"You Said It" Survey

Taking the time to respond to a Leaf Litter email survey – particularly while one is in the midst of end-of-the-year work and pre-holiday hoopla – is the act of a committed reader. So we are particularly thankful this go ‘round to have received your input.

70% of the Leaf Litter readers who responded to this survey live or work in this region. 58% of you say you have been involved in an ecological restoration, conservation planning or regenerative design project in the Ohio River Bioregion, with projects ranging from stream, forest, lake and prairie restoration to mussel conservation.

A few of provided links with more information about your projects:

• http://www.units.muohio.edu/naturalareas/special/prariedemonstration.html
• http://www.fws.gov/orve/mussels.html
• http://www.lm.doe.gov/land/sites/oh/fernald_orig/Cleanup/Restoration.htm
• http://tcwa.org/A/index.htm
• http://www.ninemilerun.org/Watershed/restoration/index.htm
• http://www.3riverswetweather.org/

We asked what you consider to be the Ohio River Bioregion's single most important natural resource (in terms of the ecological health of the area). A quarter or you found it impossible to select one resource. As one reader replied, "...water, forests, native plants and fauna - hard to say what is more important!"

Those of you who were able to offer one answer did so in four main categories:

• 29% Aquatic biota/diversity of aquatic life
• 28% Water (the Ohio River, its tributaries, groundwater, etc.)
• 13% Forests/wooded areas
• 5% Wetlands

Here are some of your comments:

• The native aquatic biota. Many of its components are acting as bell weathers of the river's water and habitat quality.
• The variety of geology and hydrology make the state of Ohio rich in surface and ground water resources which we are working diligently to protect.
• Our freshwater systems from isolated vernal pools in upland forests to headwater streams to riparian wetlands to large rivers. There are some truly unique and spectacular areas.
• The diversity of species within the region.
• The diverse forest, field, and wetland ecosystems and habitat for native wildlife.
• Wooded land, especially the hillsides vegetated riparian areas and wetlands stream systems ground water supply bio-diversity (altho, sprawl is taking a huge toll on that) small pockets of pristine natural lands and waters.
• Forest & Grazinglands, Water Resources.

A majority of you (38%) believe that the greatest threat to the Ohio River bioregion is overdevelopment/poor land management. 15% of you cited non-point source pollution as the #1 threat while another 15% of you named mining. 13% of you singled out combined sewer overflow as the major problem. Farming and chemical pollution were also cited.

Click on the graph for a larger version.

Here are some comments from those who responded "other:"

• River barge contents
• Deforestation
• Stream alterations
• The recent Rapponos case has made ephemeral streams (in most cases) federally non-jurisdictional waters. I am concerned that the loss of these headwaters will result in the loss of flood storage and denitrification that can impact many watersheds down stream.

Here's what you had to say when we asked you if you know of any person, organization or public agency in the Ohio River Bioregion that you consider a role model in terms of efforts to improve ecological health and sustainability within the region:

• Pheasants Forever works to create native prairies, and has done hundreds of acres of it particularly in Preble County Ohio. Even more important is the Highland Nature Sanctuary, Highland County Ohio - 1000s of acres of protected precious lands.
• I think our ORVE Mollusk Subgroup plays such a role. By managing the river's mollusk resources, the overall health of the Ohio is managed. The new Group leader is Leroy Koch, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Frankfort, KY. In addition, the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Williamsport, WV, manages thousands of acres in the upper half of the river.
• The Ohio State University Agriculture College has been instrumental in promoting smart practices for farming and government officials.
• Kentuckians for the Commonwealth has been working diligently to stop mountain top removal.
• Dan Mecklenburg, Fluvial Geomorphologist at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is working hard to ensure that stream projects are constructed with natural processes in mind.
• Glen Helen Outdoor Ecology Center in Yellow Springs has been doing an amazing job educating young people for years, to think and act in defense of the natural environment.
• 3 Rivers Wet Weather Program (John Schombert and Staff) and the Allegheny (PA) County Health Department Waste Management & Public Drinking Water Division (Geoff Butia, Chief Administrator and his Staff). Geoff works exceptionally hard in trying to fulfill his assigned enforcement responsibilities and has always gone beyond in trying to remedy issues we bring to his attention relative to these matters.
• Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee has done an amazing job of transforming the general mindset of the Tennessee Department of Transportation from environmental antagonist to environmentally friendly.
• ORSANCO
• Five Rivers MetroParks
• The WV Conservation Agency assists Conservation Districts reduce soil erosion, maintain agricultural capabilities, enhance water resources.
• Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky is taking a holistic approach to improve watershed health in Northern KY, which will in turn lead to improvements to the mainstem.
• The Nature Conservancy and Ohio Metro Parks have worked steadily and diligently to acquire land for natural habitat. I believe acquisition is the ultimate environmental protection strategy. Let's put our money where our mouths are!
• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. While they don't focus solely on the Ohio River, their work on inventorying, species of special concern protection efforts, and outreach are making great strides in protecting the Ohio River, as well as the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers.

Click on the graph for a larger version.

We asked you to rate the Ohio River bioregion in terms of its importance to the ecological health of North America on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the most important). The largest group of you (24%) gave the region an 8. Here's how your rankings broke down:

When we asked what you wanted to know about the Ohio River bioregion, your answers ranged from "more information about the geological history of the Ohio River Valley" to the status of urban CSO, SSO and stormwater controls throughout the watershed. We hope the content and resources in this issue of Leaf Litter help provide the answers to these requests and other questions you may have about this region, which many consider to be ecologically undervalued.

As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have any comments regarding this issue or about Leaf Litter in general, please contact our editor.