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M) NONPOINT SOIREE SICCESS STORY

Baldwin Run Removed from Impaired Waters List after Channel and
Streambank Restoration
Waterbody Improved channel erosion and upland cropping practicesde6raded water
quality in the Hocking River-Baldwin Run watershed, which was
listed on the 2016 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters. Ongoing stream
restoration work in the watershed, at the direction of the City of Lancaster's Engineer's Office, has
resulted in an improvement of water quality. As a result, the watershed was removed from the CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2018. Part of this work was funded by a 2014 CWA section
319 stream restoration grant, which was followed-up with a similar 319 grant in 2017 to further
improve the watershed.
Problem
The 12.60-square-mile (8,064 acre-) Baldwin Run
watershed is formed by the combination of three
secondary rivers in south-central Ohio. It is within
the Erie/Ontario Lake Hills and Plains Ecoregion. The
entire watershed contains approximately 11.2 miles of
primary stream, plus more than 24 miles of tributary,
for a total of 36 linear miles of stream.
Historical flooding has caused severe downcutting
throughout many streams in the watershed, resulting
in a loss of flood capacity and a reduction in natural
ecological habitat. The non-natural state of the
fioodplain, due to past human alteration,, exacerbated
these impacts. In fact, the sinuosity of Baldwin Run is
the lowest among Lancaster's streams. At a sinuosity
index of 1.04, It Is the only stream In Lancaster classi-
fied as "straight" under the conventional classification
system; most other Lancaster streams are classified as
"twisting."
Monitoring in the Baldwin Run reach (Figure 1) before
the implementation of the Baldwin Run stream
restoration project in 2014 showed that the stream
was only partially attaining the Erie/Ontario Lake Hills
and Plains Ecoregion biocriteria for aquatic life use fish
and aquatic insect metrics (Index of Biotic Integrity
[!BI] and Invertebrate Community Index [ICI]). As a
result, the Hocking River-Baldwin Run watershed
(HUC 050302040402) was added to Ohio's 2016 CWA	Figure 1. Water quality samples were collected at
section 303(d) list of impaired waters.	stations along Baldwin Run, Ewing Run and Fetters Run.
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Trailer
Park j
Hocking River
watershed
Hocking River-Baldwin Run CWA Section 319 Monitoring
Baldwin Run
Monitoring station locations
0 Downstream of project area
O Within project area
# Upstream of project area
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Story Highlights

IS
The City of Lancaster was the lead local group working
to restore the Hocking River-Baldwin Run watershed.
The city's stormwater department developed
Lancaster's Stream Corridor Master Plan, which
included the work in the Hocking River-Baldwin Run
watershed. To inform the public of the importance
of their work, the city conducted a public outreach
campaign that took the form of a fact sheet and two
on-site public meetings.
The first phase of the Baldwin Run restoration effort
came in 2005, where 2,000 linear feet of Baldwin Run
(downstream of the Phase Two site) was restored. The
City of Lancaster coordinated the restoration as part of
the Anchor Hocking Brownfield Project. To supplement
the funding needed to implement their watershed
plan, the City of Lancaster applied for and received a
CWA section 319 grant in 2014 for the Baldwin Run
Stream Restoration Phase Two project.
The Phase Two project resulted in the restoration of
960 linear feet of Baldwin Run. Restoration activities
included installing 23 in-stream habitat structures;
regrading and recontouring 250 linear feet of stream
bank; and removing 0.35 acres of invasive species that
were subsequently replanted with native hardwood
trees and shrubs. On-site signage was posted at the
location of the restoration work. This project began
in spring 2015 and was completed by autumn 2015.
The City of Lancaster continued its work in 2017 and
was awarded an additional CWA section 319 grant to
implement the Fetters Run Stream Restoration project,
which included 800 linear feet of stream restoration,
500 linear feet of stream bank regrading, and 0.33 acre
of invasive species removal and riparian planting. This
project built upon improvements already observed
from the Phase One and Phase Two Baldwin Run
projects.
The initial CWA section 319-funded work in Baldwin
Run was completed in 2015. it included above
mentioned stream channel restoration, where riffle
poo! run development was established using natural
channel design concepts (inclusive of numerous
in-stream structures) to aid in flow direction and
habitat establishment. The streambank in the project
area was also restored in numerous locations, which
included regrading the streambank in critical locations;
Figure 2. After restoration, Baldwin Run fully supports
its WWH designated use.
removing invasive plant species; planting critical areas,
and establishing trees and shrubs. Restoration work in
the overall watershed continues with the Phase Two
work in the Fetters Run stream reach.
Results
The monitoring station within the stream restoration
area on Baldwin Run showed improvement in biologi-
cal performance after the stream restoration project
was completed. In 2014, during the pre-restoration
sampling, the station at RM 0.7 was in partial attain-
ment of the Warmwater Habitat (WWH) aquatic life
use, with marginally good to fair biological community
assessment scores. This station was resampled in 2016
after the stream restoration project was completed.
The station improved to full attainment with scores
showing good communities. The stations upstream
and downstream of the project area were also in full
attainment of the WWH (Figure 2).
Partners and Funding
The work on Baldwin Creek-Hocking River watershed
began before the development of a CWA section 319
watershed-based plan. Section 319 funds were used
to continue this work and to fund projects specifically
identified in the later-developed plan. The total CWA
section 319 funding used was approximately $180,000,
with another $220,000 in match provided by the City
of Lancaster. This work was implemented by the City of
Lancaster Engineer's Office.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-20-001X
October 2020
For additional information contact:
Rick Wilson
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
614-644-2032 • rick.wilson@epa.ohio.gov

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