2021 Trash-a-Thon Raises $12,000 for MCA Programs

Our 2nd ANNUAL Trash-a-Thon was even more successful than our first! 
Small groups of dedicated people worked “tirelessly” in September and October to turn trash into cash! VOLUNTEERS got their hands dirty and feet wet while DONORS made generous contribution and helped us meet our goals.

Why? Because the Mill Creek is an amazing regional asset and WE WORK TOGETHER to champion its resurgence! 

THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED AND MADE THIS FUNDRAISER MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN WE EVER IMAGINED! Donations fund our restoration, education, and recreation programs.

Thanks to the Event Sponsors!

Wildlife, at the Fringe

(VDV/Shutterstock.com)

A heron rookery, aflutter with Great Blue Herons, has been spotted along the Mill Creek near IKEA West Chester in Butler County, OH!

Graham Mitchell, 2021

Warren High, 2020

What is a rookery, you say? It is a location where more than a pair of birds nest in a group. The number of nests, birds, and bird species can vary. The rookery is easily observed looking SW from the back of the IKEA building near the edge of the parking lot, across the retention pond to the opposite side.

Butler County, Ohio Auditor, 2021

Graham Mitchell, 2021

This is an encouraging development at the Mill Creek. The retention basin (highlighted by the green line in the map) sits in the Upper Mill Creek Watershed, where there has been a large, human-population increase over the past four decades. Land uses surrounding the basin are, primarily, commercial and light industrial. At the SW border of the pond, an edge of towering trees line the banks, offsetting a lack of tall canopy heights and foliage. The duration of this intact section of habitat is, most likely, a contributing factor to encouraging a thriving ecosystem of wildlife.

Protecting the herons. Birders have documented (using iNaturalist app) the presence of the Great Blue Heron at this location since 2017. There are 64 species of heron in the family Ardeidae. They prefer to live near water and feed on edges of marshes, lakes, and ponds. The environment of the rookery at the IKEA retention pond includes a newly planted tree buffer behind the building, the strand of tall trees on the banks of the Mill Creek, an isolated location off the beaten path, and plenty of fish; perfect for this siege of birds.

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Want to take ACTION in wildlife conservation in the Mill Creek Watershed?

Join us for 2021 Bioblitz

Cincinnati Parks & Great Parks created a local Cincinnati/Hamilton County team for City Nature Challenge 2021, a collaborative competition between cities across the world. There is nature all around us, even in our cities! Knowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the ONLY way to do that is by all of us – scientists, land managers, and the community – working together to find and document the nature in our area. By participating in the City Nature Challenge, from April 30 through May 3, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a better place – for you and other species!

The City Nature Challenge, a bioblitz-style event, bouts cities against each other in healthy competition, to see who can:

●      make the most observations of nature

●      who can find the most species, and

●      who can engage the most people.

The event utilizes the free iNaturalist platform (web and app) to record environmental data. In addition to City Nature Challenge 2021, participants can log photos of plants and animals they see in the Mill Creek Watershed to iNaturalist, throughout 2021. The information collected will be helpful in community programming and education, controlling invasive species, and prioritizing natural areas in need of further preservation efforts.

Your participation could make a difference!

To Get Involved:

1. Download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone (or take pictures with your camera and upload them later to the iNaturalist website)

2. Go outside! (with your phone charged and your spirit ready)

3. Species documented in the Mill Creek Watershed during the City Nature Challenge will automatically be added to the Cincinnati Hamilton County Project and the MCA 2021 Bioblitz. If you like, become a member of the two open projects in the iNaturalist app:

MILL CREEK ALLIANCE - Nonprofit of the Year

UPDATE: MCA has been awarded Non Profit of the Year by Cincy Magazine! The Mill Creek Alliance has been named as a Finalist for Cincinnati Magazine’s 2020 Greater Cincinnati Nonprofit of the Year Awards. These awards recognize outstanding accomplishments by nonprofit organizations, staff and volunteers who are dedicated to the business of doing good in our community. We have been nominated in 2 Environmental Quality categories:

• Community/Nature Area Cleanup/Enhancement

• Outdoor Environmental Education

Voting will begin on November 4th at 8 am and ends November 20th. Check out all the details on our website.

This competition is sponsored by VonLehman CPA & Advisory Firm.

Teach a Child to Fish...

There was a time, not too long ago, when a father would hesitate to teach his child to fish on the Mill Creek. Thirty years ago the water would have been too polluted to fish in and besides, there was not much life in the stream. Years of industrial degradation and misuse of the creek created a habitat that was, well, uninhabitable!

But today, a father can take his child to the creek and teach him to fish. Together they will find plenty of large mouth bass, hybrid striped bass, fresh water drum, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, catfish, and carp.

Its also possible that on the Mill Creek, they might find turtles, beaver, osprey and great blue herons.

This summer, we checked in with Andy Suthoff, a Maketewah Angler who said, “I've seen more smallmouth bass this year in the Mill Creek than in past seasons. Smallmouth are a key indicator fish for water quality, so it's reassuring to see this species present in the urban waterway.”

Recently, Andy made an unexpected catch on the Mill Creek. “Today I caught a "new" species on my lunch break and named it the Mill Creek Walleye. I don't think we've officially documented walleye in the creek yet. What this fish lacks in size, it makes up for in novelty. “

As the creek has gotten cleaner and more of the low head dams have been removed, the stream habitat has gotten healthier and more and more species are returning. Ultimately, we hope the Mill Creek will be clean enough so you can catch your fish and eat it too*!

(*For now, the water is not quite clean enough to eat the fish caught in the creek. Patience!)

May 2020 Historic Rainfall on Mill Creek

Source: https://msdgc.vieuxinc.com/

Where were you during the record breaking rainfall this past Monday, May 18, 2020?  We hope that you and your property weathered the “storm” and record breaking precipitation.  What did all that rain do to the streams near you?  We asked folks to submit pictures of the Mill Creek in their neighborhood and received a lot of responses.  See for yourself!

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Source: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=03259000

Historic rainfall means historic stream flow. All this rainfall eventually finds its way into our streams.  A rule of thumb is that for each 1” of rain on saturated soil, a 4’ rise in water levels results in our streams. 

Keeping in mind we had multiple days of rain, you can understand the 16 foot increase in the Mill Creek on May 18th.

Fun Fact:  You can monitor the rain on the Mill Creek yourself using the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) stream gage in real time.  

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This chart shows a typical stream flow at about 100 cfs (cubic feet per second).  This past week, the flow rate increased to 9,000 cfs in just two days!  That 100 fold increase of flow pummels the stream with 280 tons (the weight of 7 loaded 18-wheeler trucks) EVERY SECOND!  How can a stream possibly withstand that force?

Stream restoration projects address heavy rainfall events like May 18th. At the Mill Creek Alliance, we work with partners and communities to address opportunities and challenges in the Mill Creek Watershed.

Look at these photos before and during the May 18 record rainfall along the Mill Creek Greenway Trail at Seymour Avenue near Caldwell Park It’s a short distance from the stream gage and the site of a 15 year old Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) restoration project.

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You can see some of the standard features of stream restoration and stabilization: (1) The streambank is “armored” with heavy rock.  (2) Deep-rooted native vegetation complements the stone work, traps sediment, and further “bioengineers” a stable streambank and (3) Rock vanes extend into the stream to dissipate the immense energy of flowing floodwaters.

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Here’s a look at another Mill Creek Alliance restoration project upstream at the Evendale Commons in the Village of Evendale.  Before a flood, a stream channel is where a stream typically flows most of the year including the dry summer months. 

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However, during a flood, streams need connections to a wide stream corridor and a floodplain where flood waters can safely be contained away from people and property.

We’re glad to see our projects hard at work as part of the natural infrastructure of the Mill Creek Watershed - a natural and community asset.

The Mill Creek Alliance thanks you for your ongoing support and intererest.  Stay safe everyone!

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Lots of people share MCA’s love for water and the Mill Creek. Take a peek at one of our Facebook Friend’s video sharing how he dealt with this week’s precipitation! 

Project TRASH! Celebrate Earth Day!

Earth Day is this week! While we can’t be together, each of us can still celebrate from a distance! Earth Day is a special day designated to demonstrate your support for the environment. We hope you will enjoy this exercise we put together for you. Using the same methods that are being employed by scientists and the US EPA, you can experiment with trash!

See video and pictures to accompany this exercise HERE.

Litter Gitters in Cincinnati

Pilot Program Announced to Remove Recyclable Material from Greater Cincinnati Waterways and Provide Green Jobs in the Community

Mill Creek Alliance, Coca-Cola Consolidated, and Osprey Initiative announce a pilot program to collect and remove recyclable materials from the waterways in the Greater Cincinnati area using devices called Litter Gitters. In addition to collecting and removing materials from the waterways, this pilot program will gather data and find sustainable solutions for the future using the materials gathered from the Litter Gitters. Litter Gitters are small stream litter collection devices used to intercept floating debris from storm water runoff. The devices will be cleaned weekly and after heavy rains in the area, if needed. Osprey Initiative will employ a number of local personnel to maintain the traps, creating Green Jobs in the area. Osprey Initiative will install the first Litter Gitters of this pilot program on February 11, 2020!

Coke Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Their Purpose is to honor God, serve others, pursue excellence and grow profitably. For 118 years, they have been deeply committed to the consumers, customers, and communities they serve and are passionate about the broad portfolio of beverages and services they offer. 

Osprey Initiative, LLC is a specialty environmental contractor bringing tailored solutions for specific environmental. Their work to bridge the gap between intent and action in the sustainability world by focusing on implementable projects to fit client needs. Ohio is the third state and eighth watershed where Litter Gitters have been deployed.

See full press release here.

See RUN OF SHOW for Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Committee of Vultures

Seen in Cincinnati!
A Committee of Vultures….TIRE VULTURES!

About two weeks ago, our partners at Keep Cincinnati Beautiful offered to provide a Rumpke dumpster for tire removal if we needed it.  MCA took this question to our star volunteers at the Mill Creek Yacht Club (MCYC) where the answer was an emphatic “YES PLEASE”.  Less than 14 days later we find ourselves with all this:

MCYC volunteers started gathering tires from the lower Mill Creek the week of September 23rd, in preparation for our Run the Riffles event at Salway Park.  As you many know, rainfall in Cincinnati has been minimal all summer, and the water in the Mill Creek has gotten fairly low.  In the eyes of the MCYC, this is the ideal time to remove tires from the creek because they are much easier to get out of the creek bed.  This opportunity allowed for a bit of healthy competition to see who could remove the most tires in an hour, in a day, in a week! 

At the end of the “competition” this vibrant group of volunteers has removed 258 tires (plus 4 bikes and a motorcycles) from the Mill Creek between Salway Park and Millcreek Road in less than two weeks.  So far, these volunteers have put in over 122 hours of time on this project, and they are not done yet.

UPDATE [October 10]

This mission has been accomplished! Tire Sweep 2019 wrapped up yesterday when crews in shifts worked to dump all the tires into the Rumpke donated dumpster! There is no job too big for these dedicated volunteers.

THANK YOU to this amazing “Committee of Vultures”

Bernie Moller

Charles Skidmore

Christopher Carr

Mike Reifenberger

Bruce Koehler

Greg Bechtel

Dr. Mike Miller

Brendon Leeker

Lelia D & Betsy J

Mike D & Paul G

Carson Skidmore

Henry Chapman

“The Committee” learned their craft from The Man, The Myth, The Legend, the Original “Tire Vulture” himself, Mike Reifenberger.

NOTE: A group of vultures is called a committee, venue or volt. In flight, a flock of vultures is a kettle, and when the birds are feeding together at a carcass, the group is called a wake.

This tire sweep was supported by: