FLOW is reaching out to its members in an effort to fill a recently opened position as the FLOW Event/Volunteer Coordinator. FLOW has been an active, effective, and highly respected non-profit community organization for 20 years, with the mission of keeping the Olentangy River clean and safe for all to enjoy through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision makers. This is an excellent and meaningful opportunity to take part in our community effort to improve the Olentangy Watershed by enhancing our mission.
We are currently seeking a qualified individual to perform minor daily office duties and to hold and organize volunteer events. An ideal candidate will be able to work closely with many stakeholder groups, including government agencies, other non-profits, landowners, and community members. Candidates need to independently organize (with minor supervision) and multi-task on several different projects and activities at the same time while providing timely follow-up to project partners and stakeholders. Efficient and effective time management is a must.
Other minimum skills and qualifications:
college degree (a plus but not required)
ability to collaborate and develop positive working relationships
excellent written and oral communication skills
working knowledge of watershed issues
computer skills are important including Microsoft Suite and Google Drive (ArcGIS a plus)
ability to travel throughout the watershed
a valid driver’s license and reliable personal transportation
ability to carry items for service events that weigh up to 40 pounds up a flight of stairs
prepare presentations for public involvement meetings and hold public meetings
maintain records of important documents tracking and recording accurately the hours worked per project.
This is a part-time 18 month contract position to assist FLOW with a variable outdoor service event schedule, administrative and grant duties. Hours can be both variable and flexible and will involve workloads up to 38 hours during some weeks. Winter weekly hours may be lower. The hired contractor will be responsible for paying their own taxes.
Please submit electronic .pdf versions of a one-page letter of interest and one-page resume to info@olentangywatershed.org. The letter of interest should address the applicant’s qualifications and ability to fulfill the duties of this job specifically. Electronic submissions only. References will be required at the time of interview, please do not send references or transcripts with resume.
One of the many ways we are aiming to enhance the health of the Olentangy Watershed is through campaigning for the planting of trees. Our goal is to partner with the Olentangy Watershed community and have everyone planting and caring for trees. We will do this by providing education, ensuring you live in the Olentangy Watershed, and offering free native trees and shrubs. Please go to the registration page by clicking here or by clicking “Grow with the FLOW” above. Registration is open through October 20th.
An great option for Columbus Residents living in Columbus is Branch Out’s Tree Give away on September 30th! Check out the link below!
Special 20th Anniversary Celebration and 2017 Annual Meeting
Saturday June 3rd, 2017 from 1 pm till 2:30 pm
700 Schock Rd, Anheuser-Busch Training Facility
Everyone is invited
Please join us for our Annual Meeting on June 3rd at 1pm at the Anheuser-Busch Training Center at 700 Schrock Road. The Anheuser-Busch facility is huge so follow the FLOW Event signs to the Training Center.
Chairman Dr. Andrew Heckler will provide a presentation on the 2016 Accomplishments by FLOW. Our original Chairwoman Dr. Amanda Lanning Davey will provide the keynote presentation. In addition, members will have an opportunity to vote for new Board Members.
Come and celebrate with us on our watershed successes over the last 20 years thanks to our members, sponsors, board of trustees and thousands of volunteers.
Please join us to celebrate and visit with old friends and make new friends!
We’ve heard it in the news, on social media, and through word of mouth that pollinator species have taken a hit. The Rusty Patched Bumblebee is on the endangered species list and many other bee populations are also in decline. Milkweed is wanted for monarchs and we can all do a little something to help out our pollinating friends. However, efforts on private property to incorporate pollinating species set off a few red alarms for county code inspectors. They are just doing their job when they chop down your beautifully planted pollinator patch and leave you bee-less and with a bill. This is because some species are seen as a fire hazard or are noted as “noxious weeds.” The city is changing their outlook on this code and is now acknowledging the use of pollinators as a horticultural improvement to your property. They do however, want to see that your garden is carefully planned. A site plan will help convince officers that the patch they see as “weeds” is actually an intentionally planted, cultivated, and cared for pollinator garden.
What Is It: A site plan is a document that details improvement specifications through drawing. It is a graphic representation of the buildings, parking, drives, landscaping, etc. of a development project. In terms of pollinator gardens, it should be detailed with specifications such as species and size. The links below will give you the tools to build your own personal site plan and cater it to your specific garden and its needs. If you receive a complaint that your garden is taller than 12 inches, you should call the Code Enforcement Division at 614-645-2202 and explain that your garden is intentionally cultivated and that you have a site plan.
Locations sampled for the 2016 Olentangy River & Tributaries Fish & Habitat Survey
A recent studyof the Olentangy River and two tributaries in Delaware County finds the river mainstem meeting biological criteria for fish communities, but the two tributaries falling short. The study, conducted by Mark Dilley of MAD Scientist Associates in October 2016, reports that the stream health measures for the mainstem have remained stable relative to sampling conducted in 2003 by Ohio EPA at locations upstream and downstream of the study site.
The consistent fish community scores for the mainstem site may be the result of positive water quality and habitat improvements off-setting potentially adverse effects of increasing rates of development in this region of Delaware County, according to Dilley. The positive water quality improvements Dilley identifies include the recent removal of two low-head dams in the area, riparian setbacks that were put into effect, and improved sediment and erosion control practices at construction sites.
Dilley, a professional wetland scientist and certified senior ecologist, worked with Laura Fay and Marci Bird of Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) to develop the study plan. The sampling was conducted in early October by Dilley, Aaron Laver and Jacob Zink of MAD Scientist Associates, and Joe Bevan a FLOW volunteer. Dilley has provided FLOW with the results and findings to help FLOW track water quality trends in the Olentangy River and its tributaries, and to better manage and protect these areas.
The study’s objective was to evaluate the current health of stream habitat within segments of the Olentangy River tributaries and mainstem. Stream health was determined by surveying the fish community using Ohio EPA sampling methodologies, and scoring the results using Ohio EPA’s Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) and Modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb; wading sites only). The condition of the stream and riparian habitat at the sampling sites was surveyed using the metrics of the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). The use by Dilley of the same sampling and evaluation methods used by Ohio EPA, allows for direct comparison with past sampling and future stream studies conducted by Ohio EPA. Tables 2 and 3 in the report compare Dilley’s results with Ohio EPA’s 2003 results for nearby mainstem sites, as well as a comparison with other tributaries. We at FLOW appreciate that this study gives us a much needed glimpse at the current conditions in the watershed.
Results of 2016 Sampling for Fish Communities and Habitat Quality
Stream Name
River Mile
QHEI
IBI/(Miwb)
Olentangy River
Sample Reach 1
22.9
72.25
44 (7.7)
Unnamed
Tributary
Sample Reach 2
0.2
61.25
26
Unnamed
Tributary
Sample Reach 3
0.0
44.25
38
* MIwb only applicable to mainstem (wading) site
An IBI score of 40 is needed to meet biological criteria for a wading stream, that is designated warm water habitat. This table was excerpted from Table 2, 2016 Olentangy River & Tributaries Fish & Habitat Surveys, Dilley.
It was mid-October 2016 and a light fog was giving way to a crisp, clear autumn morning at the Sunny 95 Park and Pond in Upper Arlington, Ohio. The daybreak was welcomed by a transient contingent of neighbors, joggers and dog-walkers. A flock of Mallards casually cruised the pond. A frisky canine viewed the waterfowl intruders. The ducks and the furry, four-footer had a vocal exchange on the legal, though non-binding, water rights to the pond. The debate was ruled a draw. No harm, no “fowl”. The avian delegation flew off; the domesticated mammal strutted away with its owner. A representative snapshot of activity surrounding a local pond in the lower Olentangy watershed. All creatures, large and small, human and not, can enjoy and benefit from a healthy aquatic environment.
The Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) has grant funding (designated the Adopt-A-Pond program) thanks to a generous grant from LUSH Cosmetics. This program will help to improve the habitat and aesthetics of local ponds through the planting of native (soil stabilizing) plants. Multiple benefits of planting native vegetation include: increase the health of the Olentangy watershed, increase the variety of plants and birds around the pond, support native pollinators, provide food and habitat for butterflies and moths, provide more color and blooms, and reduce bank erosion and the rate of pond sediment fill.
The Sunny 95 Pond is located in the lower Olentangy watershed and was selected as a site to be included in FLOWs Adopt-A-Pond Grant program. The pond is a one-third acre storm water retention pond centrally located within the 15-acre Sunny 95 Park development. The park is located at the intersection of Windham Road and Carriage Hill Lane in Upper Arlington (UA). The park is a result of a decade-past UA master development plan resulting in the demolition of Langston Park and construction of multiple family-oriented facilities at the site. Completion of the new park area was opened to the public in 2010.
In early fall 2016, Laura Fay, FLOW Science Committee Chairman, and Steve Cothrel, Superintendent of Parks & Forestry, Parks and Recreation Department, The City of Upper Arlington, met on-site at Sunny 95 Park to discuss possible water quality enhancements to the Sunny 95 Pond. The pond shoreline currently had a variety of plants and tall ornamental grasses around its banks. However, a central fountain and resulting small wave action causes noticeable scouring and bank erosion. Scouring is especially noted along the eastern edge of the pond, primarily due to the prevailing westerly-southwesterly winds common in central Ohio. In addition, professional services for algae control and periodic dredging is part of planned maintenance for the pond in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Mutual agreement was made by Laura and Steve to add an additional variety of native aquatic plants to the pond shoreline and to plant several native trees just beyond the pond landscape. Lisa Metcalf, Horticulturist, Parks & Forestry, Parks and Recreation Department, The City of Upper Arlington, coordinated the selection and planting of plants and trees.
In mid-October, a trio of FLOW members and two staffers from The City of Upper Arlington, Parks & Forestry, Parks and Recreation Department, gathered at the Sunny 95 Pond to plant a variety of indigenous aquatic plants. Twenty-six native flora were selected and delivered on site by Gale Martin, Natives in Harmony, Marango, Ohio. The list of botanicals included:
Asclepias incarnata (red/swamp milkweed), Eupatoriadelphius maculates (spotted joe pye), Hibiscus mosheutos (crimson-eyed rose mallow), Mimulus ringens (monkey flower), and Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush). With shovels in hand, the new vegetation was planted at four different locations around the pond shoreline.
Danielle and Sarah planting pond plants
Bob delivering plants to Lisa for planting
In late-October, FLOW and UA Parks and Recreation Department staff met again. This time the group convened to add several trees to the park landscape just southwest of Sunny 95 Pond. Three native trees were selected from Willoway Nurseries (aka Premier Plant Solutions): Betula nigra (river birch), Quercus bicolor (swamp white oak), and Quercus rubra (northernred oak). The two oaks had a sturdy 3-4 inch caliper trunk thickness. The river birch exhibited multiple 1-2 inch trunks from its base root ball. The trio of trees was 12-15 feet in height. With strong mind and body, holes were dug, tree root balls set in place, and surrounding rings of mulch spread. As the trees flourish and grow, they should provide additional shade to the pond.
Special thanks to FLOW members Laura, Danielle, Bob and UA Parks & Forestry, Parks and Recreation Department personnel Lisa, Sarah, Scott, Veronica, and Jim. All contributed mightily in the joint effort to support FLOWs Adopt-A-Pond project and planting of the aquatics and trees at the Sunny 95 Pond.
To date, the FLOW Adopt-A-Pond grant program has enhanced water quality and public awareness for multiple ponds in the lower Olentangy watershed. The Sunny 95 Pond project is one of the latest. FLOW has limited additional funding for this program and has recently reached out to local pond owners. The non-profit is seeking several additional participants interested in partnering with FLOW to add nature’s beauty and its benefits to their aquatic ecosystems.
Trees and Pond Plants making a difference at Sunny 95 Pond in Upper Arlington
Join FLOW and our watershed partners on October 28th for the 13th Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum. The forum is a full day of news, networking and getting out on the river to learn about the many efforts underway in both the upper and lower watersheds of the Olentangy River. This year the forum will feature speakers from Del-Co Water Company, the City of Delaware, Ohio EPA and the Delaware Regional Planning Commission, along with updates from FLOW , the Olentangy Watershed Alliance and Preservation Parks of Delaware County, and a canoe trip in the afternoon.
8:00 – 9:00 – Doors open for registration, coffee, and networking session
9:00 – 9:10 – Welcome and Introduction -David Hoy, Stratford Ecological Center
9:10– 9:40 – Jeff Kauffman, Del-Co Water Company, “Monitoring the Watershed”
9:40–10:10 – Brad Stanton, City of Delaware,“Delaware Run Restoration Project”
10:10 – 10:25 – Break
10:25 – 10:55 – Harry Kallipollitis, Ohio EPA, “Stormwater and Clean Water Act Mitigation Projects in the Olentangy”
10:55 – 11:40 – State of the Watershed Updates:
Update from Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) by Science Committee Member Laura Fay. FLOW was formed as a non-profit 501(c)3 in August 1997. FLOW’s mission is to keep the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe for all to enjoy, through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers.
Update from the Olentangy Watershed Alliance (OWA). The Olentangy Watershed Alliance (OWA) was formed in April 1999, with a mission to work in partnership with farming, urban and other local communities to understand, appreciate and responsibly use the Olentangy River, its tributaries and watershed. OWA’s vision is to enhance and preserve the water quality, natural integrity, scenic beauty, and recreational value of the Olentangy River watershed in partnership with diverse community interests.
Update from Preservation Parks by Mary VanHaaften. The mission of Preservation Parks of Delaware County is
to protect and conserve the natural and historic features of Delaware County and to inspire outdoor exploration and learning.
11:40 – 12:10- Scott Sanders, Delaware Regional Planning Commission, “Delaware County Development Outlook” aka Projections for 2050.
12:10 – 1:00 – Lunch and Networking
1:00 – 4:00 Field Trip- Canoeing on the Scenic Olentangy River with Heather Doherty of ODNR Scenic Rivers Program.
Please indicate if you want to canoe when you register. The field trip will be weather dependent.
The Olentangy Watershed Forum is presented by the Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW), the Olentangy Watershed Alliance (OWA), Delco Water Company, the City of Delaware and Preservation Parks of Delaware County.
This summer, Ohio residents will be living among the types of mosquitos that spread Zika and West Nile viruses.
Zika has been linked to serious birth defects. It is not known whether Zika will arrive in Ohio this year, although the mosquitos that spread it are expected to be here.
West Nile often has mild or no symptoms, but it can cause neurological damage in some individuals.
You can conduct your war against these unwelcome attackers by denying them the standing water they need to reproduce. This is by far the most effective way to reduce the number of mosquitos.
If you live in the City of Columbus and got a rain barrel through Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District’s GreenSpot program, you can get free rain barrel water treatment through Columbus. You should be contacted within a few weeks and offered 180-day treatment for your rain barrel. If you are not contacted, you can check your eligibility by calling 614-645-6153 or emailing rainbarrel@columbus.gov.
You can also buy Mosquito Dunks, Mosquito Bits, or similar products that will interrupt the mosquito life cycle. These are harmless naturally-occurring bacteria.
In the absence of these controls, use up the water in your rain barrel at least once a week. It takes 7-10 days for the eggs to become mature mosquitos.
Backyard Ponds
You have a couple of options for your pond:
• Koi are too large to eat mosquito larvae, but goldfish and guppies will do the job and will get along well with your other fish.
• Mosquitos require shallow or still water, so consider adding a waterfall or fountain.
• Use Mosquito Dunks, Mosquito Bits, or similar products.
Other Containers
Empty the following at least once a week:
• birdbaths
• vases
• pet water bowls
• flowerpot saucers
• discarded tires
• buckets
• pool covers
• birdbaths
• trash cans
The Ackerman Ponds show how quickly a goose-infested area can be turned into a destination for butterflies and honey bees. Constructed in 2010-2011, the two grass and stone ponds were part of the storm water facilities for the Ohio State University’s Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. The stone slows the storm water flow, prevents erosion, and encourages particles to settle out of the water.
Though designed to be dry between rains, the Ackerman Ponds were often full of water due to a persistent leak from an adjacent water main. This submerged and distressed the lawn grasses and became a nesting area for Canada geese. In addition to being a nuisance, Canada geese droppings degraded the retained water. Once the water main was fixed, the water receded and the geese left, but the distressed vegetation had to be addressed.
In 2014, volunteers from Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) and WOSU planted native forbs, grasses, two hackberry trees and one burr oak tree. Ohio State Facilities Operations and Development – Landscape Services planted an additional dozen native trees from the School of Forestry’s greenhouse. These trees included oak, locust, cherry and hickory, among others.
After one year, the native foliage has grown at an impressive rate. In addition, the native perennial flowers have already begun to attract butterflies and honey bees. These ponds continue to provide stormwater retention, and the plants help filter the stormwater and provide habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.
Thanks to Lush Cosmetics for funding for this exciting project.
This summer, Ohio residents will be living among the types of mosquitos that spread Zika and West Nile viruses.
