Page 61 - parks-master-plan

The Scioto River is the second-largest water system in Ohio. Historically, the river was vital to both wildlife and Native Americans and remains vital to Dublin today. One of City Council’s long-standing goals is to develop and maintain public access points to the Scioto River. Creating strategic access points along the river provides excellent opportunities to educate the public about riparian corridors and the importance of protecting the cultural and natural resources of the Scioto ecosystem. Preserving the riparian zones along stream corridors also enriches the community scenically.

Water quality, soil erosion and preservation of native plant communities and wildlife

migration corridors are a few of the reasons the Scioto River and its tributaries must have their riparian zones preserved. When “Greenways: A Plan for Franklin County” was published by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission in 1997, Dublin’s vision of how to preserve the Scioto River was reconfirmed in that the tributaries need riparian corridor protection, just as the main river does.

Much of the riverbank’s quality has been degraded over the years as a direct result of

encroachment and, more specifically, development. The City believes the river still has a great potential for recovery based on the quality plants and animals being found within the larger river corridor.

A riparian zone is influenced by periodic flooding. Riparian areas of appropriate size and health help stabilize banks, limit erosion, reduce flood size flows, and filter and settle out runoff pollutants. In addition, the mere presence of a riparian zone allows native plant

communities and wildlife migration corridors to exist.

Much of the river’s wildlife importance lies in its north-south orientation, which makes it an important neo-tropical bird migration corridor. An ecological assessment noted 42 birds, including prothonotary warblers, red-eyed vireos, rose-breasted grosbeaks, scarlet tanagers, warbling vireos, yellow warblers and yellow-throated warblers using the river. In addition, an endangered yellow crowned night-heron, mergansers, golden eye, bufflehead and green herons have been identified in the area.

Keeping stream and pond banks in an unmowed, natural state with tree cover has a direct impact on improving the water quality and lessening soil erosion impacts. Vegetation left in its natural state, be it trees or herbaceous plant material, slows water movement during