The document discusses initiatives aimed at improving water quality in Cincinnati/Hamilton County, which suffers from significant sewer overflows due to its combined sewer system. It highlights the importance of strategic investments in infrastructure, such as a $244 million storage tunnel, and green solutions that enhance community health, engagement, and economic growth. The Ohio River Basin project aims to address water quality degradation through innovative management practices and collaboration among local partners.

1. Collaboration, Science,
and Technology Merge to
Improve Water Quality
David Gamstetter
Donna Murphy
Cincinnati Park Board
U.S. Forest Service NA SPF

2. Aging Sewer Infrastructure
 Cincinnati/Hamilton County is one of 772 cities in the US
with a combined sewer system.
 Hamilton County ranks 5th in the nation for urban
combined sewer overflow (CSO) volume.
 Up to 105 overflows/year in some CSOs resulting in 14
billion gallons annually overflowing into waterways.
 Over 300 miles of streams once flowed through the
lower Mill Creek, today only 75 miles remain with over
600 miles of combined sewers.

3. Combined Sewer Overflows
MSD’s sewer system during wet weather based on the typical year rainfall.

4. Combined Sewer Overflows
Annually 14 billion
gallons of untreated
stormwater and
sewage overflows
from CSOs
Hamilton County CSOs - 212

5. Consent Decree
The consent decree with the US EPA, Ohio EPA, and
ORSANCO (the regulators) mandates that Metropolitan
Sewer District (MSD):
 Capture, treat, or remove at least 85% of the 14
billion gallons of annual overflows from CSOs
 Eliminate all overflows from sanitary sewers (about
100 million gallons annually)

6. Default Solution – Storage Tunnel
The approved solution was a $244M tunnel:
 30 feet in diameter
 1.2 miles long
 1.6 billion gallons of storage
The tunnel would meet mandates for compliance.
Communities and watershed function would remain
unchanged without any new reinvestment.

7. What if a sewer project…
 Could be more than a sewer project?
 Could improve stormwater quality?
 Could be a strategic investment?
 Could be greener?

8. What if it could….
 Signify as a catalyst for community transformation?
 Establish a new watershed based model for community
planning?
 Engage the neighborhood and local partners?
 Generate community assets that attracted new
interest and investment?
 Create open space, enhanced streetscapes, and
development opportunities?

9. Project Groundwork
 One of the largest public works projects in
Cincinnati’s 200+ year history.
 Green solutions for stormwater quality
 Improves quality of life — cleaner streams
and improved public health.
 Community enhancements

10. Project Groundwork
Provides community and social benefits by:
 promoting environmental, social, and economic
solutions.
 revitalizes the economy by creating local jobs and
opportunities for economic growth.
 reduces sewage overflows into rivers and streams and
eliminates sewage backups.

11. Lick Run Watershed
The Lick Run watershed is 2,700 acres in
Cincinnati’s west side, and is home to
the largest CSO in Hamilton County.
Annually, 1 billion gallons of raw
sewage, mixed with stormwater,
overflows into Mill Creek.
Of that total, 25% is sewage – the rest
comes from stormwater and reconveyed
stream flow.

15. Click to add Title

16. U.S. Forest Service
Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry

17. Federal Policy Drivers
1. Clean Water Act - To restore and maintain the
chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the
Nation’s waters
2. Safe Drinking Water Act

18. Forest Service Policy Drivers
USFS National Priorities
 Conserve and Manage Working Forests Landscapes
 Protect Forests from Threats
 Enhance Public Benefits from Trees and Forests
USFS NA S&PF Strategic Plan 2013-2018
 Best available science through the engagement of all
partners across all landscapes.
 X strategies of 27 could address water quality issues

19. ….across all
landscapes
NA S&PF Strategic Plan 2013-2018
Use the best available science and commitment to respond to forest
threats through the engagement of all partners across all landscapes

20. Science
1. UTC Study (2000 and 2011 Multi-State)
 39% UTC
 UTC decreased 1.2% since 2000.
 28 of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods <25% UTC
2. CityGreen (2000 and 2010)
 Cincinnati’s annual savings - $2,190,420 in
avoided stormwater costs.
3. i-Tree Hydro (2011)
 Role of vegetation in managing stormwater.

21. Ohio River Basin Grant Purpose
“A collaborative approach demonstrating water
quality improvement practices in forested and urban
landscapes within the Ohio River Basin”
-US Forest Service ~ Northeastern Area State &
Private Forestry, competitive allocation process

22. Why the Ohio River Basin
Project is Important
This project addresses water quality degradation from runoff
by land use conversions and CSOs, that affect the health and
ecology of the Ohio River and its tributaries.
Key threats to Ohio forests (noted in Ohio’s FRAS):
 Inadequate funding for conservation
 Lack of public awareness
 Lack of comprehensive planning
 Water quality impacts from land management practices
 Urbanization in a high priority landscape

23. Ohio River Basin Project
Innovative management at the landscape scale to
address water quality, stormwater management, and
watershed health in priority landscapes.
 State Forests
 Municipalities
 Outreach

24. Ohio River Basin Project
Outputs
 Green infrastructure and stormwater control
measures
Short and medium-term outcomes will focus on
changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills, aspirations,
behavior, policy, and practices.

25. Ohio River Basin Project
The Ohio Division of Forestry manages over 200,000
acres of state forest lands. Since European settlement,
Ohio has lost 90% of its wetlands.
Goals:
 Protect existing Ohio forested wetlands
 Create new Ohio forested wetlands

26. Ohio River Basin Project
 Ohio State University
 Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati
 City of Cincinnati
 Ohio River Radio Consortium
 Lower Olentangy River Watershed Urban Forestry
Partnership

27. Ohio River Basin Project
The ODNR and OSU will locate, classify, and record all
forested wetlands currently within Ohio’s state forests.
This data layer will be added to the Ohio Statewide
Forest Resource Assessment & Strategy (FRAS).
Water Management plans and BMPs can then be
developed to protect forested wetlands.

28. Driver: Ohio State Action Plan
Ohio State Action Plan
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Forests health
Water quality
Forest management
Conservation $
Comprehensive planning
Impacts of urbanization
Public awareness

29. Connecting to the Landscape
52 Local Partners
 Regional Plans - Agenda 360
 County Plans - MSD Wet
Weather Plan
 City Plans - Plan Cincinnati
2012 Lick Run Master Plan
 Local Plans - Centennial parks
Master Plan

30. Defining Landscape Scale

32. Critical Needs Assessment
The 2010 Ohio/Michigan Regional Urban Tree
Canopy Assessment and Implementation Project
is a collaboration of the following organizations:

33. Urban Tree Canopy Study
The UTC Assessment:
 Serves as a benchmark
from which to measure
success of future programs.
 Leverages support from
partners.
 Educates the public about
the many benefits of trees.

34. Urban Tree Canopy Study
 Used 5 GIS to map landcover in Hamilton County,
(trees and forests, impervious surfaces, open space,
soil and water).
 Assess Cincinnati’s existing and possible Urban Tree
Canopy (UTC) citywide and within creeksheds, land
use types and census blocks.
 Model environmental services provided by trees.

35. CITYgreen Studies 2010
GIS-based model used to calculate the ecosystem services and value of
Cincinnati’s existing urban forest. Provides benefit estimates of the value of
tree canopy for air pollution removal, capacity for 5 air pollutants, carbon
storage and sequestration in lbs./yr., stormwater mitigated and water quality.
Impervious surface, tree canopy, and land use layers were developed from aerial photography

36. Environmental Services of Trees
Cincinnati Parks provide $5,075,000 in
Annual stormwater management benefits

37. Environmental Services of Trees
Cincinnati’s urban forest provides $42,404,000
In annual pollution removal and stormwater
abatement benefits.

38. Distribution of Existing
UTC by Creekshed

39. Environmental Benefits
calculated by CITYgreen (example)
CARBON BENEFITS
Carbon storage: 1,659.57 tons
Carbon sequestration: 2.89 tons/year
POLLUTION REMOVAL BENEFITS
Ozone: $3,930.17 (1280.7 pounds)
SO²: $298.68 (397.7 pounds)
NO²: $2,253.64 (734.3 pounds)
PM¹º: $2,267.52 (1106.6 pounds)
CO: $63.79 (146.7 pounds)
STORMWATER BENEFITS
Runoff reduction: 68.8%
Time of concentration increase: 66.9%
Peak flow reduction: 84.5%
Storage volume (trees removed): 165,919 ft3

40. Cost Benefit Analysis Environmental
Services
Provided by Cincinnati Street Trees
Stormwater, carbon, air pollution abatement
Energy savings
Total Benefits (1)
$3,240,402.00
$4,760,000.00
$8,000,000.00
Annual Maintenance Costs
$1,800,000.00
Return on $1 Investment
Annual benefit for each tree
Typical assessment on a 50’ wide lot
Net annual benefit
$4.44
$94.12
$ 9.00
$85.12

41. Chiquita Brands donated and planted 80 Trees
as part of a corporate service project

42. Ault Park Stormwater Separation Project

43. Ault Park Stormwater Separation Project

44. Ault Park Stormwater Separation Project

48. “….the
best available science
www.itreetools.org

49. i-Tree Hydro
Watershed model that calculates the impacts of tree cover and impervious surfaces on
stormwater runoff. Uses slope, soil type, % of impervious surface, and tree cover to
calculate the infrastructure needed to abate stormwater if tree canopy is not present. Cost
savings are based on the avoidance of constructing infrastructure.

50. Lick Run i-Tree Hydro
 100 % forest, shrub understory = 0 runoff
 Shrub understory restoration = 1.9% reduction in flow if
honeysuckle is replaced by native shrubs.
 Herbaceous understory restoration = 1.4% reduction in
flow if honeysuckle is removed and herbaceous layer
regenerates.

52. Triple Bottom Line
Weighs the economic, social, and
environmental cost-benefits of a project.
Community
Economic: Jobs, business, and growth
Social: community revitalization, parks
Environmental: stream ecology, health,
UTC
Economy
Environment

53. Lick Run Master Plan

54. Urban Waterway Plan

55. Urban Waterway Plan

56. Lick Run Plan

57. Urban Waterway Plan

60. St. Francis Court Apartments Bioretention Features
Before & After
2009: Two levels of unused parking lots
2012: Two bioinfiltration basins with walking path

61. Spring 2011, Ponding after rain event

62. Summer 2011, One year after installation

63. Special Thanks