FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission)Hey, There’s a Stream There!
New Effort Underway To Identify Franklin County’s Major Rivers and Streams
(COLUMBUS, August 16, 2002) – With over 330 miles of rivers and streams flowing through Franklin County, most residents would be hard pressed to name and locate all of them. Now, Franklin County’s waterways will receive the recognition they deserve. The first sign to be erected as part of the Greenways Stream Signage Project will take place at a ceremonial event to be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 19, 2002, at the Williams Road and Alum Creek Crossing located in southeast Columbus. Parking is available at the Madison Mills Park, which is at this crossing. Please see page 2 for specific directions and map to event site.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Greenway Steering Committee in partnership with MetroParks, Columbus Departments of Utilities and Public Service, and Franklin County Engineer implemented the Greenways Stream Signage Project for the purpose of identifying Franklin County’s major rivers and streams. The project goal is to install signage at 126 crossings on major streams throughout Franklin County. Alum, Big Walnut, Rocky Fork, Little Walnut, Big Darby Creeks and the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers are some of the county’s waterways that will receive signage.
“Many residents are not aware that they are crossing Blacklick Creek when they drive or walk across the creek at Dublin Granville or Morse Road or that it is Alum Creek that flows alongside Sunbury Road,” said MORPC’s Greenways Coordinator Frances Beasley. “Signage identifying the streams would go a long way toward establishing their local significance.”
At Monday’s ceremony, remarks will be given by Franklin county Engineer Dean Ringle, Metro Parks Director John O’Meara and Columbus Utilities Director John Doutt. Also in attendance will be Friends of Alum Creek, Greenways Steering Committee, participating local governments of Reynoldsburg, Gahanna, Worthington, and Obetz.
MORPC’s Greenways Steering Committee, which guides the activities of the Greenways Plan for Columbus and Franklin County, approached the Franklin County Engineer’s office and MetroParks The Greenways Plan is a multi-jurisdictional environmental planning and action effort to improve water quality and preserve and protect stream corridors in central Ohio. MORPC provides day-to-day management of the Greenways plan.
http://www.morpc.org/web/departments/publicaffairs/presscenter/current/greensigns.htm