill Creek Watershed Action Plan is to document current conditions; to identify effective strategies, programs and projects that are needed and can be employed; and to craft a roadmap for improving water quality and ecological health in the Lower Mill Creek Watershed that will, in turn, create more livable neighborhoods and provide public health, environmental, social, and economic benefits for many years to come.” Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................... xii Distribution List ......................................................................................................................................................... xiii Endorsement of Plan ................................................................................................................................................ xiv 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The Lower Mill Creek Watershed Action Plan Framework ............................................................................................ 1 1.2 The Mill Creek ................................................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 The Lower Mill Creek Watershed .................................................................................................................................. 5 2 Defining the Lower Mill Creek Watershed.................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Boundaries ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1.1 Counties .................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1.2 Incorporated and Unincorporated Areas .................................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.3 Parks........................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 2.1.4 School Districts ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12 2.1.5 Conservancy Districts .............................................................................................................................................................. 13 2.1.6 Sewer Districts ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13 2.1.7 Soil and Water Districts ........................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1.8 Storm Water Districts .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 2.1.9 Agriculture Districts ................................................................................................................................................................ 17 2.1.10 Regional Planning Agencies .................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Special Designations .................................................................................................................................................... 18 2.2.1 National and State Wild and Scenic Rivers, and Local Designations ....................................................................................... 18 2.2.2 Phase II Storm Water Communities ........................................................................................................................................ 18 2.3 Demographics .............................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.3.1 Sociologic Statistics ................................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.3.2 Economic Statistics ................................................................................................................................................................. 27 2.3.3 Economic Patterns .................................................................................................................................................................. 28 2.4 Geographic Locators .................................................................................................................................................... 35 2.4.1 USGS HUC-12 Delineations ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 2.4.2 State 305(b) Identification Numbers ....................................................................................................................................... 35 2.4.3 Geographic Information Systems Resources .......................................................................................................................... 35 2.5 LMC Watershed Background and Historic Information............................................................................................... 36 2.5.1 Watershed Protection and Management ............................................................................................................................... 36 2.5.2 Watershed Planning ................................................................................................................................................................ 36 Plan Contents i 3 Watershed Plan Development ..................................................................................................................... 40 3.1 Lower Mill Creek Watershed Partners ........................................................................................................................ 40 3.1.1 Local and State Government Agencies ................................................................................................................................... 40 3.1.2 Watershed Organizations ....................................................................................................................................................... 41 3.1.3 Additional Local and Regional Watershed Groups .................................................................................................................. 43 3.2 Mission Statement....................................................................................................................................................... 44 3.3 LMC-WAP Structure, Organization, Administration .................................................................................................... 44 3.3.1 Legal Status ............................................................................................................................................................................. 44 3.3.2 Partner Roles & Responsibilities Defined ................................................................................................................................ 45 3.3.3 Group Decision Making Process .............................................................................................................................................. 45 3.3.4 WAP Endorsement by Key Watershed Partners ..................................................................................................................... 45 3.3.5 WAP Adoption by Local Units of Government ........................................................................................................................ 45 3.3.6 Information & Education Component ..................................................................................................................................... 45 4 Watershed Inventory ....................................................................................................................................