Springcreek Confluence 

The Springcreek Confluence is a partnership with US Fish and Wildlife and Governor Mike DeWine's H2Ohio Initiative to create a off-channel wetland along the Great Miami River (GMR) and Spring Creek where Spring Creek joins the GMR. Excavating a 14 acre basin in the floodplain of the Great Miami River.

Project Funding

The total project cost is $450,000. This program was funded by Governor Mike DeWine's H2Ohio Initiative ($245,000) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Partners for Fish and WIldlife (PFW) Program ($200,000).

About the Springcreek Confluence 

The Park District purchased the 40 acre floodplain area of the property from the City of Troy shortly after they purchased the Huelskamp farm for the potential expansion of Duke Park.

Project Benefits

The project provides many community wide benefits.

• Increased water quality/protecting drinking water supply
• Improved fishing and wildlife populations
• Provide recreational opportunities
• Flood energy and capacity improvements to protect infrastructure downstream

About Governor Mike DeWine's H2Ohio Initiative

Launched by Governor Mike DeWine in 2019, H2Ohio is a collaborative water quality effort to provide clean and safe water to Ohio.  The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency each has a significant role in H2Ohio through the natural infrastructure of wetlands, the reduction in nutrient runoff, and increasing access to clean drinking water and quality sewer systems. To learn more, visit h2.ohio.gov.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partnership

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Partners for Fish and WIldlife (PFW) Program has been working with Miami County Park District off and on for the last 10-15 years. The PFW program began working with the USFWS Carterville Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Illinois to improve fish and wildlife habitat throughout the Ohio River Basin.

The Springcreek Confluence was ideal for this type of restoration. The floodplain field adjacent to the river allowed for an excavated basin to be connected to the river. This permitted floodwaters to enter the basin and reduce stream velocities, provide sediment and nutrient uptake, and fish and wildlife habitat. This project is one of multiple restorations occurring in a 15 mile segment of the Great Miami River.

There are two main purposes of the project:

ONE is to increase habitat protection for wildlife and macro-invertebrates along the Great Miami River. There will be year-round water in the channels so it will make for a very high quality habitat.

The SECOND purpose of the project is to help relieve flood pressure and scouring of the Great Miami River. As the waters rise, it will enter the floodplain earlier than it currently does and help the erosion along the river and provide more storage space for the flooding.

Miscellaneous

• Removal of 6 feet of topsoil
• Deep cuts within basin will provide overwintering fish habitat
• Large woody debris and root balls will be installed for fish and wildlife habitat
• Over 135,000 cubic yards of topsoil will be hauled out of floodplain
• Fish, freshwater mussels and other wildlife will benefit in the stream as well as in the off channel wetland
• The excavated basin will allow sediment and nutrient rich flood waters to off load into the off channel wetland
• Along with the reintroductions of fish and plants into the off channel wetland, the main river channel will have reintroductions of American Eelgrass and BluebreastedDarter

Project Cost

The total project cost is $450,000.  $200,000 is from US Fish and Wildlife and $245,000 is from the new H2Ohio grant program.