# The Future of Central Ohio Fisheries



## allen.1507 (Jun 8, 2012)

Im not sure about what everyone else thinks about Alum Creek and Delaware Lake but I wish I could do something about the overall quality of the two bodies of water. I grew up on the banks of Pymatuning Lake in Ashtabula County and I guess i took for granted its clarity and cleanliness. I know the central Ohio lakes are close to bigger cities which means more people to screw things up but damn...I love being on the water but it sucks to see garbage floating bye or an abundance of oil in the water. Passing banks filled with the debris of lazy so-called fisherman that cant clean up after themselves really gets to me. Some species of fish seem to be unhealthy in a lot of areas. This is where we live and where we fish....Something needs to be done before it gets worse. I dont think I have to mention the rivers, we all know they're horrible. From outboard regulations, spawning regulations, to more wildlife officer enforcement...things need to change. Words can bring change....so start talkin...what do you guys think?


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

Easy to get spoiled coming from a place like Pymatuning. Rural villages, no urban sprawl, minimal runoff from tilled fields. Lots of natural sand, gravel and stone lining the shore. Weed beds (what's left of them) to help filter the water. 

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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Try running a watershed advocacy group when your city thinks your river is a sewer.


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## BunkerChunker (Apr 13, 2009)

Agricultural runoff is the #1 reason for the turbidity of the water bodies in central Ohio. I agree with you on all the trash left behind by people who just don't care. I bring a trash bag along with me when i go out and try to take out what I can. Maybe you could organize a clean up I think FOSR does clean ups sometimes on the river.


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## BunkerChunker (Apr 13, 2009)

speak of the devil!


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## SoCal_Buckeye (May 28, 2012)

I am going to commit to volunteering if you form an advocacy group or even a trash pickup day. I am also a garbage man on my way out. Hell, we often times take away more trash than fish from places. One of the things that we need are trash cans in obvious fishing areas. If there are picnic tables then there should also be trash cans. 


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

I've said this in other threads - several times when we've done a litter cleanup at Greenlawn, someone would come up and say something like "I've been fishing here for 40 years" and I ask how the river compares now against then. They always say it's better than it used to be.

I'm preaching to the choir, you people care more about the streams than anyone else. I would guess that half the population of Columbus does not believe that it's even possible to catch fish from the Scioto.


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## seethe303 (Dec 12, 2006)

FOSR said:


> I've said this in other threads - several times when we've done a litter cleanup at Greenlawn, someone would come up and say something like "I've been fishing here for 40 years" and I ask how the river compares now against then. They always say it's better than it used to be.


You're doing good work, sir! This is awesome to hear. 

OP, doing something like what FOSR does for the Scioto (as far as picking up trash) for Alum could only help. I know I have been fishing at Hoover before when there was a group cleaning up the area around Baldridge.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

There is the Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries (FACT)

http://friendsofalumcreek.org/

But they consider their territory as beginning below the dam.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

To the original poster, I'm surprised, due to your major, that you're focused on trash, and engine oil, etc...
I'd prefer to hear about the actual water quality, how the bugs look, or more specifics on how "some of the fish seem unhealthy in some areas".

But if you're looking for solutions, it aint about outboard restrictions and more wildlife personnel, it's more about looking at the entire watershed and where that water actually comes from.

At least those reservoirs are deep enough that we won't have the blue algae problem like other shallow lakes.

BTW, it's blue algae season. On which lake do you think we'll see the first article?


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Bubbagon said:


> To the original poster, I'm surprised, due to your major, that you're focused on trash, and engine oil, etc...
> I'd prefer to hear about the actual water quality, how the bugs look, or more specifics on how "some of the fish seem unhealthy in some areas".
> 
> But if you're looking for solutions, it aint about outboard restrictions and more wildlife personnel, it's more about looking at the entire watershed and where that water actually comes from.
> ...


Yeah, one good gully washer off of a good sized strip mall parking lot probably puts more fuel residue in the system than all of the boating in a year combined. If you are by one of our local CS outlets during a good summer shower on a day like today, the water is literally hot--gotta be around 100 degrees...And why does the Darby take so long to clear up after a rain?

I know that GSM, Erie, and Indian usually lead the pack, but I'll go with Buckeye this year on the bg algae. We haven't seen it yet because there hasn't a big enough rain to flush fertilizer and sewage into the runoff.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

It's all about buffer strips people. Oh, and field tiles are BAAAAD.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

but but but it's so beautiful


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

FOSR said:


> I would guess that half the population of Columbus does not believe that it's even possible to catch fish from the Scioto.


To this day people are still like "you actually fish there". And to that I usually reply "well i've sampled streams throughout the midwest into Minnesota and Wisconsin and the strech of Scioto from Oshay to downtown is right up there with the best those states have to offer in terms of species and habitat" (at least as it pertains to Rivers in close proximity to a Major City). Then I go on to explain all the improvements that have been made to the river over the past decade, along with the improvements that are currently underway. By the time im finished people are almost always looking at me like


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

allen.1507 said:


> I dont think I have to mention the rivers, we all know they're horrible.


And that's one of the biggest issues facing Columbus. The rivers (at least the Scioto) are NOT horrible, heck you should have seen how trashed it was back in the 90's, then go down and take a look today, it's more or less pristine. Yet everyone just goes rambling on about what a sewer the Scioto is when it is so far off from the truth it's not even funny. Your average Joe overhears this talk and immediately writes the river off as a craphole, "ahh who cares if I flush my motor oil down the sewer, that river is crap anyway" and then makes the problem worse.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> I'd prefer to hear about the actual water quality, how the bugs look, or more specifics on how "some of the fish seem unhealthy in some areas".


None of that info would support his claims that the rivers are Horrible. Infact if you look at the fish/species counts from the Scioto/Olentangy over the past decade they're right up there with the best rivers in the State.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

acklac7 said:


> And that's one of the biggest issues facing Columbus. The rivers (at least the Scioto) are NOT horrible, heck you should have seen how trashed it was back in the 90's, then go down and take a look today, it's more or less pristine. Yet everyone just goes rambling on about what a sewer the Scioto is when it is so far off from the truth it's not even funny. Your average Joe overhears this talk and immediately writes the river off as a craphole, "ahh who cares if I flush my motor oil down the sewer, that river is crap anyway" and then makes the problem worse.


I dont know alot about water quality but have learned a little from my uncle.... 10-12 yrs ago my uncle wouldnt be caught dead fishing the sciota in downtown, or griggs or osheanesy. he now says he wouldnt have a problem in the world eating fish from these areas now..
He builds water treatment plants and other similar things. He said a few yrs back the city of columbus really started cracking down on the amount of sewage being pumped into the sciota,and the amount dumped in now(if any) is low enough to be filtered out by rocks/bubbles/bugs. and that the river has come a LONG way in the last decade.....


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Saugeyefisher said:


> I dont know alot about water quality but have learned a little from my uncle.... 10-12 yrs ago my uncle wouldnt be caught dead fishing the sciota in downtown, or griggs or osheanesy. he now says he wouldnt have a problem in the world eating fish from these areas now..
> He builds water treatment plants and other similar things. He said a few yrs back the city of columbus really started cracking down on the amount of sewage being pumped into the sciota,and the amount dumped in now(if any) is low enough to be filtered out by rocks/bubbles/bugs. and that the river has come a LONG way in the last decade.....


Ur uncle is on to something. It is only going to get better with the current improvements being made. They will almost completely eliminate sewer overflows.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Mushijobah said:


> Ur uncle is on to something. It is only going to get better with the current improvements being made. They will almost completely eliminate sewer overflows.


Also important to note that Sewage overflows have been eliminated from the middle Scioto (anything North of Grandview Ave.) for nearly 20 years now, alot of people don't realize that


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

acklac7 said:


> Also important to note that Sewage overflows have been eliminated from the middle Scioto (anything North of Grandview Ave.) for nearly 20 years now, alot of people don't realize that


I'm referring to the area Downtown south....ur area is fine, quit complainin 

When was the notorious "dublin sewage overflow" fixed?


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Kyle, I know that sewer overflow is of huge importance. I also know that you are concerned with the huge fluctuations that occur on flows like Alum. What do you think needs to be done to get that kind of thing under control? Sewer improvements are in the public sector, but runoff control seems to be more of a private sector issue. Is there any sort of sensible beginning point to control urban runoff?


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## robertj298 (Feb 23, 2009)

There are a lot of small streams that I fished and caught smallmouth and a number of other fish from 40 years ago that are now dead from fertilizer runoff. I can't believe all the politicians that want to do away with the EPA. Apparently they don't remember the days when the Cuyahoga would catch fire


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

streamstalker said:


> Is there any sort of sensible beginning point to control urban/*agricultural *runoff?


Probably the single biggest threat to the Scioto as far as im concerned.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

acklac7 said:


> Probably the single biggest threat to the Scioto as far as im concerned.


Acklac, as an English teacher I have to caution you that if you add/change anything to a quotation, you let your reader know that it wasn't in the original quote by putting it in [brackets], not bolding it.  However, I do approve of you adding _agricultural_ to the post.  I do think they are differnent problems with different solutions though.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

streamstalker said:


> Kyle, I know that sewer overflow is of huge importance. I also know that you are concerned with the huge fluctuations that occur on flows like Alum. What do you think needs to be done to get that kind of thing under control? Sewer improvements are in the public sector, but runoff control seems to be more of a private sector issue. Is there any sort of sensible beginning point to control urban runoff?


The storm sewer infrastructure built prior to the early 2000s is the cause of our urban runoff problems. Developments very close to rivers that leave no room for runoff abatement areas.

For instance, the neighborhoods within the Alum Watershed downstream of Westerville tend to have storm sewer systems that collect runoff, and route it directly into Alum. Developments in and around Westerville (new office buildings, polaris, new subdivisions) are many times legally required to include stilling basins, bio retention basins, or just plain old retention basins for runoff. This gives the water an opportunity to seep into the ground or evaporate prior to entering the stream. 

Newer developments are doing a descent job at handling storm runoff. Less direct diversions into the nearest streams....more integration of small (mostly artificial) wetlands. 

There are even groups looking at stormwater systems that divert the initial flow of runoff (contains the most trash, contaminants, oil) into the sanitary sewer system. After the most toxic water has runoff and entered the sanitary sewer, a valve turns and begins dumping water into the receiving stream. The stream is still seeing very flashy and rapid flow increases and decreased (bad), but the initial slug of contaminants isn't going directly to the stream. I find this to be an interesting technique, not fully solving the problem, but certainly helping.

Alum's biggest problem right now is urban stormwater runoff...no question. Scioto's is a combination of Agricultural runoff (upstream of downtown), O'Shaughnessy/Griggs (algae factories, warms temp of river noticably), and urban runoff (South of Dublin).

Every stream around here has its own unique suite of problems. There is no one solution for all of them. That is why site specific Watershed Groups (FOSR, FACT, FLOW) are most effective.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

As far as sustainable urban development in the future goes, we should not even consider sending stormwater runoff directly to streams unless it is a monumental 100 year rain event.

Integration of bioretention basins, artificial wetlands, absorbtion fields is a great start. When pipes are no longer installed for means of runoff collection, our problem will be solved.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Mushijobah said:


> When was the notorious "dublin sewage overflow" fixed?


1995, they dug up Dublin road clear from Oshay to Griggs in order to run the pipeline, (also dug up the entire pool/park below Griggs and ran monstrous pipes underneath the riverbed, had to re-route the river in numerous sections via massive pumps, it was quite an undertaking).


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

FOSR you should really look into putting up signs that read something like "This section of the Scioto Sewage-free for almost 20 years" that would really help to change people's attitudes towards the River.


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## stanimals2 (Mar 20, 2011)

I learned while working for the department of corrections that the one thing you cannot teach or force is self respect and the bottom line is you will never respect another or another thing until you do.. People have to have self respect before they will ever respect our state parks or our private property. Sadly I see it getting worse with the crack and meth babies now of age to enjoy the great outdoors with total disrespect .


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Mushijobah said:


> Ur uncle is on to something. It is only going to get better with the current improvements being made. They will almost completely eliminate sewer overflows.


Dont tell him that he has a big head already.... Good read guys lots to learn!


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

In terms of the quality of bass fishing, Griggs and O'Shay have been fishing EXTREMELY well the last few years. Not sure where the negative publicity is coming from - clearly from people who don't spend any time on the water fishing.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Mushijobah said:


> As far as sustainable urban development in the future goes, we should not even consider sending stormwater runoff directly to streams unless it is a monumental 100 year rain event.
> 
> Integration of bioretention basins, artificial wetlands, absorbtion fields is a great start. When pipes are no longer installed for means of runoff collection, our problem will be solved.


A few years ago, my complex wedged in a set of condos right above the Olentangy. There are four buildings in a box formation with all of the garage entries facing each other in basically a black asphalt bowl with a small island in the middle. When it rains the gutters all flush into a funnel that empties into the river a few yards away.

On Sunday, the Olentangy guage at Worthinton went from 30 cfs to 1100 cfs in one spike on the graph. It was back down to 50 cfs by the next morning.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

fishingredhawk said:


> In terms of the quality of bass fishing, Griggs and O'Shay have been fishing EXTREMELY well the last few years. Not sure where the negative publicity is coming from - clearly from people who don't spend any time on the water fishing.


 As well as most the other central ohio lakes. I think were lucky here in columbus to have all the opurtunity we have to catch fish. And compared to alot of other places have awesome places to fish. Yea there might be some trash on the banks, but alot of that is where your fishing. The stretch of river i like to fish, is super clean. Never seen a tire old fridge or anything like that in my stretch of river.. I been miles into the woods in tenesee and seen all the obeve on the banks of a very secluded river.


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## allen.1507 (Jun 8, 2012)

I am mainly talking about lazy fisherman leaving trash and other crap in the bodies of water...It sucks to see such things as gas cans, worm and chicken liver plastics, tires, ect...in the water or on the banks...ive even seen a washing machine in the Scioto. My original post was to promote positive change...not to be bashed.


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## allen.1507 (Jun 8, 2012)

I fish the central Ohio waters on average 3 to 4 times a week. Not every area on these bodies of water are tainted......I was just trying to promote more attention to the respect of our fisheries. I know their are a lot of "I think I know everything people"....but come'on.
My post was not meant to turn into a soap opera...wish I had never posted.

Mankind is the WORLD'S biggest problem


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## mjn88 (Feb 18, 2011)

I grew up in hilliard and my dad would take my brother and i fishing at griggs when we were young. I'm now 26, and griggs is kind of an afterthought for me. I now live in westervile, and fish Hoover and alum. Anyway, when I was young and fishing griggs, was when dublins sewage was getting flushed into griggs. I have always thought griggs had a funky smell to it and still think so. It may be just because my brain "expects" it to smell. I am thankful that we have places to fish close by here, but just from the recent history, griggs is always the last place I think about fishing. I guess that the scioto gets a bad rap because its hard to undo history.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

allen.1507 said:


> I fish the central Ohio waters on average 3 to 4 times a week. Not every area on these bodies of water are tainted......I was just trying to promote more attention to the respect of our fisheries. I know their are a lot of "I think I know everything people"....but come'on.
> My post was not meant to turn into a soap opera...wish I had never posted.
> 
> Mankind is the WORLD'S biggest problem


I'm not seeing a soap opera. I'm seeing well informed folks sharing information. I'm sorry you don't see it that way. THanks for starting the thread anyhow. It has me wanting to fish Griggs for the first time ever by boat. Good information here. Streamstalker nailed it in the post after mine here.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

allen.1507 said:


> My original post was to promote positive change...not to be bashed. My post was not meant to turn into a soap opera...wish I had never posted.


No one bashed you, and your post started one of the most constructive discussions on here in weeks, if not months. 

Seriously, there is also a bad trash problem in and on our waters. My favorite fishing spot on the Scioto is so littered with shopping carts I can barely fish it any more. Last year's rain washed a few more in there. If you want to really see some garbage, go out before the weeds sprout and honeysuckle leafs.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

I know its not going to be a popular position, and I appreciate everything they do, but I blame the local bait shops for all the worm containers. I'd like to see some sort of program to reuse those containers or change to another system. Like bring your own containers for a discount.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

MassillonBuckeye said:


> I know its not going to be a popular position, and I appreciate everything they do, but I blame the local bait shops for all the worm containers. I'd like to see some sort of program to reuse those containers or change to another system. Like bring your own containers for a discount.


Nice idea, but I doubt that the lazy SOBs who leave their garbage--along with plastic bags they could have put it in--would take the effort to bring their own containers, and if they did they would just leave those on the bank. I'm sure you could sell them in biodegradable containers like they sell plants in, but I can't see your average bait retailer going to that trouble.

The other week at one of my put-ins, some nasty people left their McDonalds breakfast in addition to their bait containers. They didn't even stuff their garbage into the McDs bag--just let the napkins and boxes fly wherever. There is even a dog poo station at the top of the bank with plastic bags and a receptacle they could have put the garbage in.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

streamstalker said:


> On Sunday, the Olentangy guage at Worthinton went from 30 cfs to 1100 cfs in one spike on the graph. It was back down to 50 cfs by the next morning.


Here:

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?c...12-07-15&end_date=2012-07-16&site_no=03226800


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

allen.1507 said:


> I am mainly talking about lazy fisherman leaving trash and other crap in the bodies of water...It sucks to see such things as gas cans, worm and chicken liver plastics, tires, ect...in the water or on the banks...ive even seen a washing machine in the Scioto. My original post was to promote positive change...not to be bashed.


no ones bashing dude. You asked questions and had concerns and people are giveing there opinions. All very smart and reseaonable to


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

The trash is more of an aggrivation, societal symptom....in all honesty.....it's fish habitat. It looks terrible, and it sounds terrible to say but litter does not really have a negative impact on our water quality. A lot of the trash we see is a _result_ of our flawed storm water sewer systems. Much of the cans, bottles, floating debris comes from your local streets. When it rains, they take a nice (and fun I bet!!!) ride through our storm sewer system until reaching your local stream. When it really pours, these "waterslides" put Zoombezi Bay to shame! Instead of screaming and laughing kids going through the tubes, our skoal cans, mcdonalds cups and mountain dew bottles get all the fun.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

I should mention, there is one good thing about litter. It's a problem that's easily solvable! 

How to solve littler problem:
1. Pick it up!!
2. Report people who litter. It doesn't matter if you think the Ranger, Police or Warden doesn't care....they HAVE to respond. Especially if the suspect is still there. Don't feel bad.
3. Work with your local Watershed Agency, Municipality, State Park to get signs installed in specific areas. Just a call to the agency is not enough. They are very busy people. You must be persistent. Once the agency sees you and your idea as a priority, it will get done. If they say NO...well, it's probably not a great idea or it needs refined. Keep at it.

It's a pretty simple solution, and it does work in certain areas with certain groups of anglers. Don't expect much at Greenlawn. Lots of people that could care less about the river due to ignorance or other issues.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Mushijobah said:


> Instead of screaming and laughing kids going through the tubes, our skoal cans, mcdonalds cups and mountain dew bottles get all the fun.


Ha! That would make an excellent show for Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. Instead of white trash at the water park, you've got actual trash in the water treatment system.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Below Greenlawn, the wooded floodplain catches logs and sticks, which capture floating trash. It looks like someone dumped it from a truck.


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## allen.1507 (Jun 8, 2012)

Thanks to all of you that posted.....It just gets hard sometimes to tell if members are just debating intellectually or being ignorant. There are some really good posts on here though...I wanted to get a fire stirred up and I think that was accomplished. Thanks again to all that posted and keep them coming.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Maybe a few got a little sensitive about you saying how beautiful Pymatuning is compared to Central Ohio lakes. Pymie has had it's problems too. There was a huge fish kill a couple years back. I grew up in Western PA, and I remember some very down cycles in the fishing and people moaning, "What's wrong with Pymatuning? It ain't what it used to be." And Pymie has this:


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

When Columbus had a press conference about removing the Main St. dam, I got bumped off the speakers' list so someone from ODNR could speak. I listened to the Mayor talking at length about how the river is a dead skanky sewer. If I'd gotten to speak, I would have skipped my prepared comments and said something like "Reports of the death of the river are exaggerated" - but I guess that remains our secret.

We are lucky that our waters flow away. If a plastic bottle bobs in the Scioto, it goes _somewhere_ downstream, possibly to the Gulf of Mexico. In contrast, there are cities like Chicago or Milwaukee or San Diego or Los Angeles or Portland or Boston where the urban runoff goes into some large body of water and stays there offshore. They have more motivation to clean up their runoff and apply measures like rain gardens, etc., than we have here.

Does anyone remember the movie _Who's Minding the Mint_? The movie ends with the main characters chasing after cash they printed, that was accidentally thrown away, riding on a barge of garbage out of New York setting off to be dumped at sea. Different times.


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## August West (Dec 5, 2011)

I have learned a lot from this thread, thanks.

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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

streamstalker said:


> Nice idea, but I doubt that the lazy SOBs who leave their garbage--along with plastic bags they could have put it in--would take the effort to bring their own containers, and if they did they would just leave those on the bank. I'm sure you could sell them in biodegradable containers like they sell plants in, but I can't see your average bait retailer going to that trouble.
> 
> The other week at one of my put-ins, some nasty people left their McDonalds breakfast in addition to their bait containers. They didn't even stuff their garbage into the McDs bag--just let the napkins and boxes fly wherever. There is even a dog poo station at the top of the bank with plastic bags and a receptacle they could have put the garbage in.


If you tied the containers to their store maybe they'd care more. Give them an incentive maybe. What if they had to print their name on em heh.. I dunno. They aren't innocent in all this.. A lot of bait and lure containers laying around is all I know. And yep, lazy sobs is exactly right heh.


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## fredg53 (Sep 17, 2010)

Why is this even a topic don't litter people period 

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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

fredg53 said:


> Why is this even a topic don't litter people period
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


The choir can hear you, reverend.


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## allen.1507 (Jun 8, 2012)

streamstalker said:


> Maybe a few got a little sensitive about you saying how beautiful Pymatuning is compared to Central Ohio lakes. Pymie has had it's problems too. There was a huge fish kill a couple years back. I grew up in Western PA, and I remember some very down cycles in the fishing and people moaning, "What's wrong with Pymatuning? It ain't what it used to be." And Pymie has this:


Yeah it has its problems too...but really in certain parts of the lake. It's so huge it would be hard to tremendously damage the whole thing. Grand Lake St. Marys had some problems too I remember reading. One of my environmental science proffessors highlighted it in a past lecture. Lol..yeah Pymatuning is the home of the Linesville Spillway..where the ducks walk on the fish....If anyone likes to Carp fish or shoot Carp with longbows..get up there asap...cause their's plenty of them up there waiting for you...


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Taking a step back, I'd say the greatest threat to central Ohio fisheries, looking into the future, is urban runoff. As mentioned previously here, it's litter and chemicals and heat. It's bad now, and I and others are trying hard to push solutions like rain gardens, but in the meantime Sawmill Parkway is past Home Road and presumably on its way to Sandusky, or at least Prospect, with plenty of asphalt alongside. You get one guess where that drains to.

Another element is the "concentrated animal feed operations" (CAFOs) with whatever waste management practices they may follow. When you see the streambed hairy with algae (like Mill Creek for example) suspect nitrogen and phosphorous. Then there's winter manure disposal on frozen fields ... somebody stop me. I could go on about Best Management Practices long after your eyes glaze over.

Let me bounce this idea off of you, for protecting the future of the waterways: Make people care. Make them understand that, as we say in watershed-speak, they are "stakeholders" meaning they have a stake in the quality of the streams. They are drinking this water.

You know that, the rowers know that, the canoeists and kayakers know that, the watershed groups know that, and combined together we'd make, what, 10% of the population? Everyone else needs education.


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