COLUMBUS, OH -- A Guide To Ohio Streams, a newly published educational book, offers a comprehensive look at the geology, ecology, value and uses of more than 60,000 miles of Ohio's flowing waterways, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
The 120-page, soft-cover guide was recently published by the Ohio Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (OCAFS) in partnership with ODNR, the Ohio Environmental Education Fund, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). Funding for the project was provided by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund and cooperating partners.
"This guide culminates a six-year effort that involved input from many people within the ODNR as well as the Ohio EPA, other public agencies, universities and private groups," said Randall E. Sanders, project director and senior editor. "With 10 chapters and more than 230 wildlife illustrations, 60 photographs of Ohio streams and 40 maps, it will significantly help streamside landowners and others better understand and appreciate Ohio streams."
Sanders, who started the project while employed at the Ohio EPA, is currently an assistant administrator in Fish Management and Research for ODNR's Division of Wildlife.
The free Ohio stream guide contains chapters on stream ecology, geography and geology, habitat quality, water quality and pollution control, wildlife diversity, recreation, stream laws, and protection and restoration strategies. More than 15 professional illustrators worked on the book which contains a wide array of color photographs and information charts. Also included in the guide is a timeline and detailed descriptions of Ohio's major watersheds.
The initial printing of 2,500 guides will be soon distributed to streamside landowners along Big and Little Darby Creeks and the Little Miami River as well as other selected streams. Future printings will be more widely distributed.
OCAFS and the ODNR Division of Wildlife are seeking funds for additional copies of the guide to be printed early next year for schools, libraries, organizations and other agencies.