Ohio

The Muskingum Watershed is the largest watershed fully contained in Ohio, covering more than 8,000 square miles (or ~20% of the state). The lands and waters of the Muskingum are being threatened by a range of challenges such as development and urbanization, fragmentation of habitat, nonpoint source pollution, and contamination from historic mines.  

Not only does this decline in watershed health impact water quality and biodiversity, but it also impacts the human communities that rely on the watershed for recreation, tourism, drinking water, agriculture, forestry, and scenic views. Being a heterogeneous watershed, with urban centers of Canton and Akron in the northern portion of the watershed, agricultural counties dominating the middle portion, and the southern portion defined by the foothills of Appalachia, diverse strategies are needed to achieve conservation goals.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) and Sustainable Economies Consulting are partnering to develop a watershed-wide conservation strategic plan. The timing is right: creating a plan that brings together watershed partners now means that the Muskingum Watershed has the chance to achieve the status as the cleanest watershed in the State of Ohio.

The strategic planning process incorporates linkages between nature and human well-being, evidence-based decision making, and ample stakeholder engagement. The process includes:

• Analysis of existing data and reports
• An advisory committee including MWCD staff, Board members, and 4 partner organizations
• An in-person goal setting retreat that included MWCD staff, Board members, and 17 partner organizations
• 6 community engagement sessions across the watershed
• A survey to get feedback from the general public
• A plan that lists targeted goals, strategies, metrics of success, and priority projects for the watershed for the next 5 years