Wills Creek Watershed - Crossroads RC&D

W I L L S C R E E K W A T E R S H E D 

Contributing Writers & Editors: 

Jennifer Chapman Kleski 

Sandra Chenal 

Darrin Lautenschleger 

Graphic Design: 

Christy Reed 

Published by 

Crossroads Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc. 

Funded by: 

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency 

Printed by: 

Blooms Printing, Inc., Dennison, Ohio 2004 

W I L L S C R E E K . . . O U R B A C K Y A R D W A T E R S H E D 

© 2004 Crossroads Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc. 

LM:GSWCD


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Crossroads RC&D expresses its appreciation to all those who generously gave permission to 

reprint and/or adapt copyrighted material. Diligent effort has been made to identify, locate, 

and contact copyright holders, and to secure permission to use copyrighted material. If any 

permissions or acknowledgements have been inadvertently omitted or if such permissions 

were not received by the time of publication, the publisher would sincerely appreciate 

receiving complete information so that correct credit can be given in future editions. 

Input was provided by members of the Wills Creek Watershed Education Committee: 

Linda Atkinson, Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District; Darrin Lautenschleger, 

Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Stan Rosenblatt, US Army Corps of Engineers, 

Lora Meredith, Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District; and Dan Imhoff, Ohio 

Environmental Protection Agency. Additional input was provided by Dr. Lorle Porter and 

Maureen Wise. 

Special thanks to the following organizations 

and individuals who provided photos or graphics: 

Government Agencies & Photographers: 

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) 

Sandra Chenal (SC:NRCS) 

Mark Giles (MG:NRCS) 

Steve Hibinger (SH:NRCS) 

Karl Schneider (KS:NRCS) 

Tom Sewell (TS:NRCS) 

Steve Welker (SW:NRCS) 

Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) 

Jim Bishop (JB:MWCD) 

Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District (MSWCD) 

Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District (GSWCD) 

Lora Meredith (LM:GSWCD) – Cover Photo 

Van Slack (VS:GSWCD) 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) 

Mike Williams (MW:ODNR) 

ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management (ODNR) 

Gary Novak (GN:ODNR) 

Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District (TSWCD) 

Katrina Baltic (KB:TSWCD) 

Scott Briggs (SB:TSWCD) 

Copyright photos: 

Sandra Chenal (SC) 

Jennifer Chapman Kleski (JCK) 

Gary Kaster,American Electric Power (GK:AEP) 

Linda Russell (LR) 

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer 

4 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

What is a Watershed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Geology, Understanding the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 

Ecology, Understanding the Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 

Water Quality, A Measure of Watershed Health . . . . . . . . . . . .12 

Measuring Water Quality with Physical Characteristics . . . . . . .14 

Measuring Water Quality with Plants and Animals . . . . . . . . . .16 

Measuring Water Quality with Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 

Land Use and How It Impacts Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 

Forestland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 

Forest Best Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 

Agricultural Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 

Agricultural Best Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 

Mined Land and Best Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 

Urban Land and Best Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 

Residential Land and Best Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . .34 

Recreational Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 

Recreational Best Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 


5 

SC:NRCS


WHAT ISa Watershed ? 

WHAT ISa 

Watershed ? 

Everyone lives in a watershed. A watershed is an area of land in which all the water drains down to a common outlet. 

All the land in the Wills Creek Watershed drains to Wills Creek. As the water moves down the slopes and across 

the surfaces, it is influenced by the land and how we use it. It travels across forests, farms, suburban lawns and city 

streets through streams, lakes and wetlands as surface water, or it seeps into the soil and moves as groundwater. 

A watershed does not acknowledge political boundaries and includes all living things within its boundaries as 

members of its community. Every living thing in the Wills Creek Watershed is part of the same watershed community. 

To the 

Muskingum River 

Watersheds 

Come In All Sizes 

Watersheds can be very 

large or very small. Small 

watersheds come together 

to form larger watersheds 

which in turn come 

together to form even 

larger watersheds. The 

small streams flowing 

through your back yard 

are all part of a group of 

sub-watersheds flowing 

together to form the Wills 

Creek Watershed. Wills 

Creek Watershed is part 

of the group of watersheds 

that flow together to form 

the Muskingum River 

Watershed, which drains 

into the Ohio and 

Mississippi Rivers. 

6 

WILLS CREEK 

MUSKINGUM 

Watershed 

MISSISSIPPI 


Watershed The Importance of 


The Wills Creek Watershed is 

located in East Central Ohio 

and is comprised of 436,600 

acres (682 square miles) and 

contains an estimated 1,390 

miles of waterways. 

VS:GSWCD 

NRCS 

Wills Creek flows north through Guernsey County into Coshocton 

County. There it turns west and moves across the Muskingum and 

Coshocton County line several times before emptying into the 

Muskingum River just north of Adams Mills in Muskingum County. 

Healthy Watersheds 

Threatened Healthy Watersheds 

Healthy watersheds are some of the nation’s 

most precious resources. With populations 

growing and development increasing, healthy 

watersheds are being threatened. Most 

threats are caused by land use. Activities 

such as clearing forestlands, paving new 

roads and parking lots, application of 

fertilizers and pesticides, plowing of 

farmlands, and release of improperly treated 

waste water affect the health of a 

watershed. 

The Watershed Approach 

Clean water is essential for the health of the 

Wills Creek Watershed community. All living 

things within the watershed community are 

dependent on the water that flows through it. 

The water is like a memory of the land over 

which it flows. Land that is abused and 

polluted is reflected in the quality of the water. 

We need to consider ways each of us can 

help protect, maintain and improve the 

water quality of our watershed. One such 

way is through the use of the Watershed 

Approach. The Watershed Approach 

considers all activities within the watershed 

that affect its health. It emphasizes the 

relationships among land management 

decisions, everyday actions and watershed 

health. 

Why is Water Quality 

Important? 

Where Does the Water We Drink Come From? 

The water we drink comes from both 

private and public water supplies. Both 

surface and groundwater are used as a 

supply source. 

Approximately 32% of all households in 

Guernsey County obtain their water 

from private water sources with the 

majority being rural households.The primary 

source for the private water supplies is 

groundwater from drilled wells. Other than 

household use, private water supply uses 

include commercial, livestock and irrigation 

mostly from surface water sources. 

Public water supplies 68% of all households 

in Guernsey County. The source of the 

public water is both surface and 

groundwater. 

PUBLIC AVG USAGE 

WATER SUPPLY SOURCE SUPPLY TYPE GALLONS PER DAY 

Cambridge Reservoir Filled by Wills Creek Surface 3,586,000 

Byesville 8 Drilled Wells Ground 1,053,000 

Quaker City Leatherwood Creek Surface 48,000 

Cumberland 2 Drilled Wells Ground 54,250 

Pleasant City 3 Drilled Wells Ground 51,000 

Western Guernsey 

Service Co. 

Purchases Water from Cambridge Surface 183,000 

Kimbolton Purchases Water from 

Guernsey Co. Water Dept. 

Surface 21,600 

Guernsey Co. 

Water Dept. 

Purchases Water from Cambridge Surface 679,000 


7 

JCK 

MW:ODNR 

Small Mouth Bass 

Micropterus dolomieu 

Thrives in medium to large streams, 

with good water quality, current, gravel 

or rock bottom, and banks with 

dense patches of waterwillow. 

MW:ODNR 

Water strider or Pond skater 

Gerris remigis 

Lives primarily on still waters, but 

also is capable of walking on the 

surface of running water. 

Yellow (sweet) Buckeye 

Aesculus octandra 

Grows in moist areas. Fruits are 

smooth, unlike the Ohio Buckeye.


GEOLOGY 

A watershed can be described as being made up of several 

pieces: the land, ecology and water resources. Together 

these pieces form an environment unique to the watershed. 

The following pages describe each of the pieces and how 

they work together to form Wills Creek Watershed. Within 

these descriptions a better understanding is provided as to 

how these pieces fit together to form a healthy environment 

in which to live, work and play. 

The Bedrock 

the beginning 

The bedrock foundations on 

which Wills Creek is built were 

formed approximately 350 to 250 

million years ago during what is 

termed the Paleozoic age. 

During this period of time, a 

great sea occupied what is now 

Ohio. The sea was bound to the 

east by the ancestral Appalachian 

Mountains. Rivers flowed from 

the mountains carrying coarse 

rock and debris which were 

deposited in the sea forming 

large deltas. The level of the 

sea fluctuated over time. This 

produced alternating layers of 

non-marine and marine rock. 

The great systems of alternating 

sedimentary rock produced by 

these actions are known as 

the Mississippian and the 

Pennsylvanian systems. The 

non-marine layers consist of 

sandstones, clays, shales and coals 

and the marine layers consist of 

black shales and limestones. 

understanding the Land 

8 

SC:NRCS 

The Glacier 

Development of the Regional Drainage System 

Beginning approximately 2 million years 

ago during the Pleistocene Epoch, huge 

continental glaciers formed and moved 

southward over Ohio. Prior to glaciation, 

drainage in Ohio flowed north. With the 

advance of the glaciers, thick blocks of ice 

and debris blocked the north-flowing 

rivers. This created large glacial lakes that 

fingered into the smaller streams. As the 

lakes filled with sediment and water, an 

outlet formed, diverting the ancestral 

Muskingum River from a westerly course 

to its present day southerly course. 

THE SHAPINGof Wills Creek Watershed 

The shape of the land, or its landform, influences the watershed and 

how it functions as an ecosystem. Landform is dictated by the local geology, 

topography, soil type, climate and the way people use the land. In turn, all this 

affects the quality and quantity of the resources within the watershed. The 

landforms as observed today in the Wills Creek Watershed are the result of 

the development of the land surface over a vast expanse of geologic time. 

The landforms are expressed as topographic features such as hills, 

ridges and valleys. These features were shaped by 

water through the active processes of erosion, 

weathering and deposition. 

LM:GSWCD 

LM:GWSCD 

Well 

Typical Geologic Strata 

in the Wills Creek Watershed Area 

Topsoil 

Sandstone 

Shale 

Limestone 

Coal 

Clay 

Groundwater 

The Soils 

The soils of Wills Creek Watershed developed under a deciduous forest cover in a humid, 

temperate climate. The upland soils formed on materials developed in place from the 

weathering of the underlying bedrock. The soils on the floodplains developed from alluvial 

material deposited as streams carried it down from the surrounding hills. 

The Land 

changing how water flows 

as we now see it 

GLACIATED 

UNGLACIATED 

Today Wills Creek Watershed is dissected by many small stream drainways forming a pattern, 

similar to branches on a tree, called a dendritic drainage pattern. In the upper reaches of the 

watershed, narrow ridges are separated by deep valleys with steep side slopes. Narrow 

floodplains occupy these valley bottoms. In the lower reaches of the watershed, broad valleys 

have formed between the ridgetops. Terraces are prominent along these valleys. 

VS:GSWCD 


ODNR 

9 

MW:ODNR 

Indigo Bunting 

Passerina cyanea 

Common in hedgerows and wood 

margins. Males are blue while 

the females are plain brown. 

MW:ODNR 

Dusky Salamander 

Desmognathus fuscus 

Stream side salamander typically found 

along banks of gorge bottom streams. 

Prefer hiding under flat rocks. 

MW:ODNR 

Black Willow 

Salix nigra 

Shrub or tree; Pioneer species 

invading moist soils.Valuable for 

control of streambanks.


ECOLOGY 

RIPARIAN 

HABITAT 

The transition area 

between the land 

and water is called 

Riparian Habitat. 

It is sensitive to 

changes in water 

levels and other 

influences that result 

from changes in the 

land use or climate. 

Stream Ecosystems 

Wills Creek starts as small streams. These small 

streams flow across the landscape and flow together to 

form larger streams and 

eventually Wills Creek. 

Because the physical 

characteristics of 

small streams 

and their larger 

counterparts 

are different, 

the habitat 

conditions for 

plants and animals 

also are very 

different. 

JCK 

understanding the communities 

JCK 

Floodplain 

10 

The Wills Creek Watershed is full of life! From the 

smallest microscopic plants like algae, to large mammals 

like the white-tailed deer, each can be found in the various 

types of environments, or habitats located throughout the 

watershed. Each habitat provides the necessary 

ingredients for a unique community of plants and animals, 

or ecosystem. Ecology is the study of this interaction of 

living things and their environment. Understanding the 

connection between the land, the water, the plants and 

the animals is key to helping us understand the effects of 

our actions on the health of our watershed community. 

Ecosystems 

The land and the 

NRCS 

community of plants 

and animals that live along 

the edges of rivers and streams make up floodplain 

ecosystems. Material and organisms are supplied and 

trapped by the floodplain as water levels rise and fall. 

As water levels recede, organisms and materials 

such as nutrients released from organic matter are 

fed back to the river. This exchange of materials 

between river and floodplain is essential for 

maintaining and supporting the stream ecosystem. 

MW:ODNR 

Wetland Ecosystems 

Wetlands are the most productive 

ecosystems. Wetlands are areas where 

the water table is at or near the surface 

of the land, or where the land is covered 

with shallow water. Many wetlands are 

associated with aquatic ecosystems and 

occupy their fringes. Wetlands provide 

benefits such as flood storage, 

groundwater recharge, sediment 

filtration and nutrient removal. It is 

estimated that there are 25,000 acres of 

wetlands in the Wills Creek Watershed. 

AQUATIC 

HABITAT 

Aquatic Habitat refers 

to the environment of 

the water in streams, 

lakes, wetlands and 

groundwater. How 

the land is used in the 

region that drains 

into the water (its 

watershed) greatly 

affects the quality of 

the habitat. 

LM:GSWCD 

Forested 

Upland 

Ecosystems 

TERRESTRIAL 

HABITAT 

The most common habitat in the 

Wills Creek Watershed is the land, 

which is called Terrestrial Habitat. 

It is commonly grassland, 

forested, agricultural or urban. 

The forested upland ecosystems of Wills Creek are the most 

abundant. These ecosystems are found among the rolling hills 

covered in dense hardwood forests. Common tree species found 

in upland areas are hickory, maple, oak, beech and ash.These tree 

types provide an abundance of food and shelter for common 

animals like squirrel, deer, turkey, raccoon and birds. 

Groundwater Ecosystems 

Groundwater contains many minerals and supports a number of 

microscopic as well as macroscopic plants and animals like shrimp, 

snails, mites, worms and insect larvae. Groundwater seeps out onto 

the land through springs and provides base flow for streams during 

dryer months. Groundwater is a major source for drinking water. 


VS:GWSD 

11 

SC 

MW:ODNR 

River Otter 

Lontra Canadensis 

Dark brown with a paler belly; 

throat is often silver-gray. Lives in fresh 

water such as lakes, rivers or streams. 

MW:ODNR 

Hellgrammite 

Corydalus cornutus 

The aquatic larvae of the Dobsonfly. 

It is commonly used as bait by fishermen. 

Lives on the bottom of streams attached 

to rocks. Indicator of good water quality. 

MW:ODNR 

Cardinal Flower 

Lobelia cardinalis 

A striking plant of streambanks 

and damp meadows.


WATER QUALITY 

Just like doctors test blood to determine a 

person’s health, water quality indicates the 

health of the watershed. As water flows 

across the land, it picks up pollutants and 

carries them to other places. These 

pollutants can be found in the lakes and 

streams, and can cause changes to the 

aquatic environment, affecting plants and 

animals. Scientists measure three main 

aspects related to water - the plants and 

animals in the water, the chemical 

characteristics of water, as well as the 

physical characteristics related to water. 

With these measurements, scientists can 

determine the overall quality of the water, 

identify sources of pollution and begin to 

plan how to improve the watershed health. 

The physical characteristics of water includes such things 

as turbidity (how clear or cloudy the water is) and 

temperature. The physical characteristics of the water 

body includes: stable channels, the transport of nutrients, 

the volume and speed of the water, the streambed material 

and log jams. 

a measure of watershed health 

JCK 

WATER QUALITY 

characteristics 

Scientists have determined the key features which influence the health 

of aquatic communities.These features are grouped into three main categories: 

physical characteristics, biological characteristics and chemical 

characteristics. Based on these three main categories, standards 

for water quality have been established. 

12 

Biological characteristics refer to the number and types of 

individual species that live in an aquatic community. Some 

types of plants and animals are more sensitive to chemical 

and physical changes in their habitat than others. If a large 

number of species that are sensitive to pollution are 

present in an aquatic community, then the water quality is 

most likely good. 

Key Components of the Water Quality Standards 

LIMITED 

RESOURCE 

WATER 

Small streams 

which have been 

irretrievably 

altered to the 

extent that no 

appreciable aquatic 

communities can 

be supported or 

those which lack 

water year round. 

POOR 

Ohio Water Quality Standards have 

been written by the Ohio 

Environmental Protection Agency as a 

result of the passing of the Federal 

Clean Water Act.The principal goal of 

the Clean Water Act is to restore and 

maintain the chemical, physical and 

biological integrity of surface 

waters. The water qualities standards 

help determine how clean Ohio's 

water bodies need to be to provide 

for healthy aquatic communities. 

GOOD 

EXCELLENT 

MODIFIED 

WARMWATER 

Incapable of 

supporting a well 

balanced 

community of 

aquatic organisms 

due to extensive, 

maintained 

hydromodifications 

which have been 

sanctioned by state 

or federal law. 

WARMWATER 

Supports a 

balanced 

community of 

aquatic organisms 

expected to be 

found in typical 

Ohio streams. 

Chemicals in the water can influence aesthetic 

qualities such as how water looks, smells and 

tastes. Chemicals in water can also determine 

whether or not it is safe to use or to swim in. The 

chemical properties of water include things like 

pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients. 

13 

EXCEPTIONAL 

WARMWATER 

Supports and 

maintains an 

exceptional or 

unusual 

community of 

warmwater aquatic 

organisms. (All state 

lakes and reservoirs 

and some streams 

and rivers are 

designated as this.) 

JCK 

COLD WATER 

Capable of 

supporting 

populations of 

coldwater fish and 

associated 

vertebrate and 

invertebrate 

organisms on an 

annual basis. 

Usually maintained 

by direct 

groundwater 

input. 

Water Quality Standards 

for Wills Creek 

In 1990 the Ohio Water Quality 

Standards were changed to include 

the condition of the aquatic biologic 

community. Ohio EPA divided Wills 

Creek into 73 distinct stream 

segments. Of these, 60 were 

designated Warmwater Habitat, and 

13 were designated Limited Resource 

Water.Those Limited Resource 

Waters were found to be unable to 

support a well balanced aquatic 

community due to impacts resulting 

from acid mine drainage from 

abandoned coal mines. 


JCK 

MW:ODNR 

Spring Peepers 

Pseudocris crucifer 

Found in woodlands near temporary 

ponds and/or swamps where trees 

and shrubs are in standing water. 

MW:ODNR 

Southern Redbelly Dace 

Phoxinus erythrogaster 

Most often found in headwater streams 

having clear water, well developed 

pools and clean substrates composed 

of sand, gravel and cobbles. 

Slippery Elm 

Ulmus rubra 

Found mostly in rich soil 

and on moist slopes. 

MW:ODNR


MEASURING WATER QUALITY 

The shape of a stream, the 

amount of tree cover over 

it, as well as the color and 

temperature of the water 

are examples of physical 

characteristics that can 

indicate good or bad water 

quality. By observing and 

measuring these features 

and comparing them to 

similar areas, predictions 

can be made as to whether 

a particular stream or water 

body can support life, and 

what kind of animal life it 

can support. How water 

bodies are managed can 

have a major impact on the 

life found in the watershed. 

Substrate 

Stream substrates consist of the materials in 

contact with the bottom and sides of the 

stream. In most cases, steep, faster streams are 

dominated by larger rocks and slower, flatter 

streams will have finer materials. 

Turbidity 

Turbidity is a measurement 

used to evaluate the amount 

of matter suspended (or 

suspended solids) in the 

water. High turbidity or 

colored water is harmful to 

SC:NRCS 

most aquatic life. It usually is 

caused by excessive amounts of soil erosion or high levels of 

nutrients and algal booms. Low turbidity - or clear water - is 

good for aquatic life. 

with physical characteristics 

What Physical Characteristics are Measured? 

Sinuosity 

Most streams don’t flow in a straight 

line but curve.This feature is defined as 

a stream’s sinuosity and is a measure of 

how many curves a stream has.This Sshaped 

path prevents water from 

moving too quickly, preventing flooding 

downstream. 

14 

In Stream Cover 

Just as humans need shelter for 

protection, so do aquatic animals.This 

shelter is provided by undercut banks, 

rootwads, logs, boulders, shallow and 

deep pools.These are important for a 

stream to support a healthy aquatic 

community. 

Sediments 

Sediment is material on the stream bottom that 

comes from upland and streambank erosion. 

These materials range in size from sands to fine 

silts.Too much silty material from excess erosion 

chokes aquatic life. Changes in land use in a 

watershed will change sediment types in a stream. 

Riparian and Canopy 

It is very important to have plants near the shoreline.Trees and shrubs along 

streams as well as other riparian vegetation provide a canopy that shades 

aquatic ecosystems from direct sunlight keeping the water cool. It also 

provides nutrients in the form of leaves and woody debris.Vegetation along 

the stream helps to stabilize the streambank with roots, decreasing erosion. 

The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) 

QHEI was designed to measure physical habitat 

of streams. Six physical characteristics are scored 

on a scale ranging from 0-100. The final score 

ranks the habitat on its ability to sustain life. 

RANGES ARE: 

Less than 45 . . . .Modified Warmwater Habitat (MWH) 

/Limited Resource Habitat 

46-60 . . . . . . . . .MWH or Warmwater Habitat (WWH) 

Greater than 60 . . . . . . . . . . .WWH/Exceptional WWH 

Stream Shape 

The shape of a stream differs greatly among different streams and 

is determined by four things: the size of the substrate, flow, slope 

and load (the amount of substrate and sediment carried by the 

stream). Streams are formed and changed by the water and the 

load they carry. A stream is constantly trying to maintain a balance. 

If any one of these four things change the other three will change. 

If the changes are great enough, the stream will become 

imbalanced, changing the shape of the stream and disrupting the 

aquatic ecosystem. 

Temperature 

One of the most commonly measured physical characteristic of water quality 

is temperature. Temperature influences many of the physical, chemical and 

biological processes that occur in aquatic ecosystems. Thermal pollution is 

the warming of a water body above what is considered normal temperatures. 

This type of pollution can occur near industrial plants and can include water 

running off of hot parking lots, and removal of the trees that shade streams. 


JCK 

15 

JCK 

MW:ODNR 

Baltimore (Northern) Oriole 

Icterus galbula 

Common in tall elms, 

distinguished by their black head 

and black “T” on their tail. 

MW:ODNR 

American Toad 

Bufo americanus 

Habitat ranges from urban backyards 

to the mountain wilderness. 

MW:ODNR 

Wool-Grass 

Scirpus cyperinus 

Grows in clumps in wet places. 

When in bloom, fruit appears 

very fuzzy (wooly), brown.


MEASURING MEASURiNG WATER QUALITY 

Some plants and animals live in the water and cannot 

escape the effects of an unhealthy ecosystem. Because 

some of these organisms are more sensitive to chemical 

and physical changes in their habitat than others, they 

can be used as indicators of water quality. By evaluating 

the size, number and types of organisms such as 

plants (algae), vertebrates (fish and frogs) and 

macroinvertebrates (insects, snails and worms), 

scientists can accurately assess the aquatic community 

and the health of a watershed. These organisms are 

called biological indicators. 

Why Sample? 

The data collected during a biological assessment can be 

used to identify water bodies that are in need of special 

protection. They also can detect impacts that would not 

be identified with chemical tests alone. The goal of 

biological assessment is to evaluate all factors affecting the 

aquatic ecosystem. 

Vertebrates 

MW:ODNR 

Fish, amphibians and reptiles are at or close to the top of 

the aquatic food chain. Fish populations convey information 

about the overall health of the aquatic ecosystem as well as 

about individual fish species. Fish are relatively easy to 

sample and identify in the field, and the environmental needs 

of most fish species are well known. Amphibians such as 

salamanders and frogs compose the upper portion of the 

food chain in headwater streams that are not large enough 

or flow deep enough to support a fish community. 

with plants and animals 

FOOD CHAIN 

16 

MW:ODNR 

Macroinvertebrates 

JCK 

Macroinvertebrates, the most widely used biological 

indicators, are animals without backbones that are larger 

than 1/2 millimeter (the size of a pencil dot). 

Macroinvertebrates are considered the "middleman" in the 

aquatic food chain. Macroinvertebrates include crustaceans 

such as crayfish, mollusks such as clams and snails, aquatic 

worms and the immature forms of aquatic insects such as 

stonefly, caddis flies, beetles and mayfly nymphs. 

By sampling the number and kind of macroinvertebrates, 

estimates can be made on the water quality. In general, the 

higher the numbers of organisms and the higher the number 

of species, the better the water quality. 

Electrofishing is a harmless way 

to collect fish, take the needed 

measurements and return them 

to the water. Electrofishing uses 

a battery or alternator to send 

a mild electric pulse through 

the water to stun the fish. Fish 

are collected in a net as they 

surface. 

Plants 

Algae have a rapid reproduction rate 

and short life span. This makes algae 

an effective "early warning" indicator 

of physical or chemical changes to the 

aquatic ecosystem. For example, an 

excess of nutrients can feed algae, 

causing algae blooms. 

Sample Results of the 

Wills Creek Watershed 

A total of 76 miles of Wills Creek was 

assessed by the Ohio EPA with the 

following results: 

• Five (5) species of fish have been 

lost in the Wills Creek 

Watershed: Muskellunge, 

Shorthead Redhorse, Emerald 

Shiner, Golden Shiner and 

Banded Darter. 

• 9.9 miles was in full attainment 

of warmwater habitat. 

• 15.7 miles was in non-attainment 

(stream segment) located from 

Byesville to 10 miles down-stream 

of Cambridge. 

• 50.4 miles was in partial 

attainment and is attributed to 

the fish community not meeting 

warmwater habitat biocriteria. 

• Mean QHEI score for all sites 

surveyed was 44, suggesting the 

fish communities are not likely 

to achieve the warmwater 

biocriteria because of poor habitat. 

• Causes of Impairment: 

pathogens, alterations to habitat, 

flow alterations, dissolved salts, 

nutrient enrichment, siltation, 

other inorganics, ammonia, 

metals and total organics. 


17 

SC:NRCS 

MW:ODNR 

Eastern Box Turtle 

Terrapene carolina carolina 

Mainly terrestrial, but sometimes soak 

themselves in mud or water. Hot, dry 

weather cause them to hide under 

logs and rotting vegetation. 

MW:ODNR 

Dragonfly Larva 

Anax junius 

Lives on the bottoms of small streams 

where substrate is clean. 

MW:ODNR 

Common Witch Hazel 

Hamamelis virginiana 

Flowers bloom in the late fall and are 

yellow-orange. Found in moist woods 

and along stream sides. Extract of bark 

used for medicinal purposes.


MEASURING WATER QUALITY 

with chemistry 

Even the purest of water contains countless chemicals. It would 

not be practical to measure all of them. Scientists therefore focus on 

the chemicals that are most important in identifying problems.The kind and 

amount of chemicals found in streams and groundwater are closely linked to land 

use. In agricultural areas studies measure chemicals found in manure, fertilizers and 

pesticides. In industrial areas studies focus on measuring chemicals used by the nearby 

industries. In mined areas studies focus on the chemicals found around abandoned mines. 

Chemicals play an important role in determining the health of the watershed community. 

Reducing the amount of problem causing chemicals used and applying these chemicals more 

efficiently can help improve the health of our watershed community. 

Hardness 

Water hardness is the total 

concentration of calcium, 

magnesium, iron, and manganese 

in the water.Water rich in these 

elements is said to be "hard." Water hardness is related to the 

geology of the watershed. Soaps and detergents do not work as 

well in hard water. Hard water leaves hard, scaly deposits on 

faucets and builds up on pipes. This is why many people install 

water softener systems in their homes. 

18 

What Chemicals are Measured? 

Nutrients 

Nutrients are essential for plants and animals. Fertilizers contain 

common nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen to help yards and 

crops grow. Nutrients come from both natural sources and human 

activities. It is possible to have too many nutrients. For example, 

excessive amounts of nitrogen can lead to an overgrowth of aquatic 

plants and algae. As these plants die and microbes use oxygen to 

decompose the plants, it leads to even smaller amounts of oxygen 

dissolved in the water. Common sources of excessive nitrogen include 

sewage and agricultural runoff. Elevated nitrogen levels may indicate the 

presence of one or both of these forms of pollution. 

Fecal Coliform 

Fecal coliform is a bacterium that occurs in the digestive tracts of 

warm-blooded animals and helps in digestion. Fecal coliform can enter 

aquatic resources by direct contact from mammals and birds, 

agricultural runoff, or from open or broken sewers. Fecal coliform 

itself is not harmful, but is used as an indicator of the presence of fecal 

waste which may contain additional harmful microbes. Disease causing 

microbes can cause health problems ranging from common diarrhea 

and ear infections to deadly diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, or even 

typhoid fever. It is suggested that individuals should not have total 

body contact with water containing levels of fecal coliform greater 

than 200 colonies per 100 milliliters of water. 

Drinking Water Standards 

A national standard for drinking water has 

been developed by the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA). All municipal 

(public) water supplies must be measured 

against these standards. 

Primary drinking water standards regulate 

organic and inorganic chemicals, harmful 

microorganisms and radioactive elements 

that may affect the safety of drinking water. 

These standards set a limit--the Maximum 

Contaminant Level (MCL)--on the highest 

concentrations of certain chemicals allowed 

in the drinking water supplied by a public 

water system. 

Secondary drinking water standards regulate 

chloride, color, copper, corrosiveness, foaming 

agents, iron, manganese, odor, pH, sulfates, 

total dissolved solids, and zinc, all of which 

may affect aesthetic qualities of drinking 

water like taste, odor, color and appearance. 

Iron, pH, dissolved oxygen, and 

acidity are some tests used on water 

from abandoned mines. 

Chemical Impacts to Wills Creek 

Chemical pollutants can cause a wide variety of 

disturbances to the stream from loss of habitat 

to a loss of a variety of aquatic life. Exposure to 

chemicals can also cause physical deformities 

(lesions and tumors) in the organisms. The 

contaminants in Wills Creek Watershed are: 

dissolved solids, nutrient enrichment, siltation, 

inorganics, ammonia, metals and total organics. 

The most commonly measured 

chemical attribute of water is its 

pH. The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14 

with 1 being the most acidic and 14 being 

the most basic. Most streams have a 

neutral to slightly basic pH of 6.5 to 8.5. 

Most aquatic life lives within a pH range 

of 6 to 8.5. A shift of pH in either 

direction from neutral may indicate the 

presence of a pollutant in the stream. 

Low pHs can be the result of acid rain, 

industrial sources or mine drainage. 

IN GRAINS/GALLON 

Less than 1.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Soft 

1.0-3.5 . . . . . . . . .Moderately Hard 

3.5-7.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hard 

7.0-10.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Very Hard 

Over 10.5 . . . . . . .Extremely Hard 

Commonly measured chemicals include pH, hardness, nutrients, 

and dissolved oxygen. In addition, some "chemical" measurements 

actually indicate the physical presence of pollutants in water.These 

include measurements such as acidity and conductivity. The 

presence of fecal coliform, a bacterium, is also determined using a 

chemical test. One of the most common measurements used in 

water quality testing is parts per million (ppm). Parts per million is 

a unit representing the proportion of the number of molecules of 

a compound out of a million molecules of water. 

EXAMPLES 

JCK 

Dissolved Oxygen 

Dissolved Oxygen 

(DO) is the amount of 

Oxygen dissolved in 

water. Oxygen is 

necessary for the 

survival of nearly all 

living things - even 

those living in water. 

Two main sources of 

dissolved oxygen in 

aquatic ecosystems are 

the atmosphere and 

aquatic plants. Oxygen 

from the atmosphere is 

added to water as it 

moves over rocks and 

waterfalls.Aquatic 

plants add oxygen to 

water as a byproduct 

of photosynthesis. Cold 

water can hold higher 

amounts of DO than 

warmer water. 

KB:TSWCD 


19 

pH 

MW:ODNR 

Red Fox 

Vulpes vulpes 

Lives on forest edge. The red fox 

is known for its cleverness. 

MW:ODNR 

Northern Two-line Salamander 

Eurycea blislineata 

Common brookside salamander, 

but also found less commonly 

near springs or seeps. 

MW:ODNR 

Buttonbush 

Cephalanthus occidentalis 

Shrub of wet places with flowers 

in round ball-like heads.

L A N D U S E I N T H E W I L L S C R E E K W A T E R S H E D 

LAND USE 

and how it impacts water quality 

The system of lakes and streams in 

the Wills Creek Watershed Basin is 

like the life blood for the entire 

watershed. During rainfall 

events, each raindrop can 

dislodge soil, carrying the soil 

across the earth’s surface into 

streams. As the water washes 

over the ground, it dissolves and 

moves whatever may be on the 

surface, including pollutants like oil 

from parking lots and chemicals from 

yards and gardens. Therefore, how 

the land is used will determine what 

kind and what amount of material 

the water runoff will carry. By 

understanding how the land uses can 

affect water quality, we can reduce or 

eliminate negative impacts. The 

methods used to protect the 

environment are called best 

management practices. 

NRCS 

Did you know? 

In Ohio, on average a total 38 inches of precipitation falls per year, of 

that: 26 inches enter the soil surface through infiltration; 20 of the 26 go to 

soil storage and return to the atmosphere by the combined processes of 

evaporation and transpiration. The remaining 6 inches recharge the 

groundwater supply.Two of these 6 inches eventually move to springs, 

lakes or streams as groundwater discharge.The remaining 4 inches 

return to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration or are 

withdrawn to supply water needs. 

CROPLAND 

17% 

PASTURE 

21% 

20 

OTHER 

4% 

URBAN 

6% 

FOREST 

52% 

Non-Point Source Pollution Point Source Pollution 

This is pollution that comes from many sources. It is 

caused by surface water moving over and through the 

ground.The runoff picks up and carries away natural 

and human made pollutants, depositing them into 

lakes, rivers, wetlands and even groundwater. This 

class of pollutant is very difficult to control because 

often the sources cannot be directly identified, only 

the impacts of the pollutants are observable. 

DISCHARGE 

Types of Water Pollution 

Storm Water Discharges from Various Land Covers 

Hydrographs show the speed at which precipitation 

as storm runoff reaches a stream. The severity of the 

storm event and the general shape of the land 

determines the shape of the hydrograph. Storm runoff is 

greatly increased by land use changes.The hydrograph plots 

the rate of flow of water (termed discharge) against time. 

URBAN 

Urban Curve: A steep tall curve 

represents a lot of flow over a short period 

of time as seen with the urban curve. Urban 

runoff is rapid due to the many impervious 

surfaces. This causes the streams to flash 

flood, increasing the probability of property 

damage. 

21 

This is pollution that enters a 

stream through a pipe or a 

distinct source. Discharges 

from municipal wastewater 

treatment plants, combined 

sewer overflow and industrial 

plants are all considered 

point source discharges. 

changes the way water flows 

TIME 

AGRICULTURAL 

FOREST 

Forest Curve: A gentle low curve 

represents a steady flow of water over an 

extended period of time as seen with the 

forested curve. The forest vegetation slows 

the rate of runoff. This enables the stream 

to effectively move the water reducing the 

likelihood of flooding. 


What is an invasive plant? 

Invasive plants are usually characterized by 

fast growth rates, high fruit production, 

rapid vegetative spread and efficient seed 

dispersal and germination. Since these 

plants are not native to Ohio, they lack the 

natural predators and diseases which 

would naturally control them in their 

native habitats. 

MW:ODNR 

Autumn-Olive & Russian-Olive 

Elaeagnus umbellata, E. angustfolia 

Non-native, deciduous shrubs or small 

trees that grow to 20 feet tall. Found 

in areas such as pastures and fields, 

grasslands and sparse woodlands. 

MW:ODNR 

Garlic Mustard 

Alliaria petiolata 

Found in shaded and upland and floodplain 

forests, yards, along roadsides, and 

occasionally in full sun. It invades forests 

first at the edge, then progresses to 

the interior along streams and trails. 

MW:ODNR 

Purple Loosestrife 

Lythrum salicaria 

Occurs mostly in wetland environments, 

but when well established, it can survive 

drier conditions. It adapts readily to natural 

and disturbed wetlands.


FOREST Land The vast majority of the land use in the Wills Creek 

Watershed is forests. Once entirely forested, almost all 

of the trees were cut during the late 1800s. Today 

approximately 52% of the land in the Wills Creek 

Watershed is forestland. Forests provide the timber for 

the forest products industry which produces lumber and 

other wood products. In addition, forests provide habitat 

for wildlife, protection from soil erosion and recreational 

opportunities such as hunting and hiking. Healthy forests 

can lead to a healthy watershed. 

The Forest 

raw material for an industry 

Forestry as an industry includes many operations, from tree 

planting to harvesting. Four major methods have been 

developed for harvesting timber. They are: 

8 In clear cutting, all trees in a given area are cut. Reproduction is 

obtained by artificial planting or by natural seeding from trees bordering 

the cleared areas.This method produces even-aged stands, allows control 

of stand composition and is conducive to mechanized harvesting and 

disposal of slash, or logging debris. 

8 Selection cutting maintains a forest of mixed ages by harvesting specific 

species of trees of specific sizes, and in pre-planned specific areas. This 

method is expensive and may cause injury to younger trees during logging. 

This method provides continuous cover and an attractive forest. 

8 In the seed tree method, about 10 percent of the trees in the cutting 

area are left in an evenly spaced pattern as a natural seed source. 

8 The shelterwood method, which involves the removal of the mature 

trees in cuttings over a 10-to-15-year period, promotes natural 

reproduction and produces relatively even-aged stands. 

GK:AEP 

22 

The Forests in Wills Creek 

5% 

in White Pine 

plantation 

5% 

of the bottomlands 

Beech-Birch 

40% 

Cherry-Ash-Poplar 

30% 

Oak-Hickory 

The oak hickory forest is the 

primary forest cover of Southeast 

Ohio and is the largest and 

most diverse forest in the 

Eastern US. The oak hickory 

forest type generally occurs 

on low sloped south and 

southwest facing slopes. 

Dominant species are white 

oak and chestnut oak, shagbark 

hickory and formerly the 

American chestnut. 

Timbering of the original forest followed first 

by cultivation and grazing and then by neglect 

is the complex background for many of the 

weedy, shrubby areas of southeastern Ohio. 

Red maple, black cherry and big tooth aspen 

flourish in mismanaged forests. 

Did you know? 

Ohio has 300 species of trees and shrubs 

including 100 hardwood species and more than 25 

softwood species. Ohio's forests are covered by 

97% deciduous trees (leaves drop in the autumn) 

and 3% by conifers (trees that have needles 

and don’t produce flowers). 

How Forests Can Impact Water Quality 

Forests protect water quality by stabilizing banks, 

moderating water temperature, taking up nutrients and 

filtering pollutants. The extensive network of tree roots 

holds the soils of the bank in place, reducing erosion and 

keeping the streambanks and shorelines stable.The shade 

helps reduce water temperatures and maintain high 

oxygen levels that benefit many kinds of aquatic species. 

Fallen leaves and other organic debris deposited in the 

water provide "food" for aquatic life. 

Harvesting trees in the area beside a stream can 

impact water quality by reducing the streambank 

shading that regulates water temperature and by 

removing vegetation that stabilizes the streambanks. 

These changes can harm aquatic life by limiting 

sources of food, shade and shelter. These activities 

also increase sedimentation downstream. 

LAYERS OF THE FOREST 

Benefits 

CANOPY 

A canopy is described as 

closed if the trees' foliage 

overlaps; if it does not, it is 

said to be open. 

MIDSTORY 

This is the foliage 

level of the forest. 

UNDERSTORY 

Forest floor; brush, 

shrubs, and other 

small plants are 

found at this level. 

of forests 

Forests provide habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals and perform many other important 

functions that affect humans. Trees use carbon to produce oxygen for breathing during the process 

of converting sunlight to energy. The stems, leaves and roots of trees, as well as the forest floor, 

provide natural filters for municipal water sources, such as lakes and rivers, reducing water 

treatment costs. When it rains, the forest canopy intercepts and redistributes precipitation that 

can cause flooding and erosion. The canopy is also able to capture fog, which it distributes into 

the vegetation and soil. Forests also increase the ability of the land to store water. The forest 

floor can hold as much as five times its weight in water and a tree contains water in its roots, 

trunk, stems and leaves. Because of all this stored moisture, forests help to maintain an even flow 

of water in rivers and streams in times of flood or drought. The roots of the trees and other 

vegetation hold the soil in place and control erosion from wind and rain, reducing flooding and the 

sedimentation of streams and rivers. 

23 

FOREST EDGE 

This is where a 

forest meets a 

clearing, such 

as a meadow, 

prairie or 

urban area. 


SC 

A HISTORICAL 

PERSPECTIVE 

Ohio Forest Cover 

When the settlers arrived in the 

late 18th century, Ohio was a 

vast forested wilderness. Over 

95% of Ohio was covered with 

trees over 5 feet in diameter. It 

was said that a squirrel could 

cross the state without ever 

touching the ground.The early 

settlers cut and burned these 

trees to provide housing, produce 

charcoal, and to clear land for 

agriculture, a necessity for 

survival. These stands of timber 

produced as much as 45,000 

board feet per acre (a board foot 

is one foot wide, one foot long 

and one inch thick).Today, local 

forests produce about 4,000 

board feet per acre. 

By 1940 the forest cover in Ohio 

was as low as 12%. Since then, 

the amount of forest land has 

increased to approximately 30%. 

White pine, a non-native species 

in the Wills Creek Basin, was 

planted in the 1930s as a part of 

the Civilian Conservation Corps, 

a work program during the 

depression. White pine makes up 

about 5% of the forest cover in 

the basin. 

Forest Cover in Ohio


FOREST Best Management Practices 

Best management practices for forestlands focus on managing forests for timber productivity, 

wildlife diversity and controlling sediment during logging operations. By preventing damage to 

streams from heavy equipment, water quality can be protected. Developing a management plan for 

forests and harvesting activities can be the key to reaching goals of creating wildlife habitat and 

productive timber stands, as well as providing for a healthy forest and watershed. 

SC:NRCS 

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 

You Can 

Manage Your 

Forest and Protect 

Water Quality 

Before harvesting, hire 

a professional forester 

for Landowners 

who will help you plan 

the harvest. Roads, stream 

crossings and log landings 

ODNR should be carefully located 

to protect water resources. 

Trees may be harvested from a forest area that is adjacent to a body of water 

while still preserving water quality. 

harvesting adjacent to a water body: 

Important rules to consider when 

8 If a tree casts shade on water, leave it. 

8 Single tree selection harvesting is the only cutting method that 

should be used in the forest area adjacent to the body of water. 

8 If using forest management chemicals, carefully follow 

the label instructions. 

8 Maintain at least a 50-foot-wide buffer of woods beside a watercourse. 

8 File an operation and management plan with 

the local Soil and Water Conservation District. 

8 Use a written contract when selling timber or using vendors of 

forestry services. 

24 

Developing a plan 

to care for your forest 

The careful development of a forest management plan in consultation 

with a professional forester is essential if landowners are to achieve 

their desired ownership objectives.The forest management plan is 

the blueprint of activities for caring for the forest. It is important 

to remember, too, that the management plan is not "cast 

in stone," but is an evolving plan that should be 

periodically reviewed and updated. 

Cows and Forests Don’t Mix 

Wills Creek is composed of 34,000 acres of 

forestlands, of which 26,000 are grazed by 

domestic livestock. Erosion rates are 

approximately 5.8 tons per year for a total soil loss 

annually of 151,000 tons. Grazing forested areas is 

detrimental to soil and water quality, reduces 

timber production, eliminates wildlife food and 

cover and decreases bird and small mammal 

populations. In addition, some woody species are 

poisonous to the animals. 

NRCS 

Always fence livestock out of forests 


for Loggers 

JB:MWCD 

Stream Crossings 

Most detrimental effects of harvesting are related to 

the access and movement of vehicles and machinery, 

and the dragging and loading of trees or logs. Poor 

harvesting and transport techniques can increase 

sediment production by 10 to 20 times and disturb as 

much as 40 percent of the soil surface. In contrast, 

careful logging disturbs as little as 8 percent of the soil 

surface. Key points to remember are: 

• Cross at a right angle, if possible. 

• Logs should not be skidded through flowing streams. 

• Avoid wet and critical areas such as wetlands. 

• Use roads for moving harvested products such as logs, tree lengths or 

other round wood products, from the stump to a common landing. Haul roads 

should be properly designed and constructed. 

• Consider the use of hay/straw bales or silt fence to control erosion during haul road construction. 

• To avoid serious erosion problems keep all haul roads between 2% and 10% slope. 

Forest Roads 

1.A buffer must be maintained between any woodland 

road and watercourse. 

2.The road system should be properly designed before 

construction begins. 

3.The road system should be designed with proper 

stream crossings and/or water control structures 

like culverts, ditches, barriers, water bars and broadbased 

dips. 

4.Roads and landings should be properly retired if no 

longer needed. 

HELP is Available. 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry provides 

planning assistance to landowners on managing forestlands. Soil and Water 

Conservation Districts review erosion control plans submitted by loggers. 

Private Foresters can assist landowners on timber harvests. 

25 

GSWCD 

Placing temporary bridges over streams 

can keep stream disturbances at a 

minimum, eliminating sedimentation. 


KS:NRCS 

THINGS 

YOU CAN DO 

TSWCD 

PLANT A TREE 

Use proper tree planting procedures to 

make sure the tree has the best chance 

for a long life. 

1. Plant the right tree in the right place. 

Use native species of trees and be 

aware of overline wires, rights of ways 

and specific soil and water requirements. 

2. Dig the hole as deep as the rootball 

and twice as wide. 

3. Loosen the soil around the hole with 

the shovel. 

4. Remove the container from the 

rootball. (The roots are like the tree's 

blood vessels and they work best if 

they are not all twisted and knotted 

up, so you might need to straighten 

them out if they are circling around 

after having grown in the container). 

5. Place the tree in the hole, making sure 

the soil is at the same level on the tree 

as when the tree grew in the garden 

center. If your tree has burlap around 

the rootball, place the tree in the hole 

and then carefully untie the burlap. 

Leave the burlap lying in the bottom of 

the hole (this is OK - the burlap will 

simply turn into organic matter over a 

period of time). 

6. Fill in around the rootball with soil 

and pack the soil with your hands and 

feet to make sure that there are no air 

pockets. 

7. Make a little dam around the base of 

the tree as wide as the hole with left 

over soil or grass clumps to hold in 

the water. 

8. Give your new tree a good soaking of 

water to help settle it into its new 

home. 

9. Protect trees from animals and 

equipment damage by using tree shelters.


AGRICULTURAL 

Agriculture in the Wills Creek Watershed not only 

Land 

is a very visible activity, it’s also big business.Wills 

Creek Watershed contains about 166,000 acres of 

agricultural land, which accounts for 39 percent of 

the land use. Hay and cattle make up the main 

agricultural products. Maintaining a healthy 

environment is critical to maintaining a healthy 

agricultural industry; that is why farmers were 

among the first conservationists in the area. 

Agriculture in the 


Although declining in recent years, the agricultural industry has 

been important in the history of the watershed, and still 

encompasses 39 percent of the land use. Since the time the forests 

were cleared for agricultural purposes in the early 1800s, much of 

the area remains in agricultural production today. After extensive 

strip mined areas were reclaimed, much of the land was planted to 

grass to prevent soil erosion.This is now being used as pasture or 

hay for beef cattle.The average size farm in the watershed is 184 

acres. Hay and corn for grain are the predominant crops grown. 

The predominate livestock industry is beef cattle. 

Since the first settlers arrived in Wills 

Creek, their survival was dependent 

on what could be produced off the 

land. This dependency was based on 

the soil’s ability to produce enough 

food. In the early days small farms fed 

individual families. Today with the 

mechanization of modern farm 

SC:NRCS 

equipment, farms have grown and now 

feed many, many people. The average size of a farm has increased 

from 99 acres in 1924 to 184 acres in 1996. 

The agricultural industry has declined within the Wills Creek 

Watershed.There are fewer acres in pasture land (198,956 in 1924) 

and fewer crop acres planted (118,667 in 1924). 

26 

LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION 

ANIMAL NUMBER 

Beef cattle/calves 50,000 

Dairy Cows 2,400 

Hogs 8,000 

Sheep/Lambs 2,600 

Agriculture in Wills Creek Today 

Livestock is the major agricultural industry in the 

region with pasture land encompassing 91,686 acres, 

some of which has been strip mined and reclaimed. 

Hay and corn are the predominant crops grown in the 

watershed with cropland encompassing 74,222 acres. 

How Agriculture Can Impact Water Quality 

NRCS 

Manure Storage allows for proper handling of waste. 

Confined livestock operations can produce a large 

amount of animal waste. This waste must be 

dispersed in a proper way, over the appropriate 

number of acres, so that plants can absorb the 

nutrients in the material and excess nutrients do 

not enter into the stream. 

Proper handling, 

application, and 

disposal of agricultural 

chemicals and fertilizers 

are vital to the health 

of our watershed 

community. Water that 

runs off the land carries 

these excess materials 

and can pollute the 

rivers, lakes, and 

streams. 

NRCS 

NRCS 

SC 

Gully erosion washes away 

precious topsoil. 

Pond covered with algae 

Allowing livestock to graze in woodlands 

increases soil erosion. Grazing animals 

along riparian corridors destabilizes 

the streambank, which causes soil 

erosion and reduces the quality of 

the riparian corridor. In addition, 

animal waste can directly enter 

streams. This increases the nutrient 

levels in the water and alters the habitat 

by increasing algae and other plant life. 

This decreases the dissolved oxygen 

available for aquatic life. 

Growing crops on highly erodible land increases the potential for soil erosion. 

Erosion not only reduces the ability to raise crops in the future, but it 

produces sediment in suspension throughout the watershed ecosystem. 

Turbidity in the water influences plant and animal life by not allowing sunlight 

to penetrate and putting a coating of soil particles along the substrate. 

Within Wills Creek Watershed 74,222 acres are planted in cropland. Of these 

acres, 16,000 acres are located within soil units classified as highly erodible. 

The current erosion rate in the Wills Creek Watershed is 5.8 tons of soil loss 

per year.This translates into a total annual soil loss of 151,000 tons! Most of 

the soil lost is topsoil, the most productive and fertile part of the soil. 


27 

NRCS 

A HISTORICAL 

PERSPECTIVE 

NRCS 

Dust Bowl Timeline (1931-34) 

1931: 

Drought strikes the Midwestern and Southern plains. 

Over plowed and overgrazed fields were starting to lose 

their precious topsoil to the wind. 

1932: 

There are 14 dust storms reported at year’s end. 

1933: 

· March: Franklin Roosevelt starts his first term. 

· March: Soil Conservation Service is created by 

President Roosevelt. 

· April 14: The worst black blizzard in U.S. History, is 

coined Black Sunday. 

· April 15: Dust Bowl is named the day after Black 

Sunday. 

· April 27: Hugh Hammond Bennett (Father of Soil 

and Water Conservation), sways the Congress into 

declaring Soil erosion a national menace. Outside the 

Congressional hearing is a dust storm. 

· May: Farmers lose a year’s worth of crops and face 

foreclosures. 

· September: With hunger and displaced families on 

the rise, the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation is 

formed, which distributes apples, meat, beans, flour and 

cotton. 

· There are 38 dust storms by year’s end, children in the 

Midwest scurry to school with moistened cloths clutched 

to their noses. 

1934: 

· May: Drought reaches historical proportions,27 states 

are severely affected, and it consumes more than 75 

percent of the country. 

· June: Many more farmers are facing failed crops, the 

Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act is passed to restrict 

the ability of banks to dispossess farmers in times of 

distress. 

· In the “Yearbook of Agriculture” for 1934 it stated, 

“Approximately 35 million acres of formerly cultivated 

land have essentially been destroyed for crop 

production...100 million acres now in crops lose all or 

most of the topsoil;125 million acres of land now in crops 

is rapidly losing topsoil…” 

· The first great dust storm kicks up in the Great Plains, 

and sends dust to the nation’s capital where the sun is 

blotted out, drives grit into the teeth of New Yorkers 

and scatters dust on the decks of ships 300 miles out 

to sea.


AGRICULTURAL 

In order to minimize the impact that agriculture can have on the environment, farmers need to manage each aspect 

of production. In the Wills Creek Watershed region, the three main ways that agriculture can influence water quality 

are through crop production, livestock operations and the general operations around the farmstead like mixing and 

storage of fertilizers and chemicals. Each of these land uses has specific ways they need to be managed; these 

methods of management are called agricultural best management practices. 

Pastureland 

Well-Head Protection 

It is very important to keep the well 

covered at all times to prevent 

contamination and children from 

entering the well. Do not store 

hazardous materials near the 

well. 

Agrichemical 

Handling Facility 

These special 

areas provide 

protection and 

a safe storage 

place for 

chemicals and 

fertilizers. It also 

contains any spills 

when mixing 

chemicals. 


A well managed pasture will be productive and profitable as well as environmentally 

beneficial.The purpose of best management practices in pastures is to balance the 

growth of pastures with the grazing of animals and to protect the environment from 

the effects from animals such as trampling the soil and contamination from the 

waste they produce. 

NRCS 

Best Management Practices 

The homestead is the center of the farm; it is where the house and barns are located and 

also where most of the action takes place. BMPs at the homestead are designed 

to prevent contamination from animal waste, chemicals or fertilizers. 

NRCS 

Homestead 


28 

Fencing Cows Out of a Stream 

reduces the direct deposit 

of animal wastes and 

sediment to a stream 

or other waterway. 

KS:NRCS 

VS:GSWCD 

Manure Nutrient Management 

Properly storing, handling 

and spreading manure can 

decrease contamination 

to fresh water sources. 

Properly spreading 

manure cuts chemical 

fertilizer costs and 

reduces nutrient losses. 

SB:TSWCD 

Cropland 


Grassed Waterways 

are placed in natural drainage 

ways or swales to reduce gully 

erosion. Grassed waterways 

are not farmed, but left in 

permanent grass and mowed. 

The primary purposes of 

Cropland BMPs are to reduce soil 

erosion that keeps precious 

topsoil out of the streams and on 

the farm fields, and to manage soil 

additives such as chemicals and 

fertilizers that can pollute water. 

Contour Strip Cropping 

Contour strip cropping involves 

planting small grain crops or hay in 

strips in between row crops along the 

contours of the hill. Crops like hay hold 

the soil in place and catch any soil that 

may erode from the row crops. 

Conservation Tillage 

keeps some of 

last year’s crop 

residue on the 

soil surface. By 

leaving more 

residue on the 

field, wind and 

water erosion are 

reduced greatly. 

Fertilizer and Nutrient Management 

Animal waste (manure) contains important plant nutrients including nitrogen, 

potassium and phosphorus. In order to prevent these nutrients from polluting 

waterways, and to utilize the nutrients, manure is spread on cropland. This 

reduces the need to add chemical fertilizers for crop production. 


Government assistance is available for any landowner wishing to conserve 

soil and protect the environment. Local Natural Resource Conservation 

Service, Soil and Water Conservation District or OSU Extension Service all 

have valuable knowledge concerning how to manage land and what 

government agencies can do to help. 


MG:NRCS 

NRCS 

29 

NRCS 

NRCS 

A HISTORICAL 

PERSPECTIVE 

NRCS 

Dust Bowl Timeline (1935-42) 

1935: 

· Storms are increasing in severity, wind erosion is 

becoming a public issue. 

· Six deaths a week are attributed to a strange malady 

dubbed “dust pneumonia.” 

1936: 

· The Soil Conservation Service publishes a soil 

conservation district law, which, if passed by the 

states, allows farmers to set up their own districts to 

enforce soil conservation practices for five-year 

periods. This is one of the few grass-roots 

organizations founded under the New Deal that is still 

assisting landowners. 

1937: 

· In Roosevelt’s second inaugural address, he states “I 

see one-third of the nation ill-housed, ill-clad, illnourished...the 

test of our progress is not whether 

we add more to the abundance of those who have 

much; it is whether we provide enough for those who 

have too little.” 

1938: 

· The extensive work of re-plowing the land into 

furrows, planting trees in shelterbelts and other 

conservation methods results in a 65% reduction in 

the amount of soil blowing. However, the drought 

continues. 

Fall 1939: 

· Rain comes, finally bringing an end to the drought. 

During the next few years, with the coming of World 

War II, the country is pulled out of the Depression 

and the Plains once again become golden with wheat. 

1940: 

· World conflicts bring our nation closer to war each 

passing month and intense pressures are developing 

on farmers to increase food production on the land 

they manage. 

1941: 

· May 16: House Bill 646, which becomes the Ohio 

Soil Conservation District Enabling Act when it is 

signed by Governor John W. Bricker on June 5, 1941. 

1942: 

· October 22: Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation 

District is organized and is the 8th district to form in 

the state of Ohio.


MINED LAND 

The abundance of natural resources in the Wills Creek Watershed was 

instrumental in the economic development of the region. Raw 

materials such as coal, oil, gas, clay, limestone, sand and gravel still 

contribute to the economy.These industries also have the potential to 

adversely affect our water quality, so utilizing best management 

practices is essential to protect our watershed environment. 

Coal 

and Best Management Practices 

Coal mining has had 

the most impact on 

the landscape in 

the Wills Creek 

Watershed, with 

about 1/3 of the area 

affected by surface 

mining since 1960. 

NRCS 

From 1800 until 

1948, underground 

mining was the principle method of mining. Mining 

was done by hand until 1889 when electric powered 

machines were introduced. There are approximately 

63 documented underground mines in the area.Today 

coal is mined both in underground mines and through 

surface mining. 

Surface mining is characterized by giant earth moving 

equipment. These machines are capable of handling 

several thousand cubic yards of material per hour. 

Once a cut is made, the overburden (spoil) is placed 

on the side, where the next cut fills the holes left by 

the first pass. 

How Coal Mining Can Impact Water Quality 

Prior to 1977, the mining industry was not required to reclaim 

land similar to the way it was before it was mined. These old 

mined areas, or abandoned mines impact water quality in two 

main ways. Erosion of spoil and the resulting sedimentation and 

turbidity of the water course is one way that mining affects water 

quality. 

Even more detrimental than sedimentation, are the minerals that 

are transported in the water, resulting in acid mine drainage. 

Pyrite, a mineral found in the 

mine spoil reacts with air and 

water to release metals such as 

iron, aluminum, and manganese. 

These metals cause the water to 

be acidic, having a low pH. The 

red that forms on rocks in water 

affected by mining is iron, the 

result of a chemical process 

similar to rust on a car. 

TS:NRCS 

30 

Mining 


Treating Acid Mine Drainage 

Today, the 

coal mining 

industry is 

GN:ODNR 

required to restore the land similar to the way it 

was prior to being mined. BMPs used to do this 

are: re-grading the land to the approximate 

original contour, installing erosion and 

sedimentation controls, and planting grasses or 

trees to re-vegetate the land. 

In order to improve the water from old abandoned mines the spoil areas, 

(sometimes called gob piles) need to be covered with good soil and vegetated. 

If the water is coming from underground sources, it can be treated with 

either active or passive treatment. Active treatment requires mechanical 

additions of material such as lime to add alkalinity to neutralize the water. 

Passive treatment involves building a system that will add alkalinity without 

any mechanized or manual effort, such as passing the water through a 

channel filled with limestone. Just like the calcium in Tums, the calcium in 

limestone takes the acid out! 


31 

SC 

A HISTORICAL 

PERSPECTIVE 

COAL 

The first recorded coal mine (Gaston 

Mine) was opened in 1850 on the 

George Scott Farm about 3 miles east 

of Cambridge. In 1882, the Akron Coal 

Company opened a mine called “The 

Akron” 2 miles south of Byesville. This 

mine is known for two innovations: the 

first to install the Harrison Punching 

Machine and the Czechoslovakians, who 

later became numerous in the mining 

communities, first began to work at this 

mine. 

OIL & GAS 

Shortly after the settlers arrived in the 

area, an oily substance was discovered 

on the waters of the upper course of 

Wills Creek. The petroleum oozing 

from the ground was called Seneca oil 

because it was believed to be the same 

kind of oil found in New York and 

named for the Indian tribe Seneca. 

Seneca was the name given to the creek 

and Senecaville, the name given to a 

nearby town. It was not until the mid 

1920s that Guernsey had its first true 

gas boom.This gas field was about 4 

miles wide and 25 miles long, and 

included parts of the Leatherwood 

watershed of Wills Creek. 

SALT 

It was reported in 1865 that Elza Scott 

manufactured salt by drilling a well 

approximately 1000 ft deep striking 

brine (salt water). He reduced the brine 

to salt using one furnace producing a 

single barrel of salt a day. It was also 

reported that this well produced large 

quantities of natural gas that were not 

utilized.


URBAN LAND 

Storm Water Runoff 

During rainfall events in urban areas, water is transported to streams much quicker than in 

undeveloped land. This is primarily because of the network of storm drains that outlet directly into 

streams and the impervious nature of concrete, rooftops and asphalt. Because of these surfaces, a 

typical city block generates nine times more runoff than a woodland area of the same size. 

SC:NRCS 

Storm Water 



Urban land makes up 4% or 17,464 acres of Wills Creek 

Watershed. Farmland continues to be converted to urban 

land through residential, commercial and industrial 

development. Development sometimes involves rerouting 

waterways that may not have all the necessary components for 

aquatic life. Rooftops, parking lots and roadways are 

impermeable. Storm water runoff moves more rapidly over 

these smooth hard surfaces than through natural vegetation, 

resulting in greater amounts of water reaching the stream in a 

shorter period of time.This effects the health of the watershed 

by altering the shape of the stream channels, raising the water 

temperature, and sweeping urban debris and pollutants into 

the aquatic environment. Industrial activities can impact water 

quality through discharges. 

Materials such as road salts, automobile oil, 

antifreeze and grease that may leak onto 

parking lots get washed directly into storm 

drains and straight to the creek. Other 

chemicals used in landscaping and golf 

courses such as fertilizer and pesticides 

also wash into storm drains. 

Soil erodes from construction sites where 

the earth is disturbed. Ohio EPA regulates 

construction runoff through the National 

Pollution Discharge Elimination System 

Permit. These permits require the use of 

best management practices on construction 

sites such as silt fences and mulching and 

seeding to reduce off site effects. 

Local governments may also have 

subdivision regulations that require water 

runoff rates after construction to be at the 

same rate as prior to construction. This is 

done by installing best management 

practices such as retention and detention 

ponds and grass filters. 

32 

Industry 

Ohio EPA regulates 

discharges from industry. 

Water quality standards 

regulate the quality of 

point source discharge 

from industry. Potential 

sources include: 

manufacturing, electric 

generation plants, food 

processing facilities, 

leaking underground 

storage tanks, mining, 

landfills, as well as storm 

water from facilities. 

VS:GSWCD 

VS:GSWCD 

Hydromodification 

Hydromodification is changing the flow 

of a stream or its habitat with efforts such 

as digging or installing restrictions like culverts. 

Some examples of hydromodification and its 

affects are described below: 

1. Lake Construction 

• Increases downstream 

water temperature. 

• Blocks any possible 

fish migration 

upstream from 

the dam. 

• Lakes collect and 

concentrate pollutants 

from the watershed 

and allow sediments 

and organic matter 

to settle out. 

2. Culverts 

• Destroys the stream’s 

habitat and aesthetic 

value. 

• Provides poor habitat 

conditions. 

• Stifles plant growth. 

• Eliminates riparian 

corridors, their 

wildlife habitat, 

and pollution filtering 

capacity. 

33 

Wastewater 

Treatment 

As small communities 

grow, the ability of soils 

in the area to process 

septic waste decreases. 

Ohio EPA regulates 

wastewater treatment for 

communities. Treatment 

facilities are required to 

test discharges into 

streams and report results. 

3. Channelization 

LR 

• Destroys the patterns 

of pools and riffles 

that are conducive 

to healthy aquatic 

environments. 

• Isolates the 

stream from 

the floodplain, 

eliminating 

the riparian habitat 

and the water 

quality benefits 

of the riparian zone. 


SC:NRCS 

VS:GSWCD 

VS:GSWCD 

NRCS 

A HISTORICAL 

PERSPECTIVE 

SC:NRCS 

SETTLEMENT OF THE 

WILLS CREEK WATERSHED 

This area of Appalachian Ohio was 

accessible only by “river roads” such as 

the Muskingum River. To open the 

territory, Congress authorized the 

blazing of a trail by the Zane Brothers 

of Wheeling. “Zane’s Trace” followed 

buffalo paths along the ridges. 

Completed in 1797, it traveled over 

eleven Ohio counties and ended at 

Maysville, Kentucky. Thomas Jefferson 

called it “a tight fit for a fat horse!” 

Settlers from the French-speaking Isle 

of Guernsey followed the Trace to the 

site of present-day Cambridge. Women 

in the party refused to continue on the 

grueling trip; they scuttled ferries which 

would take them across Wills Creek. 

The Guernsey Islanders were joined by 

other migrants from Pennsylvania. The 

trickle of migrants turned into a flood 

when the National Road inched its way 

west and turned Cambridge into a 

major center for westward-bound 

immigrants. 

Guernsey County’s rich natural 

resources attracted settlement. It was a 

coal, pottery and glass making center 

from the earliest times. Between 1880 

and 1914 some 5,000 Central 

Europeans joined the melting pot. 

These coal miners worked in some 200 

mines which spread over a 50-mile 

north-south line south of Cambridge. 

The history of the watershed is very 

rich. Preserving its natural health and 

beauty is part of its continuing history.


RESIDENTIAL LAND 

Scattered throughout the Wills Creek Watershed, and 

concentrated in cities and villages are the homes of local 

residents. The potential for water pollution is high where there 

is human activity. From the little things like how food is packaged 

to larger things like improper disposal of hazardous materials, the 

side effects of the modern lifestyle can be detrimental unless 

everyone plays a part in being the solution to local pollution. 

Residential 


Lawn and 

Garden Care 

POLLUTION: 

Fertilizers and weed 

LR 

killers can make for 

healthy stands of green grass 

and productive gardens. Just like fertilizers 

help yards grow, once in the water the 

nutrients they contain feed algae and other 

water plants. The overgrowth of aquatic 

vegetation reduces the amount of oxygen in 

the water, which leads to fish kills and loss of 

other aquatic life. Chemicals applied to the 

lawn and garden can be toxic to aquatic life. 

SOLUTION: 

It is important to follow the label on 

application rates and methods for personal 

safety and pollution prevention. Never apply 

fertilizers and chemicals when rain is 

anticipated. 

POLLUTION: 

Yard waste can clog storm drains making it 

difficult to carry away excessive amounts of 

water during storms. 

SOLUTION: 

Remove soil, leaves, and grass clippings from 

your driveway, street, or sidewalk. Compost 

grass clippings and other plant waste. 


Street Litter and Plastic 

POLLUTION: 

Large quantities of street litter ends up floating in streams, 

rivers and lakes. Street litter is often made of plastics. 

Plastics take hundreds of years to biodegrade and can be 

harmful to birds and animals who mistake them for food. 

SOLUTION: 

Put litter into garbage cans, never throw it into storm drains or 

the street. Recycle as much plastic and other materials as possible. 

Septic Systems 

POLLUTION: 

Septic tanks collect solids, and lighter 

material such as oils float to the top. 

The overflow goes into a series of 

underground tile where the liquid 

seeps into the ground.There, the 

bacteria in the soil process the waste. 

Liquid Level 

Scum Layer 

Inlet Toe Tee 

Inlet Toe 

1st Compartment 

SLUDGE 

2nd 

Compartment 

Rural landowners dispose of household wastewater 

through septic systems. When working properly, these 

systems can safely dispose of waste. However, many older 

homes were built before septic systems were common 

and don’t have safeguards in place. Other homes have 

systems that are not maintained or not functioning. E. coli 

and other more harmful bacteria enter waterways through 

inadequate septic systems. These bacteria are a health 

threat to humans, and can adversely affect aquatic life. 

SOLUTION: 

Maintenance is essential for septic systems to maintain the 

ability to dispose of household waste. Tanks need to be 

emptied every 5 years. Leach fields may need to be 

alternated so the soil is not overloaded. 

SC:NRCS 

VS:GSWCD 

How Residential Areas Can Impact Water Quality POLLUTION: 

Pump Drainfield 

Pet Waste 

POLLUTION: 

If left on yards, pet 

waste can release 

untreated bacteria 

and other harmful 

materials into 

streams. 

SOLUTION: 

Bury or flush pet 

wastes down the 

drain or use 

specialized pet waste 

disposal devices. 

What You Can’t See CAN Hurt You! 

So much of the 

pollution that enters 

local waterways cannot 

be seen. Dissolved materials 

like fertilizers, weed killers, 

household cleaners, bacteria, 

and paint thinner are virtually invisible 

once they are used and are carried away by 

rainwater through storm drains.These storm drains go directly into streams and are 

not treated in any way. Chemicals in streams are usually at the highest level in the 

spring when the rains wash everything into local waterways. 

Household Chemicals 

SC:NRCS 

Motor oil can damage or even kill aquatic vegetation and animal life. An oil slick - 

contaminating two million gallons of drinking water - can develop from one quart of oil. 

SOLUTION: 

Recycle your used motor oil. Never pour used motor oil 

down a storm drain or onto your grass or driveway. 

POLLUTION: 

Anti-freeze can seriously deplete oxygen from water, 

and can be harmful to all plant and animal life, including 

humans. 

SOLUTION: 

Recycle your used anti-freeze. Do not mix used anti-freeze with any other material. 

POLLUTION: 

When improperly used, paint can poison people and 

animals. Lead is an especially harmful content of some 

paints. Household cleaners are designed to kill bacteria. 

Even after their first use, these materials can react with 

each other, killing the bacteria and other organisms in 

the waterways.They can also seep down into the ground, 

eventually getting into ground water. 

SOLUTION: 

Donate your old paint to community groups. Dispose of oil-based paints, lead paints 

and other unused household hazardous wastes at your local household hazardous 

waste collection site. Use safe alternatives to household cleaners. 


For more information on household hazardous waste reduction and maintenance 

of septic tanks see your local health department or OSU Extension Service. Fact 

sheets are available online at www.osuedc.org/current/main.php 


34 

Storm drains 

take material 

directly 

to local creeks. 

35 

THINGS 

YOU CAN DO 

COMPOSTING 

Backyard composting of certain food scraps 

and yard trimmings can significantly reduce 

the amount of waste. When properly 

composted, these wastes can be turned into 

natural soil additives for use on lawns and 

gardens, and used as potting soil for house 

plants. Finished compost can improve soil 

texture, increase the ability of the soil to 

absorb air and water, suppress weed growth, 

decrease erosion, and reduce the need to 

apply commercial soil additives. 

Composting is Easy! 

• A compost pile can be set up in a corner 

of the yard with few supplies. Choose a level 

spot about 3-to-5-feet square near a water 

source and preferably out of direct sunlight. 

Clear the area of sod and grass. When 

building a composting bin, such as with 

chicken wire, scrap wood, or cinder blocks, 

be sure to leave enough space for air to 

reach the pile. One removable side makes it 

easier to tend the pile. 

• Many foods can be composted, including 

vegetable trimmings, egg shells, coffee 

grounds with filters, and tea bags. In addition 

to leaves, grass, and yard clippings, vacuum 

cleaner lint, wool and cotton rags, sawdust, 

shredded newspaper, and fireplace ashes can 

be composted. DO NOT compost meats, 

dairy foods, or any fats, oil, or grease 

because they can attract pests. 

• Start the pile with a 4-inch layer of leaves, 

loose soil, or other coarse yard trimmings. If 

you are going to compost food scraps (a 

slightly more involved process), you should 

mix them with yard trimmings when adding 

them to the pile. Alfalfa meal or clean cat 

litter may be added to the pile to absorb 

odors. In dry weather, sprinkle water on the 

pile, but don't get it too soggy.Turn the pile 

every few weeks with a pitchfork to 

circulate air and distribute moisture evenly. 

Don't be surprised by the heat of the pile or 

if you see worms, both of which are part of 

the decomposition process. Make sure 

children do not play in the composting pile 

or bin. 

• In most climates, the compost is done in 3 

to 6 months when it becomes a dark 

crumbly material that is uniform in texture. 

Spread it in the garden or yard beds or 

under the shrubbery.The compost also can 

be used as potting soil.


RECREATIONAL 

Watersheds are vital to the environmental health of a 

region. But they also can be an important part of an 

area’s outdoor recreational attractions and 

opportunities. In the Wills Creek Watershed, plenty of 

options are available for residents and visitors to enjoy 

the outdoors. Boating, fishing, hunting, biking, hiking and 

other activities attract thousands of visitors every year 

to the Wills Creek Watershed for a getaway of a day or 

more. Wills Creek Lake, Salt Fork Lake (and Salt Fork 

State Park) and Seneca Lake (and Seneca Lake Park) are 

known for outstanding fishing and a wide range of 

possible ways to enjoy the outdoors. 

MAJOR LAKES 

in the Wills Creek Watershed 

Wills Creek Lake is an 

undeveloped lake located south 

of the city of Coshocton in 

Coshocton and Muskingum 

counties. It is accessible off Rts. 

83 and 93.The lake features 900 

acres of water, a total of more 

than 4,800 acres of surrounding 

land open for public access and 

nearly 53 miles of shoreline. A 

public boat launch ramp is 

located off Rt. 83. Camping is 

not permitted. A 10-horsepower 

limit for boats is enforced. 

Salt Fork Lake is part of 

Ohio’s largest state park, Salt 

Fork State Park in Guernsey 

County. It is comprised of nearly 

3,000 acres of water, features six 

public boat launch ramps and is 

accessible off I-77 near 

Cambridge. More than 17,000 

acres of land surrounding the 

lake are attractive for numerous 

types of outdoor recreation. 

There is no limit for horsepower 

for boats on the lake. 

36 

Land 

MWCD 

Seneca Lake is the state’s third 

largest lake, with 3,550 acres of 

water. The lake is located in 

Guernsey and Noble counties 

just south of the intersection of 

I-70 and I-77.The lake has three 

public boat launch ramps, more 

than 4,000 acres of surrounding 

land open for public access and 

48 miles of shoreline. A 299horsepower 

limit for boats is 

enforced. 

ODNR 

MW:ODNR 

Hunting is 

a popular 

activity in 

the Wills 

Creek 

Watershed. 

How Recreation Areas Can Impact Water Quality 

Boating at higher horsepower limits 

create wakes that erode away 

shorelines. Running boats or canoes 

up against the shore has the same 

affect. This results in increased 

turbidity and sedimentation in lakes 

and streams, degrading aquatic habitat. 

It may also adversely impact the 

riparian buffer, and destroy spawning 

areas as well as habitat for wildlife. 

Boat and Jet Ski engines can leak oil 

and gas directly into the water. These 

contaminates can harm the aquatic 

communities as well as influence 

drinking water quality. 

ATV use and other motor vehicular off 

road use destroy the natural cover 

LM:GSWCD 

that protects from soil erosion. 

Mountain biking and horseback riding can have the same affect. Unauthorized access to 

lakes by vehicles destroys the riparian area, reducing the filtering capability, and increasing 

the sediment load into the water. 

Maintaining the riparian buffer around the lakes is important for water quality. Removal 

of trees around lakes and streams reduce the filtering capacity, and if lawn areas abut 

water, chemicals and fertilizers will go directly into the aquatic community, filtering 

capacity is reduced, and habitat is destroyed which cools water temperature and 

prevents shoreline erosion. 

Improper waste disposal can harm the environment in many ways. Nutrients from 

nonfunctioning septic systems, campers, phosphorus detergents or campgrounds can 

cause chain reactions of plant growth and oxygen depletion for aquatic life. Solid waste 

such as litter can contaminate water and harm wildlife. 

Want to 

Learn More? 

It’s easy to get more details 

about the outdoor attractions 

in the Wills Creek Watershed. 

Wills Creek Lake – www.mwcdlakes.com 

Salt Fork State Park – www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/saltfork.htm 

Seneca Lake Park – www.mwcdlakes.com 

Salt Fork Resort and Conference Center – www.atapark.com 


MWCD 

37 

A HISTORICAL 

PERSPECTIVE 

MWCD 

1913 FLOOD 

Wills Creek Lake and Seneca 

Lake are just two of the 14 

reservoir areas managed by the 

Muskingum Watershed 

Conservancy District (MWCD) 

for flood protection in the 18county 

region that includes the 

Wills Creek Watershed area. 

The MWCD lakes have become 

well known for providing some 

of the best outdoor recreation 

in the state, as 5.5 million people 

visit the reservoirs each year. 

However, the lakes and dams 

serve a more important public 

function – flood protection for 

the region. 

Ohio’s Great Flood of 1913 that 

claimed more than 500 lives and 

resulted in more than $300 

million in property damage 

around the state was the driving 

force behind the development of 

the MWCD and eventually more 

than 20 conservancy districts in 

the state.


RECREATIONAL 

Why do so many area residents and visitors from other 

regions and states consider the Wills Creek Watershed 

region to be an attractive destination? It’s the natural 

resources and some human engineering that have 

provided lush hillsides and clean lakes where wildlife and 

aquatic life thrive. With its location near two major 

interstates – I-70 and I-77 – the Wills Creek Watershed 

region swells in population several times a year as 

visitors seek to catch that elusive big fish or harvest a 

trophy deer, contributing significantly to the local 

economy. It’s all just another reason – or reasons – that 


for Boaters 

• When cleaning boats, use nontoxic products that 

do not harm humans or aquatic life. 

• Clean and maintain boats away from the water. 

• Properly dispose of wastewater. 

• Vacuum loose paint chips. 

• Keep snowmobiles, 

ATVs, horses and foot 

traffic on approved 

trails to prevent erosion. 


for Campers 

LM:GSWCD 

taking care of the watershed is so important. Camping, Boating, Hiking – 

Having fun! 

ENVIRONMENT SMART 

Even when you are out for a day of 

fun in the Wills Creek Watershed region, 

there are plenty of ways to help 

preserve and protect the 

immediate surroundings. 

MWCD 

Best Management Practices 

TSWCD 

• Access lake and streams 

only at designated areas 

to protect the riparian 

habitat and water quality. 

• Dispose of waste in 

proper receptacles. 


for Trail Users 

• Carefully refuel boat engines, recycling used oil. 

• Keeping boat motors well tuned prevents fuel and 

lubricant leaks and improves fuel efficiency. 

• Only boat in designated areas to decrease 

turbidity and physical destruction of shallow 

water habitat. 

there are many tips available 

for a good time on the land or 

water without damaging 

the environment. 

39 

• Camp in 

designated 

areas only. 

• Don’t leave 

campfires 

unattended. 

• Recycle at 

marinas and 

campgrounds. 

• Properly 

dispose of 

wastewater. 

Protecting Our Shores 

• Shorelines should be stabilized 

if erosion is caused by a non-point 

source pollutant. 

• Maintain a minimum sixty foot 

riparian buffer (trees, shrubs and 

herbaceous vegetation) along 

shorelines. 

• Keep fertilizer and pesticide 

applications a minimum distance 

of 100 feet from lakeshores. 

• Prevent boats and canoes 

from running onto the shore. 


38 

LM:GSWCD 

A HISTORICAL 

PERSPECTIVE 

MWCD 

BUILDING DAMS 

The MWCD eventually was formed in 

1933 and by 1938, all 14 of its reservoirs 

were constructed.The 1939 Federal 

Flood Control Act transferred flood 

control operations (management of the 

dams) to the U.S.Army Corps of 

Engineers, while the MWCD is 

responsible for flood protection, 

conservation and recreation on the 

54,000 acres of land and water space it 

manages. 

Since their construction, the dams and 

lakes are credited for saving more than 

$2 billion in flood damage and countless 

lives. 

As a political subdivision of the state, the 

MWCD is responsible to the citizens of 

the Muskingum River Watershed. A 

Conservancy Court consisting of one 

common pleas judge from each of the 18 

counties meets annually to review the 

MWCD’s operations.The Court also 

appoints a Board of Directors that 

oversees the conservancy district’s dayto-day 

operations. 

MWCD


SC:NRCS 


OUR LEGACY 

YESTERDAY 8 TODAY 8 TOMORROW 

However we use the land in the Wills Creek Watershed – 

if we all leave it in better condition than how we found it, we will help ensure the 

future of this vibrant resource and the local economy for generations to come. 


40 

Glossary 

acid – a solution that has a pH less than 7. 

acidity – the state of being acid that is capable of transferring 

a hydrogen ion in solution. 

alluvial – all sediments laid down in stream beds and floodplains. 

algal blooms – an episode of excessive nutrient content in a river system 

or lake which causes a proliferation of living algae. 

amphibian – a cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrate of the class 

Amphibia, such as a frog or salamander, that characteristically hatches as an 

aquatic larva with gills.The larva then transforms into an adult having airbreathing 

lungs. 

aquatic – of the water. 

aquatic life use – a beneficial use designation (in state water quality 

standards) in which the water body provides suitable habitat for survival and 

reproduction of desirable fish, shellfish and other aquatic organisms. 

bedrock – solid rock that is usually beneath the soil or glacial till. It can 

often be seen exposed in stream or road cuts along highways. 

best management practice – (BMP) procedures or controls used to 

prevent or reduce pollution of surface water. 

biological assessment – evaluation of the biological conditions of a water 

body that uses biological surveys of the resident plants, animals and other 

living organisms that depend upon the aquatic resource. 

biological criteria – under the Clean Water Act, numerical values or 

narrative statements that define a desired biological condition for a water 

body and are part of the water quality standards. 

biological diversity – the variety and variability among living organisms 

and the ecosystems in which they occur. 

biological indicators – a species or organism that is used to grade 

environmental quality or change. 

conductivity – the measure of the ionic strength or concentration in water. 

confluence – the point where two or more bodies of water flow together. 

deposition – the laying down of potential rock-forming material (sediment). 

dendritic drainage pattern – the irregular branching in all directions of 

the tributaries joining the main stream at all angles, similar to the branches of 

a tree. 

41 

drainage – 1. the processes of discharge of water from an area by stream 

or sheet flow and removal of excess water from soil by downward flow. 2. 

The means of effecting the removal of water. 

dissolved oxygen – oxygen dissolved in water and available for organisms 

living in the water to use for respiration. 

dissolved solids – the total amount of dissolved material , organic and 

inorganic, contained in water. 

delta – a deposit of sediment formed at the mouth of a river or steam. 

ecology – the science of interrelationships between living organisms and 

their environment. 

ecosystem – a system composed of interacting organisms and their 

environments. 

environment – the sum total of all the external conditions that may act 

upon an organism or community to influence its development or existence. 

electrofishing – a fish sampling technique using electric currents and 

electric fields to control fish movement and/or immobilize fish, allowing 

capture. 

erosion – the removal or wearing away of soil or other material by water, 

wind, glacier or other forces. 

evaporation – a part of the hydrologic cycle during which liquid water 

turns into water vapor. 

evapotranspiration – discharge of water from the earth’s surface to the 

atmosphere by evaporation from lakes, streams and soil surface. 

floodplain – that portion of the river valley adjacent of the river 

channel which is built of sediments, and which is covered with water when 

the river overflows its banks during flood events. 

genus – an associated group of species. 

geology – the science of the earth. 

glacial – pertaining to or caused by ice masses. 

glaciers – a mass of ice with definite lateral limits, with motion in a definite 

direction and originating from the compacting of snow by pressure. 

groundwater – that portion of the precipitation which has been 

absorbed by the ground. 

habitat – a place where the physical and biological elements of an 

ecosystem provide a suitable environment, including the food, cover and 

space needed for the livelihood of the plants and animals living there.


infiltration – the gradual flow or movement of water into and through 

the pores of the soil. 

inorganic – material such as sand, salt, iron, calcium and other mineral 

materials that do not come from living organisms. 

land uses – a general term for how humans use land 

(for example: agriculture, industrial, residential , urban, forests). 

Mississippian – the fifth of seven periods of geologic time into which the 

Paleozoic is divided in the United States and some other parts of North 

America. 

non-point source – any source of pollutants other than those defined as 

point sources. 

nutrient – any substance used by living organisms that promotes growth. 

Ohio Water Quality Standards – the rules set forth in Chapter 

3745-1 of the Administrative Code establishing stream use designations 

and water quality criteria protective of such uses for the surface 

waters of the state of Ohio. 

organic – substances that come from plant and/or animals. 

pathogen – a biological organism typically found in the intestinal tracts of 

mammals, capable of producing disease. 

Paleozoic – one of the eras of geologic time which occurred between 

the Precambrian and Mesozoic eras. 

Pleistocene Epoch – in geologic time, the earlier of the two epochs 

comprising the Quaternary Period. 

point sources – water pollution that comes from a pipe or specific place. 

parameter – a determining characteristic or factor. 

Pennsylvanian – the sixth of seven periods of geologic time into which 

the Paleozoic is divided in the United States and some other parts of 

North America. 

pH – a numerical measure of the hydrogen ion concentration used to 

indicate the alkalinity or acidity of a substance. The pH scale ranges from 

1 to 14 with 1 being most acid and 14 being most basic. 

riparian – the transition area between the land and a body of water. 

river – a stream of water bearing the waste of the land from higher to 

lower ground. River is generally applied to a trunk stream or to the larger 

branches of a river system, over 100 miles in length. 

sedimentary rock – rocks formed by the accumulation of sediment. 

sediment – material settled from suspension in water. 


42 

sinuosity – refers to the “S” shape or curving of streams; the ratio of 

stream length to down valley distance. It is also the ratio of valley slope 

to channel slope. 

siltation – when fine particles of soil suspended in water are deposited 

on the bottom of a stream, usually the result of upstream erosion. 

species – fundamental category of classification consisting of organisms 

capable of interbreeding. 

spoil – dirt or rock removed from its original location, as in strip mining, 

dredging or construction. 

stream – a general name for a creek, run, brook, river, ditch, swale etc; a 

body of water that flows down a gradient along a definite path, under 100 

miles long. 

substrate – material that makes up the sides and bottom of a stream. 

surface water – that part of the precipitation that passes over the 

surface of the ground to the nearest stream without first passing beneath 

the ground. 

suspended solids – all particles in water that contribute to turbidity and 

that resist separation by conventional means, such as a filter. 

terrestrial – having to do with the land. 

topography – the physical features of the land, especially the relief and 

contour of the land. 

transpiration – a part of the hydrologic cycle in which water vapor 

passes out of living organism through a membranes or pores. 

tributary – a stream flowing into a larger body of water. 

total organics or total organic carbon – the amount of carbon 

covalently bound in organic compounds in a water sample. 

turbidity – murkiness or cloudiness of water, indicating the presence of 

some suspended sediments, dissolved solids, natural or man-made 

chemicals, algae, etc. 

vertebrate – animal with a back bone. 

watershed – an area of land that drains from the highest 

ridge top to the lowest common outlet. 

weathering – the process where rocks that are exposed to the weather 

crumble into soil. 

wetland – areas of land where the water table is at, near or above 

the land surface long enough each year to result in the formation of 

characteristically wet hydric soil types and support the growth of waterdependent 

hydrophytic vegetation. Wetlands include but are not limited 

to marshes, swamps, bogs and other such low-lying areas. 

43 

MW:ODNR

Wills Creek Watershed - Crossroads RC&D

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