EATON — Cleaner streams for everyone to enjoy and learn from — that is the goal of the Aukerman Creek restoration project at the Preble County Historical Society and Nature Preserve (PCHS).

In line with the 2024 “Year of Conservation” at PCHS, and funded by a $400,000 grant, this project addresses five hundred linear feet of severely eroding streambank within PCHS’s 255-acre farmstead, which threatens the stability of hiking trails and trees, and degrades the habitat for fish and aquatic insects both nearby and downstream. Aukerman Creek, a tributary of Twin Creek and a significant contributor to the Great Miami River, would suffer from excess sediment covering its natural rocky streambed, vital for a diverse aquatic ecosystem, without this intervention, according to officials.

Moreover, surplus nitrogen and phosphate would promote algal blooms downstream, affecting waters all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The restoration will prevent the annual downstream movement of 90.8 tons of sediment, 56 pounds of phosphate, and 145 pounds of nitrogen. Additionally, one acre of native trees, shrubs, and other vegetation will be planted along the creek to enhance runoff filtration from adjacent fields.

This $400,000 initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Ohio Department of Natural Resources H2Ohio program, the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Preble County Historical Society, with support from Environmental Solutions AQ. Partners also include the Three Valley Conservation Trust and the Preble Soil and Water Conservation District.

The streambank restoration was pinpointed as a high-priority in the Aukerman Creek Nine-Element Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategy, sanctioned by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in 2021.

“The community enjoys hiking across the creek, exploring the trails on the backside of the property, walking their dogs and learning more about the waterways. We are excited to share this project with the community so we can all learn the effects of erosion. A project like this is important and we are thankful to all who are involved,” said PCHS Executive Director, Lisa White.

The Preble County Historical Society is a non-profit organization which was organized in 1971, celebrated 50 years with the mission to preserve and promote Preble County history for all generations. It hosts up to 7,000 people annually in addition to those taking advantage of its seven miles of hiking trails, which are free and open to the public daily. The Preble County Historical Society and Nature Reserve is located at 7693 Swartsel Road in Eaton.