Ohio's Conservancy Districts

     Conservancy districts are political subdivisions of the State of Ohio, provided for in the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) under Chapter 6101.  They are formed at the initiative of local landowners or political subdivisions to solve water management problems, most frequently flooding.  Each conservancy district operates under the jurisdiction of a conservancy court, consisting of one common pleas judge from each county that is within the district.  Pursuant to implementing its court-approved work plan, a conservancy district has the right of eminent domain, and may charge user fees, levy special assessments, and issue bonds.  In addition to controlling floods, other authorized purposes include: conserving and developing water supply, improving drainage, collecting and disposing of waste, providing for irrigation, and arresting erosion on the Lake Erie shoreline.  Many conservancy districts also provide recreational opportunities in connection with their water management facilities.

Conservancy district authority was frequently used during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s for administering local obligations under the USDA's Small Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention program (P.L.85-566).  When sponsoring projects under this authority, conservancy districts have worked with county soil and water conservation districts to promote watershed protection through accelerated land treatment measures.  Several conservancy districts have served as local sponsors for US Army Corps of Engineers projects entailing reservoir construction, channel work, and Lake Erie shoreline protection.

The conservancy act was enacted less than a year after the devastating 1913 flood as a mechanism for flood prevention and control.  It was the first such statute enacted in the United States, and has served as a model for other states.  It has been amended several times over the years to meet changing needs.  The Upper Scioto Drainage and Conservancy District was established on February 27, 1915 and is still operating today.  The Miami Conservancy District was created four months later, and has been one of the most effective and successful conservancy districts created.  Both of their flood control programs have been financed entirely with local funding.  The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District is the largest in Ohio and has, in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers, provided flood control and recreation since the 1930s with ten lakes and four dry dams.  The next largest is the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District, which has, in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, provided flood control and improved drainage for the Auglaize River Basin.  There are many other conservancy districts that have also been successful in formulating and implementing water management projects in Ohio.  Of the 57 conservancy districts or subdistricts created, 20 are currently active, 22 are inactive, 5 have merged with another, and 10 have been dissolved.

Staff from many of the conservancy districts meet regularly as the Ohio Conservancy District Conference to exchange information, discuss issues, and work toward commonly-held goals.  The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil & Water Resources (ODNR-SWR) assists conservancy districts in an advisory capacity, and serves as a point of contact for conservancy districts seeking state and federal assistance.

ACTIVE CONSERVANCY DISTRICTS 

Black Brook Conservancy District 11968 Mantua Center Road Mantua, Ohio 44255-9303 phone:  330-562-9010 Celeryville Conservancy District 111 Myrtle Avenue Willard, Ohio 44890 phone:  419-935-0171 Chickamauga Watershed Conservancy District 111 Jackson Pike Gallipolis, Ohio 45631-1569 phone:  740-446-6173 East Fork Buck Creek Conservancy District 6874 State Route 54 Mechanicsburg, Ohio 43044 phone:  937-828-1004 Hocking Conservancy District 560 West Union Street Athens, Ohio 45701-2331 phone:  740-592-1792 Hunter's Run Conservancy District P.O. Box 2268 Lancaster, Ohio 43130 phone:  740-569-4593 Leading Creek Conservancy District 34481 Corn Hollow Road Rutland, Ohio 45775 phone:  740-742-2411 Maumee Watershed Conservancy District 1464 Pinehurst Drive Defiance, Ohio 43512 phone:  419-782-8746 Miami Conservancy District 38 East Monument Avenue Dayton, Ohio 45402-1265 phone:  937-223-1271 Millcreek Valley Conservancy District c/o MCWCoC, 1 North Commerce Park Dr, Ste 124 Cincinnati, Ohio 45215 phone:  513-563-0198

Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District PO Box 349 New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663-0349 phone:  330-343-6647 Reno Beach-Howard Farms Conservancy District 643 Donovan Road Curtice, Ohio  43412 phone:  419-836-5031 Rush Creek Conservancy District P.O. Box 56 Bremen, Ohio 43107 phone:  740-569-4500 Sand Beach Conservancy District 6292 Fifth Street Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449 phone:  419-898-6906 Scioto Conservancy District P.O. Box 325 LaRue, Ohio 43332 phone:  740-499-2565 South Licking Watershed Conservancy District 771 East Main Street Newark, Ohio 43055 phone:  740-587-1177 Springfield Conservancy District 515 North Fountain Avenue Springfield, Ohio 45504 phone:  937-323-0488 Upper Scioto Drainage and Conservancy District One Courthouse Square Kenton, Ohio 43326 phone:  419-674-2259 Wabash River Conservancy District 871 Meiring Road Fort Recovery, Ohio 45846 phone:  419-375-2588 Wightman's Grove Conservancy District 2102 County Road 259 Fremont, Ohio 43420 phone:  419-332-0147

   Information contained in this fact sheet was obtained from ODNR, Division of Soil and Water Resources files, the publication entitled Ohio Conservancy Districts, (ODNR-DW, 1975), ORC Chapter 6101, the Ohio Conservancy District Conference, and the directors or staff of Ohio's conservancy districts.  For more information, contact the ODNR-SWR by:

Phone: 614-265-6717,
Fax: 614-265-6767,
E-mail: dswc@dnr.state.oh.us