Mad River Watershed In-Stream/Riparian
Habitat Improvement Project
Summary

1/01/03 - 12/31/05

As identified in Ohio EPA Stream Survey Reports, the number one limiting factor to the health and diversity of life in Mad River is the lack of in-stream habitat. This is a direct result of the construction of levees and channel modification, to control flooding, as occurred at the end of the 19^th century and into the early part of the 20^th century. It has changed the overall dynamics of the stream and disrupted the ecological balance. It creates an adverse environment for all aquatic life from invertebrates at the lower end of the food chain, to fish at the higher end. During high water events, the energy and velocity of flow is compounded because it is not dispersed by overflowing onto the floodplain or by flowing through the curves and bends of a natural stream channel. Ultimately, these stream channel modifications impact water quality because it removes and alters the natural treatment elements.

Over the past 3 years, over 2 miles of in-stream/riparian habitat improvements have been completed. The success of this project was a result of hundreds of hours of volunteer time from members of the Madmen Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU), Central Ohio Flyfishers (COFF-Columbus), Miami Valley Flyfishers (MVFF-Dayton), Buckeye United Flyfishers (BUFF-Cincinnati) and Northern Kentucky Flyfishers (NKFF). Volunteers were also involved in other watershed projects and activities, not covered by the 319 grant funds, including construction and improvements of parking areas, stream access, riparian cleanup and maintenance, tree and wildflower plantings, education and outreach, placement of watershed signs and logjam removal. The Madmen Chapter of TU has been involved with logjam removals for over 30 years. It has resulted in improved relations with landowners, by removing flow restriction and addressing erosion in a less destructive manner, while creating in-stream habitat (for more information see the web site www.tumadmen.org and the DVD “Mad River – on the Fly”).

Four project areas along stretches of Mad River have been completed with in-stream/riparian habitat improvements. Three of these were identified in the site selection plan (See attachment –“Upper Mad River Watershed Habitat Improvement Site Selection Plan”).The stream segments originally selected from the plan included Watson’s (Mad River Farm Market), Pimtown Road and St. Rt. 29/296. Because of the opportunity to build public relations for watershed protection, the West Liberty Park project was added in 2005 through a cooperative agreement with the Village of West Liberty and the Lions Club. Also, it was determined to postpone work at St. Rt. 36 with the potential of removing the spill way located downstream of the bridge. All sites had unique conditions and needs, but in general all projects involved strategically placed logs, boulders and cobble, to create stream meander, riffle/pools, in-stream habitat and to stabilize the stream banks. All structures are placed at base flow, so they will not restrict flow to the point of flooding or have any impact on drainage.

PROJECTS

Watson’s (Mad River Farm Market) – This stretch of approximately 3,800 feet and extends from just above the railroad trestle downstream to the Sullivan Road bridge on the property owned by Mr. Roger Watson. The landowner has established fifty to sixty foot buffers on each side of the stream and planted hundreds of trees to improve the forestation of the riparian area. In-stream habitat improvements included cabling seventy-two logs and placing over ninety tons of cobble and boulders in thirteen sections of the stream segment where there was identified increase in depth. These structures have survived two record high-water events. Observed improvements include more meander within the channel created by staggered log placement, more riffle/pool structure that includes three new constructed riffles, increase in average depth from twenty-six inches to thirty inches at base flow with some pools deepening to forty-eight inches, improved numbers and diversity of aquatic insects and increased population and aerial extent of fishes from minnows to trout. Continued sampling of the invertebrates and fishes, as well as general water quality testing, will be conducted to measure sustainability of improvements. One benefit of log placement has been an extension of the bank material to the heel of the logs and lessening the destruction of erosion or undercutting tree roots during high river flows. Only time will tell if these conditions are sustained.

Pimtown Road – The State of Ohio owns approximately 3,400 feet of Mad River including twenty to forty feet on each side, from Pimtown Road and extending downstream to the Watson property line. Meander, riffle/pool structure and in-stream habitat exists in the middle section of this stretch but the last 300 feet was void of in-stream habitat and the upper section had severe bank slumping and erosion resulting from bank material makeup of mainly hydric soils and less cobble and gravel. In the upper stretch, eighteen logs were cabled parallel to the toe of the banks and three more were cabled out from the bank extending in an upstream angle. At the end of the stretch, nine logs were cabled in a staggered pattern extending out from the bank at an upstream angle, as was used in the Watson project. For the most part, the bank slump and erosion is under control with resulting cleaner gravels making up the base of the stream. More natural meander with increased depth in the middle of the channel has been observed at the end of the stretch. Trout populations have been observed within the improved in-stream habitat. Future water quality and aquatic life sampling will be conducted to measure any improvements.

West Liberty Park – This project was a cooperative effort between the Mad River Steering Committee, the Village of West Liberty and the West Liberty Lions Club, in the approximately 2,000 foot stretch of Mad River from the Pikeraltown Road bridge downstream to the St. Rt. 247 bridge that runs through the West Liberty Park. In the upper 800 feet or so of the upper stretch eighteen logs were cabled in a staggered pattern, extending out from the bank at an angle, directed upstream. Over forty tons of cobble and small boulders were placed at the heel of the logs, filling in the space between the logs and bank and boulders were placed in the middle of the channel. The placement of the logs, cobble and boulders is intended to deepen the middle of the channel, create meander of flow, control bank erosion and create in-stream habitat. Oxbow Stream Restoration Inc. was hired to construct a lunker structure extending downstream on the east bank, below the mouth of Onion Run. This structure stabilized bank erosion and created in-stream habitat. The project took place in September of 2005, so the success of the project, in terms of water quality and aquatic life, has yet to be observed or measured. The bank erosion seems to have lessened and trout populations have been noted in the created in-stream habitat areas. (See DVD- WDTN Channel 2 – West Liberty Project)

St. Rt. 29/296 – The project took place on property owned by the State of Ohio from the mouth of Kings Creek downstream approximately 2,600 feet. The stream segment below the St Rt. 29/296 bridge was straight and wide, with a shallow flat channel and void of in-stream habitat. Eighteen logs were cabled in a staggered pattern, extending from the banks upstream at an angle. This is intended to deepen the middle of the channel, lessen the bank erosion, create meander and create in-stream habitat. Though the project work took place in October 2005 and there are no observed or measured improvements, the expectations are for similar improvements as with the Watson project.