The Olentangy River flows through the middle of The Ohio State University (OSU) Campus and serves as a place for student activities such as a practice area for the crew rowing club and other boating types of activities such as canoeing and kayaking. Given its proximity to the OSU football stadium, St. Johns arena, and the Schottenstein Center, the River is a University icon for those visiting campus.
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However, the two-mile stretch of the Olentangy from just south of the wetlands research park, just north of Dodridge, to the low head dam at 5th Avenue is one of the most impaired sections of the Olentangy River. This section functions less as a river and more as a reservoir filled with sediment and devoid of the diversity of fish, mussels, and other aquatic species found in other parts of the River.
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Built in the mid 1930’s the 5th Avenue low head dam is 470 feet wide and 8 feet high. The reservoir behind the dam originally functioned as a source of cooling water for the OSU power plant, however, environmental laws and increased efficiency of the plant has eliminated this function.
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The
Friends of the Lower Olentangy River (FLOW) is a community-based watershed group that is dedicated to “...Increasing public awareness of the extensive recreational, cultural, historic and environmental resources of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, and to promoting responsible policies and uses of the River.” One of FLOW’s current goals to meet this objective is the removal of one of the six low head dams currently located on the Lower Olentangy River.
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Due to the placement of various utilities that cross the River near five of the six dams, the low head dam at 5th Avenue is the only viable candidate for removal at this time. The City of Columbus, as part of a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) agreement with Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has committed $250,000 for the dam’s removal and is currently making an application to the Army Corp of Engineers that will result in an additional $500,000 in federal funding for actual dam removal and stream restoration.
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If the dam is removed, it will have major implications for Ohio State, the University District community, and the City of Columbus. CampUShed and various faculty members from Ohio State are looking at how the dam removal and the subsequent stream and riparian area restoration might be incorporated into the research and teaching mission of the University. Given the potential impact that the dam’s removal will have on the surrounding community, there is an excellent opportunity to integrate what is best for the University with the needs and desires of the University District and community-based groups like FLOW. CampUShed has initiated a Service-Based Learning project to work with FLOW and OSU students to gather data on stakeholder involvement and participation.
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