The Butler Soil and Water Conservation District is working to restore aquatic connectivity in Four Mile Creek.
The organization recently received $1.5 million from the H2Ohio Rivers Program to address a longstanding problem. Water Resource Specialist Ashlee Widener says barriers like dams have been disrupting the water flow and hurting aquatic life in the creek for years.
“When you have a dam, you get a lot of sediment build up and things like that behind the dam — they call it the impoundment — so, really poor habitat, not great for fish or bugs to live in,” Widener said.
Studies by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Midwest Biodiversity Institute found reduced numbers of fish species in parts of the stream near dams, Widener says.
“You get surveys from 2005 saying there's poor fish communities. And then in 2025, now, it’s still saying poor fish community,” Widener said. “So, obviously, it's a pretty bad impairment that we definitely need to figure out and remove and modify.”
The conservation district is planning to remove and mitigate two of the barriers in the creek.
One is a lowhead dam at Ruder Preserve. The other is sewer infrastructure at the Miami University Equestrian Center.
The restoration effort also involves stabilizing stream banks, protecting the sewer infrastructure, and realigning the channel.
Widener says the project aims to restore stream function and reconnect ecosystems.
“I'm really hoping to see an improvement with aquatic connectivity, especially for the fish communities being able to travel up and downstream Four Mile Creek,” Widener said. “[It] would be really awesome to see some of the species come back that were missing at the sites that were found maybe in other locations of Four Mile Creek.”
The improved connectivity also will enhance access for people recreating and paddling on the creek.
The conservation district is undertaking the project in partnership with Miami University, the city of Oxford, Three Valley Conservation Trust, and Environmental Solutions AQ.
This summer, the organization will start conducting preliminary surveys. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026.
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