Organizations Managing the Tusc
The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District oversees and manages many programs - including the dams and reservoirs - within the Tuscarawas River Watershed. Here is a brief overview of the organization.
Beginning of the End
Hello, all! Well, this blog is starting to wrap up. I've been thinking of a way to consolidate all this information in a format that might be a little easier to use, a little more organized, and a little more comprehensive. I have a couple options: 1. Add to the existing posts, with more information, bigger and better pictures, and a suite of tags to make sorting and collating information easier - but leave it basically in silos, piecemeal. 2. Pull all this data, and the upgraded and additional info and photos, into one document - something like a pamphlet or magazine - and make available either here or in a public, online portfolio, or both. I'm leaning toward the second, honestly. But this is mostly for you, not me; so let me know in the comments if you think one format is better than the other. Whichever route I take, I'll begin implementing it on December 4 - so let me know by then, or forever hold your peace :)
Thanks for sharing the video on slide 9, very interesting!
ReplyDeleteHi Danny - I hadn't previously heard of a Conservancy Court - I wonder if that concept is unique to the area.
ReplyDeleteI share Bert's appreciation for the video. I am curious -- in your opinion -- how well the Watershed Conservancy District does in balancing anthropogenic interests like flood control, agricultural and municipal water supply, and economic development with managing for ecosystem health? The video seemed fairly well balanced public relations product, but I am always skeptical of the Army Corps of Engineers and their motivations related to water infrastructure projects.
ReplyDeleteHi Evan,
DeleteI can't probably give you a definitive answer, but there are a few factors to consider: the Conservancy District was formed early in the 19th century primarily for flood control, so that's going to hinder a 100% commitment to the environment, probably forever. Now that most of the reservoirs are managed largely for recreational use, that too is going to influence decisions in a way that will affect those activities the least.
However, the good news is, the Conservancy manages the reservoirs, and the USACE is only responsible for operation and maintenance of the dams - so the Army Corps likely doesn't influence much of what happens in the rest of the watershed. I don't think either organization would ever vote in favor of removing the dams and trying to restore natural flood control - and maybe that's not a bad thing. Probably a discussion far beyond the scope of this comments section :)
Like Leigh, I had not hear of a Conservancy Court. Do you know anything else about their involvement in the watershed?
ReplyDeleteI found the video very informative and was surprised by the balanced information it was passing on.