YELLOW CREEK WATERSHED ACTION PLAN Eastgate Regional Council of Governments 100 E. Federal Street, Suite1000 Youngstown, Ohio 44503 www.eastgatecog.org April 14, 2015 This plan was financed in part or totally through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) with the following funds: American Recovery and Reinvestment Funds (ARRA) contract agreement #ERCOGSTM9, Federal Section 604(b) Clean Water Act funds, and State of Ohio Biennium funds. The contents and views, including any opinions, findings, or conclusions or recommendations contained in this product or publication are those of the authors and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA. EASTGATE REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS Serving Northeast Ohio since 1973 The Eastgate Regional Council of Governments is a multipurpose Regional Council of Governments for Ashtabula, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, as established by Section 167.01 of the Ohio Revised Code. Eastgate is the agency designated or recognized to perform the following functions: • Serve as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, with responsibility for the comprehensive, coordinated and continuous planning for highways, public transit and other transportation modes as defined in Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) legislation. • Perform continuous water quality planning functions in cooperation with Ohio and U.S. EPA. • Provide planning to meet air quality requirements under MAP-21 and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. • Administration of the Economic Development District Program. • Administration of the Local Development District of the Appalachian Regional Commission. • Administration of the State Capital Improvement Program for the District 6 Public Works Integrating Committee. • Administer the area clearinghouse function, which includes providing local government with the opportunity to review a wide variety of local or state applications for federal funds. • Administration of the regional Rideshare Program for Ashtabula, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. • Conduct demographic, economic and land use research. • At General Policy Board direction, provide planning assistance to local governments that comprise the Eastgate planning area. • Administration of the Clean Ohio Conservation & Revitalization Funds. GENERAL POLICY BOARD (2014) Chairman - Commissioner Dan Claypool, Ashtabula County 1st Vice Chairman – Joseph Warino, City of Canfield 2nd Vice Chairman – Mark Hess, City of Niles Brian Anderson, Ashtabula County Mayor Bernie Kosar, Sr., City of Canfield Mayor Eric Augustein, Village of Beloit Paul Makosky, City of Warren Jerry Brockway, Ashtabula County Mayor John McNally, City of Youngstown Nancy Brundage, Citizens Advisory Board Mayor James Melfi, City of Girard Peggy Carlo, Ashtabula County Commissioner William Miller, Director, Trumbull County Planning Comm. Mayor Thomas Christlieb, Village of West Farmington Mayor Curt Moll, City of Cortland Mayor John Darko, City of Hubbard Joe Moroski, Ashtabula County Commissioner David Ditzler, Mahoning County Commissioner Mayor J. Michael Pinkerton, Village of Sebring James Ferraro, Director, Western Reserve Transit Daniel Polivka, Trumbull County Commissioner Authority Kurt Princic, OEPA NE District Chief Mayor Douglas Franklin, City of Warren Carol Rimedio-Righetti, Mahoning County Commissioner Frank Fuda, Trumbull County Commissioner Mayor Timothy Sicafuse, Village of Poland Pat Ginnetti, Mahoning County Engineer Randy Smith, Trumbull County Engineer Fred Hanley, Hubbard Township Mayor Dave Spencer, Village of Craig Beach Paul E. Heltzel, Trumbull County Commissioner Mayor Terry Stocker, City of Struthers Mayor Arno Hill, Village of Lordstown Anthony Traficanti, Mahoning County Commissioner Glenn Holmes, Mayor, Village of McDonald Tony Urankar, District Deputy Director, ODOT District 4 Mayor Ralph Infante, Jr., City of Niles Mayor William Van Such, City of Campbell Mayor James Iudiciani, Village of Lowellville Mayor Lyle A. Waddell, City of Newton Falls Mayor William Jones, Village of Washingtonville Heflin Willingham, Citizens Advisory Board Mayor Harry Kale, Village of New Middletown Representative TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (2014) CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD (2014) Chairman-Rob Donham , Vice Chairman- Gary Shaffer, Chairman- Gerald Hurayt, Vice Chairman- James J. Pirko TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS .......................................................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................................................... viii I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1 A. Defining the Yellow Creek Watershed ................................................................................................... 1 i. Yellow Creek Watershed: Overview .................................................................................................. 1 ii. Special Districts .................................................................................................................................... 5 iii. Special Designations ........................................................................................................................... 8 iv. Phase II Stormwater Communities ..................................................................................................... 8 B. Demographics .......................................................................................................................................... 9 i. Population and Age ............................................................................................................................ 9 ii. Education Levels .................................................................................................................................. 9 iii. Housing ............................................................................................................................................... 11 iv. Population Trends ............................................................................................................................... 11 v. Education Trends ................................................................................................................................ 11 vi. Income Levels, Locations of Growth ............................................................................................... 14 vii. Economic Patterns ............................................................................................................................. 15 viii. Other Factors ...................................................................................................................................... 15 C. Geographic Locators ............................................................................................................................. 16 i. USGS Hydrologic Unit Codes ............................................................................................................ 16 ii. State 305(b) Identification Numbers ................................................................................................ 16 iii. Other (Coordinates) .......................................................................................................................... 16 D. General Watershed Information ........................................................................................................... 16 i. Previous and Current Watershed Activities ..................................................................................... 16 II. WATERSHED PLAN DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................... 17 A. Watershed Partners ................................................................................................................................ 17 B. Mission Statement .................................................................................................................................. 18 C. Structure, Organization, and Administration ....................................................................................... 18 D. General Plan Content ............................................................................................................................ 20 i. Outline of the Plan's Content ............................................................................................................ 20 ii. Endorsement of Plan by Key Watershed Partners .......................................................................... 20 iii. Endorsement of the Plan by Local Units of Government ............................................................... 20 iv. Information/Education Component for Public Understanding of the Project ............................ 21 III. WATERSHED INVENTORY .......................................................................................................................... 22 A. Description of the Watershed ............................................................................................................... 22 i. Geology .............................................................................................................................................. 22 1. Topography ...........................................................................................................................................22