OTTAWA RIVER STREAM ENHANCEMENT PROJECT REMOVAL

- Newsletters -

January 18, 2006 Release:

• Continuation of view and preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at 10:30 AM - site will be announced.

• Final Hearing will be March 29, 2006 at 2:00 PM - site will be announced.

September 23, 2005 Release:

The Joint Board of Supervisors for the Ottawa River Stream Enhancement Project held the Preliminary Hearing on September 14, 2005 at the Allen County Fairgrounds. The purpose of the hearing was to present the affected landowners within the watershed  a glimpse of what the project would involve and an approximate cost.

Many comments from the Viewing held in August suggested a need to continue the work further west into the Ottawa River and to possibly include some of the tributaries. Upon further investigation, it appeared the need was there to do this work.

As the plan was being developed to continue west, requests came to the office to extend the project even further. After reviewing all the data and consulting with area counties and landowners along the river, the Joint Board approved the requests and extended the project through of Allen County and Putnam County.

The entire Ottawa River from the Hardin-Allen County line to the outlet in the Auglaize River west of Kalida, Ohio in Putnam County will be considered in the proposal. Along with the river itself, two tributaries at the upper confluence, Hog Creek and Little Hog Creek will be included in the project.

The project will consist of removing obstructions, logjams abd debris, removal of leaning or dead trees along the water's edge. The equipment to be used will be articulated log skidderswith cables and winches. Workers with chainsaws and cables will be in the water to remove the material. No equipment will be permitted in the water. The skidders will be able to move easily between the trees on the banks, thus there is no need to do massive tree removal. For the most part, everything along the river corridor will be left undisturbed.  All material removed from the channel will b piled on the outside of the tree line fro the landowners to dispose of.

All landowners in the watershed will be notofied of the next meeting. The project will involve nearly 60 miles of channel and over 100,000 people. Not ony will it affect the agricultural land but also all property in Lima, Shawnee, Elida, Gomer, Lafayette, Ada, Dola, Vaughnsville, Rimer, Columbus Grove, Kalida, Cairo, parts of Cridersville and Beaverdam, along with other small towns. All together, water from five (5) counties will drain into the project area.

For more information, contact the Allen Soil & Water Conservation Office at 419.223.0040 or stop by the office on 3900 Campus Drive Suite A in Lima.