A Continuing Problem for the Black River Watershed

Soil erosion in the Black River basin is detrimental in so many ways.  Sediment deposited on stream bottoms interferes with the reproductive cycle of many fish species, thus reducing the diversity and numbers of species in the aquatic environment. Suspended sediments irritate and clog the gills of many fish, while also reducing the amount of light available to aquatic plants that provide habitat protection for fish and much of the macro-invertebrate (bug) community upon which the fish feed.

The Black River RAP Stage One Report identified impairments to fish communities as a result of the loss of streamside vegetation and the lack of adequate soil erosion controls on farms and construction sites.  Throughout the RAP Process, these sources have continually been identified as the largest contributors to sedimentation in the Black River. 

Agricultural Land Uses
Agricultural and rural activities, such as farming and animal feed-lots, are major contributors agricultural runoff and nonpoint source pollution. These land uses disturb of natural waterways such as wetlands and floodplains, while encroaching upon the riparian corridor.  These land uses are also responsible for the runoff of pesticides, nutrients and animal wastes into the Black River.

Construction Sites
Urbanized and developing areas directly contribute to nonpoint pollution problems through urban runoff, disturbances of the natural waterways, e.g. wetlands, floodplains and riparian corridor, construction & post-construction activities; increases in the amount of impervious surfaces, the introduction of storm drains in the hydrology of the watershed and through the lack of storm water management planning.

This project was financed in part through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency  and the United States Environmental Protection  Agency, under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.  These grant  monies were matched in part or totally through funding by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency  (NOACA) and in-kind contributions from local agencies.