Conserve-Engineer & Tech-Assistance – Success Story

When Franklin County SWCD received an Ohio EPA grant to construct a demonstration 2-stage drainageway, they contacted their DSWR area conservation engineer to assist them with design and construction of the project.

Under quick timeframes in the summer of 2010, the site was surveyed with the assistance of NRCS and engineering plans were developed and construction commenced.

Along with the district technician, the Division’s conservation engineer was also able to provide construction layout for the project, monitor construction for field changes, and provide some post-construction monitoring. 

This project consisted of excavating the floodplain to restore connection to the incised channel. As part of construction, a small inset channel was created to carry normal flow.

The floodplain was also lowered permitting high flows to purge sediment and nutrients thereby restoring the “natural” benefits of a floodplain.

This is one of many conservation practices being explored to restore the health of Ohio’s waterways and just one of many projects that DSWR conservation engineers are in a unique position through which to assist SWCDs and other watershed partners.

Additionally, conservation engineers have successfully worked with livestock producers in the Grand Lake St. Mary’s watershed and other areas across the state to ensure that manure storage structures are constructed to meet state standards and guidelines. In cooperation with Ohio’s SWCDs, conservation engineers assist livestock producers with site selection, geologic investigations, site design, and construction inspection. There are approximately 300 livestock producers in the Grand Lake St. Mary’s watershed and over 30,000 across the state. Professional engineering assistance provided by the conservation engineers is imperative to protect groundwater and surface water resources and for securing federal cost share funds for Ohio, all of which support a prosperous agricultural economy.