The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced that a portion of Seneca Dam Road (OH-574) will be closed from 6:00 a.m. July 17^th through 7:00 p.m. July 20^th and then again from 6:00 a.m. July 24^th through 7:00 p.m.  July 27^th approximately one-half mile south of the Lashley Road (OH-313) intersection.

Motorists are advised to use the following alternate route to access Seneca Lake Park:

   Use Alternate Route 313 East/West to Route 285 South to Route 566 East to Route 574 North.

The closure is happening to allow maintenance to be completed on Senecaville Lake equipment. A second round of closures is expected to begin in August.

Click here for a PDF copy of the detour. 

For more information, contact the USACE Public Affairs Office at 304-399-5353.

From Wendy Zucal, Executive Director of the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

As the MWCD commemorates its 90th anniversary, a new featured exhibit at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum – a National Historic Landmark — is an opportunity for us to do just that. As of June 3, the public is able to move through an immersive story of the District’s beginnings, its progress through the years, its highlights, a description of its future, and an interactive hands-on children’s component families will enjoy. I encourage everyone to take this opportunity to learn more about the history of the MWCD and how it works every day to make our lives safer and secure our homes, businesses, and communities.

A look back at the 90-year history is an inspiring story that sets our region apart.

The MWCD was established on June 3, 1933, in response to the destructive floods that had plagued eastern Ohio for years, particularly the devastating flood of 1913 which claimed the lives of approximately 470 Ohioans. To avoid a repeat of this disaster, the District began constructing dams and reservoirs throughout the Muskingum River Watershed — the largest watershed in Ohio — encompassing a fifth of the state.

Since then, the MWCD has gone on to create an extensive system of flood control resources, including a series of dams and reservoirs. These projects have helped prevent or reduce flooding or its impact throughout eastern Ohio, as well as provide water storage for agricultural and industrial use. In total, it is estimated that the District’s flood mitigation system has helped prevent $8 billion in flood damage.

The MWCD’s mission is more than just flood mitigation. Over the years it has grown to include recreation and conservation, as well.

Early on, the District’s leadership recognized how its network of lakes and surrounding lands could be used for recreation and how that could contribute to the region’s economy. In the 1960s and 1970s, the MWCD transformed many of its reservoirs into popular recreation destinations, enhancing marinas and building campgrounds.

Today, the MWCD manages over 57,000 acres of land and water, including nine campgrounds and 10 marinas on Atwood, Clendening, Charles Mill, Leesville, Piedmont, Pleasant Hill, Seneca, and Tappan lakes and public access areas that offer boating, fishing, camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities throughout the District.

More recently, the MWCD has turned its attention to further enhance conservation efforts throughout the region. The District has recognized the importance of preserving the natural resources of the region for future generations and works with local partners to responsibly manage the resources within the District. Preserving the land helps lead to better water quality, which makes the lakes more valuable for recreation and helps with flood mitigation. Educating the public and land users supports this work as well.

  The MWCD has played a vital role in the development and conservation of our region, and its impact will be recognized for decades. We can all be proud of the work that generations of MWCD team members have made through the years and how their work has helped both tame the rough edges but also preserve all that is beautiful about the Muskingum River Watershed and the region we call home.

New Philadelphia, OH (June 29, 2023) — In an effort to educate recreational boaters nationwide about the dangers of boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) will be participating in the annual Operation Dry Water campaign. The mission of Operation Dry Water is to decrease the number of alcohol- and drug-related incidents and fatalities on the water.

Operation Dry Water weekend, July 1-3, is the national weekend dedicated to amplified recreational boater outreach, education, and coordinated enforcement surrounding boating under the influence. Alcohol use continues to be the leading known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths and a leading contributor in boating incidents.^[1] The MWCD encourages all boaters to enjoy this boating season and help keep everyone safe by choosing to boat sober all year long. Use of both legal and illegal drugs also impairs judgment and reaction time and creates dangerous circumstances while on the water.

“Individuals and families from across the country head to our nation’s waterways for a fun, safe, and pleasant experience out on the water. Our goal is to not only educate boaters on the dangers of impaired boating, but also to remind them of other safe boating practices, such as enrolling in a boater education course and always wearing a life jacket,” says Patrick Brockmeier, MWCD Chief Ranger.  “To ensure that everyone is safe out on the water, we have partnered with Operation Dry Water to assist in educating operators and passengers on the dangers associated with boating under the influence. The MWCD wants boaters to have a safe and enjoyable summer while out on the water, and to do that boat operators and passengers must remain sober and alert while underway.”

As part of Operation Dry Water weekend, recreational boating safety advocates and volunteers, in collaboration with law enforcement in every U.S. state and territory, will be out at marinas and on the water educating boaters about safe boating practices. Law enforcement will also be working to identify and remove dangerous and impaired operators. In 2022, law enforcement officers across the nation removed 794 impaired operators from our nation’s waterways during the Operation Dry Water weekend.

MWCD supports these educational and enforcement efforts prior to the 4th of July holiday to ensure the safety of recreational boaters and water sport enthusiasts. The risk of serious injury is the same for operators and passengers when drinking. Additionally, alcohol use by passengers presents a danger regardless of whether the operator is consuming alcohol or not.²

Boaters can learn more about boating under the influence by visiting operationdrywater.org. Operation Dry Water is coordinated nationally by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.

1 2021 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics

² 2019 Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Research Report

About Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District

The MWCD, a political subdivision of the state, was organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan to reduce flooding and conserve water for beneficial public uses in the Muskingum River Watershed, the largest wholly contained watershed in Ohio. Since their construction, the 16 reservoirs and dams in the MWCD region have been credited for saving over $7 billion worth of potential property damage from flooding, according to the federal government, as well as providing popular recreational opportunities that bolster the region’s economy garnering more than 5 million visitors annually. A significant portion of the reservoirs are managed by the MWCD and the dams are managed for flood-risk management by the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and follow the MWCD on Facebook and Twitter.

Due to an administrative error by Woolpert, many Guernsey County residents were overcharged for the 2023 Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s (MWCD) annual assessment on first half tax bills. 

Woolpert, Inc. (the contractor for the MWCD), sent a corrected billing file to the Guernsey County Auditor’s Office in late February 2023 after the errors were found. The Auditor’s office staff worked diligently to manually correct all the parcels that were not paid in full. Second half tax bills will be correct.  

If you believe that your MWCD Maintenance Assessment is still incorrect, please contact Woolpert Project Manager, Yaneev Golmbek by phone at 1-720-279-3772 or by email at [email protected].

Woolpert is currently providing refund checks to the property owners who paid their tax bills in full and were overcharged. Property owners are asked to cash refund checks within sixty (60) days. 

Woolpert Refund Letter

Guernsey County Auditor’s Website 

Guernsey County Assessment Refund List

Photograph 1: Colonel Jayson Putnam, USACE Huntington District Commander, Joanne Limbach, Craig Butler, MWCD Executive Director 

Photograph 2: Jennifer Ponchak

New Philadelphia, OH (June 8, 2023) — A quorum of judges attending a Conservancy Court session of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) have appointed Jennifer Ponchak from Morgan County to fill a vacancy on the five member MWCD Board of Directors. Ponchak was appointed to a five-year term on the Board of Directors during the Court’s session held Friday, June 2, in the Tuscarawas County Courthouse at New Philadelphia. She fills the seat held by Joanne Limbach who served on the MWCD board for a total of 20 years.

“I congratulate Jennifer on her appointment to the Board of Directors,” said Craig Butler, MWCD Executive Director.  “Jennifer’s background will prove to be helpful as we continue to enhance our conservation and flood mitigation efforts, so I look forward to working with her in the future.”

Ponchak is the founder of Follow the River Environmental, a specialty company that performs clearing and grubbing, erosion control, seeding landscaping and environmental consulting services on private commercial, heavy highway and municipal projects.  Follow the River is a certified DBE, SBE, EDGE and WBE Company.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University, CPESC and CPSWQ certifications and is a Licensed Underground Storage Tank Installer. 

Butler said, “Joanne is the longest serving board member – serving 20 years. She has dedicated her professional life to public service with MWCD, the State of Ohio, and many other national and local causes. On behalf of all MWCD staff past and present, we thank her for her service.”

“Thank you to the Conservancy Court, US Army Corps of Engineers, MWCD Board, and colleagues for the opportunity to participate in public service at its best,” said Limbach. “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the district through many years of change, many ups and downs. Through it all, the MWCD has been true to the values created at the inception, which is to provide flood mitigation, conservation, and outdoor recreation to the citizens in the region, and I am honored to be a part of this history.”

Colonel Jayson Putnam, USACE Huntington District Commander, USACE Huntington District Commander provided an update which included projects on the Dam Safety Classification within the MWCD.

Craig Butler presented the annual report of operations which was approved by the court and encompasses the overview of the success of the MWCD from 2022. To view the annual report, visit www.mwcd.org/get-to-know-us/annual-repor

Other members of the MWCD Board of Directors include President, Retired Honorable Judge Robert S. Moorehead of Guernsey County, Gordon T. Maupin of Wayne County, Jim Gresh of Stark County, and Retired Major General Ronald E. Dziedzicki of Medina County.

Members of Board of Directors are appointed by the Conservancy Court to oversee the operations and business affairs of the MWCD, which manages more than 57,000 acres of land and water dedicated to public use. Board members meet once a month in open, public session.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) invites you to hit the trails this summer for a chance to win fabulous prizes while having a great time outdoors with your family and friends!

The MWCD has partnered with five local schools in a promotion that encourages residents to get outdoors and explore the trails at MWCD parks. With materials given by MWCD, students painted canvases that will be on display on MWCD trails throughout the district. Participating schools and the locations of their artwork are:

• Conotton Valley High School: Atwood Lake Park
• Lucas High School: Charles Mill Lake Park
• New Philadelphia High School: Pleasant Hill Lake Park
• Caldwell High School: Seneca Lake Park
• Starlight School: Tappan Lake Park

Guests are encouraged to try and find all five canvases at each of the MWCD parks and can have a maximum of three entries. First prize is $1,000 cash sponsored by Encino Energy, second prize is a weekend stay at the deluxe log cabin at Pleasant Hill Lake Park, and third prize is a one-day boat rental from a MWCD-operated marina.

“We are extremely excited to collaborate with local school districts to encourage people to explore our trails and experience nature at one of our parks,” said Ryan McCleaster, MWCD Chief of Recreation. “These students are so talented, so to also have an opportunity to display their artwork in such a unique way is an honor.”

The artwork will be on display, and the contest will run from Memorial Day through Labor Day. To enter, visit one of the MWCD park locations and search for the canvas on the trail. Once found, take a “selfie”, or have someone take your photograph. The photo must include yourself, along with the canvas in the background to prove you found the canvas. Visit www.mwcd.org/capturethecanvas to enter your information, upload your photo, for contest rules and trail maps. Must be 18 years of age to participate.

Wetlands are defined by areas of land that are saturated with water for most of the year. They often occur at the mouths of rivers, around lakes and streams, as well as alongside coastlines. There are four types of wetlands that occur in Ohio: Marshes, bogs, fens and swamps (source from Ohio DNR website). One of the most significant wetlands in the Muskingum Watershed is the Killbuck Marsh in Holmes County. Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area is a protected area that covers 5,703 acres located 2 miles east of Shreve.

Marshes are formed when a water body starts to fill up with peat (decaying plant debris). As the bottom of the pond fills with peat, woody and herbaceous plants will grow. The peat, along with the plants growing on the bottom of the pond, help to create a water supply table that acts as a filter for incoming water, as well as flood control, soaking up excess water like a sponge.

In 2015, with assistance from MWCD’s Partners in Watershed Management Program funds, the Holmes County Park District acquired 63 acres of land surrounding Killbuck Marsh, and another 35 acres in 2017. The acquisition of this property helps to ensure continued protection of this resource, which includes maintaining good water quality and wildlife habitat. This also allows for the area to be used for educational programming.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District recognizes the valuable role wetlands play in the environment to maintain clean water, protect biodiversity, and to provide unique recreational opportunities for the public. Collaboration with other organizations to manage, protect and enhance the value of wetlands found in the Muskingum Watershed is important to MWCD and is part of the 5-year strategic plan for the Conservation Department.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) is pleased to announce that all MWCD campsites are now officially 100% pet friendly! In addition, select cabins at each lake will now allow pets.

“We love our pets and know our guests do too.  Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in popularity of families traveling and camping with pets,” said Adria Bergeron, Director of Marketing and Communications. “Our camp areas have been mostly pet-friendly for many years, but demand has caused us to review our rules, and as a result pet restricted areas are a thing of the past.”

Some tips on camping with your well-behaved pet include ensuring they are up to date on required vaccinations, registration, and identification. In addition, don’t forget to pack a dog bowl and food, dog water dish, outdoor toys, and most importantly, a leash!

The MWCD lakes offer hiking trails, marinas with boat rentals, and plenty of green space to allow your furry family member to enjoy nature. While Atwood Lake Park is currently the only location with a dog park, more locations are under consideration in the future.

While pets will be permitted in all areas, they must be on a leash and owners must clean up after their pets.  Those not following our rules will be asked to leave our parks.  And for cabins, a non-refundable $50 per pet fee will also be applied for cabin guests.

Property owners receive a total of $4 million in savings annually

Property owners within the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) will see their property assessments paid to MWCD reduced by 66 percent, from $6 dollars to $2, thanks to the approval of the assessment-reduction plan voted on recently by the MWCD Board of Directors. 

“We have always been good stewards of these public funds and are very pleased to allow residents in the watershed to keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their pockets,” said Craig Butler, MWCD executive director. “We are making this reduction because the district’s financial position has changed positively.  We have been fortunate to earn and invest nearly $200 million in our public-use facilities and recreational areas, and now for the second time, the Board has voted to extend those benefits to the property owners in our watershed by reducing the assessment collection.”   

The assessment originally was levied in 2009 at $12 per parcel and was then cut to $6 in 2015. Assessments are collected through landowners’ county property tax payments, and the funds are required to be used by MWCD on the operation and maintenance of the system of 16 dams and reservoirs. The system was constructed nearly 90 years ago for flood reduction and water conservation benefits in the Muskingum River Watershed, as well as other important conservation and reservoir management projects.

The assessment reduction will result in an estimated $4 million overall reduction in the total amount of assessments collected in 2024 by the MWCD.  However, the district will still meet its financial commitments to the federal government for dam and reservoir maintenance, as well as for conservation and reservoir management projects. Routine financial reviews will be very important and, in the event of any major changes in the district’s financial position, corresponding adjustments could be made to assessment levels.

Assessment funds are also used to support the work of other regional agencies and groups involved in conservation programs, water quality issues, and flood reduction and mitigation projects through the Partners in Watershed Management (PWM) Project Assistance Program. The PWM program provides assistance to local communities, agencies and groups involved in projects and programs that support the conservation and flood control aspects of the Mission of the MWCD. The PWM program, approved by the Board of Directors in June of 2009, has provided over $12.2 million in grant funding for 177 projects.

“There is a tremendous need across the watershed to provide funding to communities, universities and other conservation organizations that regularly partner with us on projects that protect the people of our region,” said Butler. “These projects help to prevent costly flooding, minimize soil erosion and nutrient loss from agricultural operations, assist with upgrading essential community services, and preserve and rehabilitate sensitive lands for public use.  MWCD is proud to be a sponsor of these projects as they support our core mission and allow us to give back to the communities that are in our backyard.” 

In addition, the MWCD has spent assessment funds on shoreline stabilization projects at the MWCD lakes and dredging of the lakes. Assessment revenues by law cannot be used to pay for projects that enhance or improve the MWCD’s recreational programs and facilities, and all expenditures must be covered by guidelines stipulated in the Amendment to the Official Plan of the MWCD that was approved in 2005 by the Conservancy Court and the Board of Directors.

The MWCD collects assessments from owners of property in all or portions of the following counties: Ashland, Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Richland, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Washington and Wayne.

MWCD Staff held a virtual public meeting on April 12 to welcome back campers and boaters for the 2023 season. In case you missed it, the recording is now available on YouTube! 

Whether you camp with us for the season, or occasionally throughout the year, this meeting will provide updates from MWCD Staff on exciting things to expect throughout the year. 

Meeting agenda:

• Welcome back campers! 
• Introduction of new Chief Ranger 
• Program overview/ Communication
• Campground Rules Overview
• Upcoming Projects
• Q&A

Click on the image below to view the recording on YouTube.

CD 

Did you know that MWCD owns and operates a flood control system in Medina and Wayne counties that is separate from the Muskingum Flood Control System? The system is operated by the Chippewa Subdistrict of MWCD.

Chippewa Subdistrict was formed in the 1960s through a grassroots effort led by local business owners and farmers to lessen the devastating impacts of flooding along Chippewa Creek, which starts in northern Medina County and flows in a southeasterly direction to where it meets the Tuscarawas River near the town of Clinton. The Chippewa Creek watershed encompasses 188 square miles. The eight dams and associated channel improvements along Chippewa Creek and two other tributaries, Little Chippewa Creek and River Styx, were designed and built by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), now called the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The SCS built hundreds of similar dams all over the United States. However, to build the Chippewa system, a local sponsor was required. MWCD was asked to fill that role and was instrumental in acquiring property and easements for construction of the dams and channel improvements. Construction of the project was supported by federal funds at a total cost of $12,190,000 with a local cost-share of $2,268,000. When the last dam was built in 1980, the entire system was handed over to the Chippewa Subdistrict to own, maintain, and operate.

The Chippewa Subdistrict is its own entity and was created and is operated in a similar fashion as the larger MWCD. Chippewa has a project coordinator on staff that keeps the system operating smoothly and the chief engineer for MWCD also serves as chief engineer for the Chippewa Subdistrict. The subdistrict also has its own Conservancy Court and maintenance assessment which generates $320,000 per year. Those funds are used to maintain the eight dams and associated spillway systems, remove logjams and debris that accumulate throughout the channel system, maintain access along the channel system, and maintain over 600 drainage structures along the channel. Local contractors are utilized for much of the maintenance work and in doing so, Chippewa supports many small businesses in the local community.

For nearly five decades, the Chippewa Flood Control System has been a great success in preventing disastrous flooding for communities along Chippewa Creek including Seville, Sterling, Creston, Rittman, and Clinton. The last devastating flood occurred in 1969 when severe thunderstorms moved from Lake Erie into Ohio’s north coast communities on July 4th. This line of storms became stationary for eight hours from Toledo southeastward through Fremont, Norwalk, Ashland, and Wooster. 10-14 inches of rain fell in a band heading southeast from Ottawa County to Wayne and Holmes Counties. Massillon, just east of that area, received six or more inches of rain. Most of Ashland and Wayne Counties were flooded and isolated for two days after the flood. Killbuck Creek in Holmes County rose 20 feet, its highest known level.

Chippewa’s dams range in size from 27 feet to 55 feet tall and from 470 feet to over 2,600 feet in length. Four of the dams are “dry dams” meaning they do not impound water during normal conditions, while the other four are “wet dams” where a permanent reservoir is impounded behind the dams. All eight dams are regulated by the State of Ohio and are in complete compliance with state standards and regulations.

If you ever find yourself driving west on Interstate 76 about two miles before the Interstate 71 intersection, look northward and you will see Hubbard Valley Dam, one of Chippewa’s dams.

Boris Slogar                                                                                                                                                          Chief Engineer

This article was featured in MWCD’s quarterly newsletter, LakeViews. To join our LakeViews mailing list, call 330-343-6647 or visit MWCD.org 

The American chestnut was once the dominant economically and ecologically important tree species in eastern North America. Among the tallest, largest, and fastest-growing trees, and often found in both urban and rural settings, nearly four billion American chestnut trees covered the region. Facing extinction from a fungal blight in the early 20th century, it has become the embodiment for landscape-level ecological disasters. By the 1930s, entire ecosystems collapsed, and economies shifted dramatically. The local traditions and culinary history that centered around the American chestnut faded into the past along with the deaths of millions of trees.

In the aftermath of the disease that swept across Appalachia, there still were some remnant trees struggling to survive. These trees, more of a scrubby bush than an actual tree, were living genetic stock that offered hope of reintroducing the chestnut into our landscape.

Since the 1980s, The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) has been working to create a blight-resistant American chestnut tree by crossing it with blight-resistant Chinese chestnut varieties. Carefully controlled pollination and selection of trees that exhibit blight resistance, nut quality and timber producing characteristics have brought us to the point of experimental reintroduction into forested areas. Developing trees with good characteristics in isolation is only half the battle. The other half is studying how these seedlings survive in a more natural landscape.

The Ohio chapter of TACF has participated in this national effort and has also conducted independent chestnut breeding research with Dr. Greg Miller of Ohio TACF and Empire Chestnut Company, Carroll County. Miller has been breeding and selecting chestnut trees with tall timber-type growth form, blight resistance, and other beneficial characteristics for over 40 years.

MWCD has the unique ability to plant, monitor, and manage test plantings within the watershed. These small plots help managers assess tree survival and growth and are an important first step in better understanding how they can be part of Ohio’s forests once again.

In April 2022, MWCD planted 200 chestnut trees – 100 from TACF’s backcross breeding program, and 100 from Empire Chestnut Company. These trees were planted near Tappan Lake in Harrison County. MWCD’s Conservation Department, in partnership with TACF, Empire Chestnut Company, and researchers from The Ohio State University will be monitoring the growth and survival of the trees as they start to fill the canopy. When these trees reach nut-bearing age (approximately five years), MWCD will survey the surrounding forests and fields for evidence of natural regeneration.

These renewed chestnut trees have quite a lot to offer beyond timber, wood products, and food. By reintroducing the chestnut into the forest, we make our forest ecosystems more resilient, more biodiverse, and able to withstand future challenges. MWCD is proud to participate in this critical research and long-term forest management for the greater good of our Ohio landscapes, wildlife, and people.

These trees and their seedlings will become part of our diverse Ohio forests filling that ecological niche once lost. MWCD is making the important first steps needed to achieve sustainable chestnut timber harvest in Ohio. This will ultimately return chestnut wood products to local markets for the first time in over 100 years.

Matt Thomas                                                                                                                                                          Chief of Conservation

This article was featured in MWCD’s quarterly newsletter, LakeViews. To join our LakeViews mailing list, call 330-343-6647 or visit MWCD.org