Yellow Creek Watershed Committee Seeks Members
Over the past ten years the efforts of Bath Township and its residents have been directed toward retaining the geographical integrity and the character of the township. Since the passage of the JEDD agreement in 1998 the Bath Township Comprehensive Plan has guided the regulation of land use and other initiatives affecting the character of the township. Our community has benefited and will continue to benefit from the dedicated service of our residents who serve on the Zoning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Appearance Review Commission, the Bath Water and Sewer Board, the Park Board, the Scenic Byways Committee, the Trails and Greenways Committee and the Trustees Advisory Council. Recently a review of the accomplishments of the township towards fulfilling the goals of the Comprehensive Plan revealed it was evident a greater focus on managing the Yellow Creek Watershed was required. Other agencies responsible for the Lake Erie Water Basin and the Cuyahoga River Watershed have advised that the formation of a residents oversight committee has proven to be one of the most effective management initiatives. Accordingly the township plans to form a Yellow Creek Watershed Committee consisting of twelve to fifteen members to develop and oversee a program for the Yellow Creek Watershed. Many projects have already been completed to meet the goals of this committee. In 2004 the Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO) published its Yellow Creek Watershed Action Plan. This plan describes strategies that could be pursued to protect and improve water quality and manage storm water run off. It identifies goals and objectives that would improve the watershed and assigns priorities to specific tasks within the township. Possible funding sources are also identified. What is needed is an entity to give direction to the program and to assume a stewardship role for the watershed.
Because Yellow Creek is such an important water resource, NEFCO in 1997 established the Yellow Creek Watershed Protection and Restoration Project. This study was designed to identify best management practices to protect water quality and existing biological integrity. Congruently with NEFCO’s study the Bath Comprehensive Plan was under development. The Comprehensive Plan addresses flood plains, riparian corridors, wetlands and conservation easements as well as other environmental protection initiatives. The Comprehensive Plan suggests environmental protection guidelines designed to minimize the impact of land development on water resources and recommends initiating relevant educational programs. To date riparian setbacks have been enacted and enforced by the township. Any development on sites involving steep slopes receive special review. In 2002, NEFCO published its Clean Water Plan: 208 Lake Erie Basin Water Quality Management Plan designed to manage threats to water quality presented by rapidly developing areas in the region. This plan was in response to the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act and is a valuable planning resource.
The Yellow Creek Watershed Committee will have several partners sharing its goals and objectives. Yellow Creek and Furnace Creek, just north of Bath Township, are currently the two highest quality tributaries of the Cuyahoga River and as such are also of interest to the planning agencies of the Cuyahoga River Watershed and the Lake Erie Basin. Jurisdiction over the waters of Yellow Creek is shared by Bath Township, the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, and the Ohio EPA. The watershed itself encompasses nine jurisdictions- Bath Township, Copley Township, Granger Township, Richfield Township, Sharon Township, the Village of Richfield, and the cities of Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Fairlawn. By far the dominant jurisdiction with the greatest interest in the care and oversight of the Yellow Creek Watershed is Bath Township. The Bath Township Yellow Creek Watershed Committee will fulfill a leadership role in protecting this valuable water resource.
Please contact the township at 330-666-4007 ext 230 or by email at djenkins@bath township.org if you would be interested in serving and joining fellow residents in keeping Bath Township a proactive community dedicated to maintaining the quality of life we enjoy.
From the Spring 2005 issue of the Bath Township Quarterly. Reprinted with permission of the Bath Township Quarterly.