Summer Edition

Editor: Holly Utrata-Halcomb

Layout: Barbara Connole

Did you know……

By Mohammad M. Islam PE information relating to landslides and building on hillsides. The
developments which were approved by the District after the
“that landslides in the United States are a Earth Movement Regulation was adopted (1990) have not
major, widespread geologic hazard that occur experienced any major landslides in the unincorporated areas
each year in all 50 states, cause $1-2 billion in of Hamilton County. For more information on Landslide and
damages and take the lives of more than 25 Earthwork Regulations visit the District website at
people? In Ohio, landslides are most common http://www.hcswcd.org/services/earth/default.asp
in clay-rich geologic units exposed along the
shoreline of Lake Erie and the valley walls of
the Ohio River and its tributaries. Ohio Hamilton County Storm Water
landslides typically creep down the hillside District Education Outreach
only a few feet or less per day, but still cause
millions of dollars in damages to homes, & Public Involvement Update
buildings, and highways each year. To learn
Have you heard the radio ad of the talking storm drain? He
more about landslides, visit the U.S. Geological
sounds a little cranky about all the pollutants that flow down
website at http://www.landslides.usgs.gov
his drain. If you listen to 93.7 FM, Q102 FM, B105 FM or
Survey GeoFacts 8, Landslides in Ohio”.
103.5 FM you will be hearing the new “Use Your Brain, Only
Water Goes Down the Storm Drain” campaign ads from April
According to the US Geological Survey Hamilton County
– October 2006. You will also see billboards around town
spends more per capita to repair landslide damages than
featuring the mascot storm drain. The first billboard was
any other county in the nation. The study period for the
posted April 16, 2006. It is posted South of Mitchell Road on
cost of landslide (per Capita Cost to the City) was from
I-75 facing North. On Average 100,740 cars pass this billboard
1973 to1978, which indicates per capita cost of landslides
each day. Lamar Advertising gave the District a bonus of five
in Hamilton County is $5.80 and Los Angeles $5.10. The
posters for that time frame as well. They are located at:
Mt. Adams landslide was in 1982, which was not even a
part of the study. - 1056 CLOUGH, S.Facing
- ERIE 240 E/O ROSALYN, West Facing
In contrast to the sudden and dramatic effect of the earth - W.GALBRAITH, 343 West of PIPPIN, East Facing
movement that is characteristics of the west coast areas, - HAMILTON AVE., 523 S. of STRUBLE, North Facing
landslides in this region occurs at a much slower and subtle - READING RD., South of Butler County Line.
manner. Often it takes years after a cut is made into or fill is
dumped onto a hillside before a landslide is observable. Please call our office and ask for Holly Utrata-Halcomb,
Administrator or Brian Bohl, Stream Specialist (772-7645).
In 1990 Hamilton County adopted Earthwork Regulations They will tell you about the many educational, outreach and
for the un-incorporated Areas of the County which is public involvement opportunities and services available to you.
enforced and administered by the staff of Hamilton County
Soil and Water Conservation District. The earthwork staff
reviews all cut and fill applications for developments,
commercial, single family homes etc. to determine
compatibility of the plans with soil and geologic
consideration of the site. The geotechnical investigation
reports are reviewed by the districts geotechnical engineer
before approving the site for grading and development. The
district maintains a database of geotechnical and geological
information that is relevant to the stability of geotechnical
and hillside problems in the unincorporated areas of
Hamilton County. The district provides assistance to local
agencies and private citizens in the form of advice and
 Earthwork News
by Dan Taphorn, Urban Conservationist

Clarification of the Erosion Prevention

and Sediment Control Plan Checklist
The District implemented an updated Erosion Prevention & Sediment Control Plan Specification Checklist a little more than a yea r
ago. During this time we have seen varied attempts to comply with these standards. The District thought it would be worthwhile to
clarify several shortcomings we are still seeing.

On the Standards and Specification Plan we are still seeing outdated standards and specifications from ODOT that do not reflect the
Rainwater & Land Development Manual, or the specifications are incomplete, or this page contains every possible erosion and
sediment control Best Management Practice leaving it up to the developer/contractor to decide which practice to implement. This
portion of the plans needs to provide the standards and specifications on the installation and maintenance of each Best
Management Practice that the engineer has chosen for the project. It should highlight areas of concern for a particular practice e.g.
storm drain inlet protection has to pond water in order to be effective. This portion of the plans shall also direct the inspection and
maintenance requirements as outlined in the Ohio-EPA NPDES Permit and include a copy of the Self Inspection Form and Log that
will be implemented for the project. At no time should the engineer reference standards or specifications without providing the
information on the plans. This page shall not be a boiler plate of every possible erosion and sediment control detail.

After speaking to many engineers regarding the Narrative portion of the plan there still seems to be some confusion. The Narrative
should communicate how the engineer developed the Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Plan , address areas of specific con-
cerns, and highlight the soil types on site with a description of each of the soils and the erodibility of the soil. We are not looking for
an “award winning essay”, merely a description of the site, highlighting areas of concern e.g. areas most susceptible to
erosion and sedimentation. Ideally the Narrative should direct the installation of perimeter controls as the first step in the implemen-
tation of the plan, then direct the clearing process to construct sediment basins and traps before mass clearing and grading
activities begin, highlight the clearing and grading process including the location of temporary topsoil stockpiling and direct the
temporary and permanent stabilization process. The Narrative can be broken down to reflect each portion of the plan. It can be
included on the plans or it can be provided as an addendum to the plans.

Several Engineers have been including the Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Plan Checklist with their submittal
and answering each question with N/A if the issue is not relevant for the project and specifying the location where the issue is
addressed on the plans by providing the page or location on the checklist. The more comprehensive the plans are in the submitta l
process, the faster the review and approval.

We hope this helps answers some of the questions and will result in more comprehensive plans. This topic will be covered in one of
the workshops at the Southwest Ohio Erosion and Sediment Control Field Day on June 14, 2006. (see below)

Sediment & Erosion Control Field Day

When: June 14, 2006 (Wednesday)
Where: Warren County Career Center
3515 N. St. Rt. 48
Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Cost: $35.00 (includes training, lunch and door prizes)
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Deadline: You have until June 5, 2006 to register
This is the 4th Annual Southwest Ohio Sediment and Erosion Control Field Day. This event brings together
representatives from the development community, design firms, homebuilders, regulators from various jurisdictions,
vendors of current erosion and sediment control products and other varied NPDES Phase II stakeholders throughout
southwest Ohio.

Call Chey or Nate at the District office for a free brochure, 772-7645, or call Marsha Rolph at Warren SWCD,
513-695-1861.

Summer Edition Page 2

 2006 Amateur Photo Contest
“What’s Slippery, Slimy or Swims?”
W
Rules and Guidelines

Water refreshes, cleanses, heals and raises life from dust. We are so utterly dependent on water and yet take for granted that we will
always have access to an unlimited and plentiful supply. The other creatures we share this earth with also expect the same. A diverse
and abundant wildlife population is an excellent indicator of good water quality. This 2006 Amateur Photo Contest challenges you to
pause and observe the big and small, slimy and beautiful creatures with which we share our natural waters.
1. All high quality, color, close-up, mid-range, and landscape photographs of any amphibian, fish, foul or animal that lives in,
on or around a body of water in Hamilton County will be considered.
2. Individuals may submit up to three (3) color photographs for consideration. Digital images will be accepted on disc and
must be in a .jpeg format.
3. There will be two age categories for submission. The Junior Category is for students between the ages of 14 to 19 years
old. The Senior Category is age 19 or older. First prize in each category is $100.00 and the second prize is $50.00.
4. Images will be judged on composition, technical excellence, originality, color and overall impact. Each entry will be blind
judged - the name and location of the entrant will be hidden. The decisions of the judges are final .
5. In order to ensure the highest quality images for the cover of the Annual Report, the winning photographers will be asked to
provide a high-resolution file of their photograph (s).
Deadline for submission is August 1, 2006. Mail your photographs
with your name, address, daytime phone number and location of photo
to Hamilton County SWCD, 29 Triangle Park Drive, Suite 2901, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-3411.
6. All winning photos become the property of Hamilton County SWCD.

Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River 2006

The annual river clean-up that spans the 170 mile waterway and major tributaries in Southwest Ohio and part of
Southeast Indiana, has been scheduled for two weekends in July this year in Hamilton and Dearborn counties.
8:00 a.m. Friday, July 7th and 8:00 a.m. Saturday, July 8th, at Green Acres Canoe Rental.
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Saturday, July 8th and Saturday, July 15th at Heritage Park.
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Saturday, July 15th at Shawnee Lookout County Park.
1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 15th at the Oxbow Wetland
For more information, contact: Bruce Koehler at 513-621-6300, ext. 112 or bkoehler@oki.org
or Brian Bohl at 513-772-7645 or brian.bohl@hamilton-co.org

   
More Fun Events Coming Up!!
May 2, 2006 Area IV Envirothon- 7 teams from Hamilton County are registered and 1 home school
group. It will be held at Tawawa Park in Shelby County.

June 7, 2006 Pond Clinic-co-sponsored with Butler SWCD. It will be held at the Fairfield Recreation
Center on John Gray Road in Fairfield, Ohio. You can come at 6:00 p.m. if you need weed i.d. and the
program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Summer Edition Page 3

 Education Corner
by Gwen Roth, Education Specialist

Get your paint, pencils, markers and crayons ready and enter the Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District’s
2006 Poster Contest. The poster must show the child’s understanding of the theme and have the title incorporated into
the poster. The contest is open to any Hamilton County student in one of these divisions:
K-2 3-5 6-8 9-12
Crayons, watercolors, markers or other methods of writing, printing or drawing may be used to create a flat or 2 dimen-
sional effect. Prints or pictures are not permitted. Posters may be as small as 8 1/2” x 11” or as large as 22” x 28”.
Posters will be judged on conservation message 50%, visual effectiveness 30%, originality 10% and universal appeal
10%. Please write on the back of the poster:
Student’s name, age, grade level, home address and
phone number, teacher’s name, school name and phone number
Please submit only 5 posters per sponsoring teacher. Posters may be delivered by May 31, 2006 to:
Hamilton County SWCD, 29 Triangle Park Drive, Suite 2901, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-3411

Winners from each grade level category will receive $25.00. Sponsoring teachers will receive a $25.00 gift certificate to
Half Price Books. All 1st and 2nd place winning posters will go to compete in the area competition. All posters become
the property of the Hamilton County SWCD.
For more information call Gwen Roth at 772-7645 x 14 or email gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org

Ohio Forestry Camp

2006 Great
Outdoor Weekend
The third annual Great Outdoor Weekend
will be held September 23 & 24 at partici-
pating environmental and outdoor educa-
tion facilities throughout the Greater
Cincinnati Area. Hamilton County SWCD
will be participating in activities at the
Izaak Walton League Lodge (in Loveland)
Saturday, September 23.
For more information about the SWCD
activities, contact Gwen Roth 772-7645
x14 or gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org.
For more information about the
GreatOutdoor Weekend go to
www.CincyGreatOutdoorWeekend.org
June 11 – 16, 2006
Sponsored by the Ohio Forestry Association
The Hamilton County SWCD would
like to sponsor an interested student
to attend Ohio Forestry Camp. Camp
is held at FFA Camp Muskingum in
Carroll County. Any student who has
completed the 8th grade and is at least
15 years of age is eligible. If you are
interested, please write a letter explaining why the District should
send you to camp. The letter should be mailed to the District office.
The student will be responsible for a $30.00 non-refundable deposit
and the District will pay the balance of $220.00. The winner of the
contest will be asked to attend our Annual Meeting (9/28/06) and
give a brief summary of their time at camp. Deadline to apply for
the scholarship is May 26, 2006.
For information on Ohio Forestry Camp:
go to http://ohioforest.org/
on Services and then click on Forestry Camp.

Summer Edition Page 4

Odegard/Diebel Memorial Scholarship
The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District is currently accepting applications for the Julius A.
Odegard/H. David Diebel memorial scholarship. Each scholarship is worth $250.00 and is available to any teacher in
Hamilton County who will use the funds to educate themselves or their students on conservation issues. Some possible
projects include Land Lab development, teacher workshop costs, training on conservation issues, classroom projects
promoting conservation. Please be creative! Applications must be received in the District office by Friday,
September 29, 2006.
Guidelines
#. Proposals will be reviewed on a competitive basis by the Soil and Water Conservation District.
2. Project funds must be spent within one year. Receipts must be submitted to the District office for the total
 YdS`fS_ag`fTWXadWfZW6[efd[Ufi[^^dW[_TgdeWfZWbSdf[U[bS`f 
3. Grant money must be used to accomplish the goals of the approved application.
4. Strong consideration will be given to groups that apply their monies to achieve their goals (i.e. donations,
 afZWdYdS`feBF3[`ha^hW_W`feUZaa^Xg`Ve 
5. You will be contacted concerning the status of your request or to provide additional details, as appropriate.
Please submit only one proposal per school. Teachers are eligible to receive one grant every five years.
FWSUZWde_geffWSUZ[`S:S_[^fa`5ag`fkeUZaa^ 

Please call the office (513-772-7645) for a copy of the 1-page grant application, which can be faxed or mailed to you.

2006 Splash “Connections”

Teacher Training Workshops
Looking for fun, creative, hands-on science activities
that are already correlated to Ohio’s Academic Content
Standards? Hamilton County Soil and Water
Conservation District, Greenacres Foundation and the
University of Cincinnati Center for Economic Education
are offering 4 day-long workshops:
8/7: Water, Weather, Wildlife, and Food Chains
(gr. 3-5)
8/9: Diversity, Weather, Earth Systems, and Change
(gr. 6-8)
8/9: Monitoring Streams, Ponds, Lakes, and
Wetlands (gr. 3-12)
8/10: Human Impacts, Data Interpretation, Maps Barb clowning around...
and Technology (gr. 9-12) at Earth Day at Sawyer Point
All workshops will be held at Greenacres Old Church
(Indian Hill) from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Each one-day
workshop costs $35 and includes resource materials, Celebrate Arbor Day!
activity supplies, and snacks. Reduced price UC Arbor Day is Friday, April 28! What can
Graduate Credit is available. Hamilton County teachers you do to celebrate?
will receive a copy of the new Non-Point Source *Plant a tree.
Pollution curriculum. The curriculum is endorsed by *Care for a tree.
*Get involved with your community
Hamilton County Education Services. Contact Anne
tree committee.
Lyon at (513) 891-4227/ alyon@green-acres.org or *Get your friends to help you plant and
Gwen Roth at (513) 772-7645/ gwen.roth@hamilton- care for trees.
co.org for more information. *Offer to water a newly planted tree at your school over
the summer months.
E-Mail List…..Please e-mail your name, On May 12, 2006, we will be celebrating Arbor Day and planting
e-mail address, school name and grade level you a tree with students at AMIS (Academy of Multi-Lingual
teach to Gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org if you would Immersion Studies), a Cincinnati Public School. You can join us
like to receive educational information, etc. at the school to celebrate Arbor Day!!

Summer Edition Page 5

Board of Supervisors
Joe Allen, Chairman
Steve Sandfort, Vice-Chairman Be sure to read this newsletter (inside & out)!
Tim Boehmer, Secretary There are lots of fun events and interesting
Thomas W. Reininger, Treasurer
Dave Dyke, Program Chairman contests in May, June & July.
District Staff
Holly Utrata-Halcomb, Administrator New CD Resource Available
Barbara Connole, Adm. Assistant The Hamilton County SWCD, Cincinnati Area Geographic Information
Dan Taphorn, Urban Conservationist System and Hamilton County Engineer has just released a new CD with
Chey Alberto, Urban Technician aerial photos of the County from years 1932, 1938, 1950, 1956, 1962,
Nate Sturm, Urban Technician 1968, 1975, 1977 and 1990. The cost of the CD is $115.00 if picked up
Gwen Roth, Education Specialist
at our office or $120.00 if mailed.
Brian Bohl, Stream Specialist
Mohammad Islam, Geotechinical Eng.
To receive a CD, stop by the office or send your request and check
Willie Potter, Design Technician
to Hamilton Co. SWCD, 29 Triangle Office Park Drive, Suite 2901,
NRCS Cincinnati, Ohio 45246. If you have any questions, please call
John Williams, D.C. our office at 772-7645.
George Cummings, D.C.
Jeff Barnes, Soil Conservationist

Mission Statement:
A public organization committed to assisting the citizens of Hamilton Co. through education, technical assistance and leadership
to be stewards of our soil and water resources.

All District programs are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.