        
   |
||
 |
"In Richland County, on average we receive 36 inches of rainfall a year," he explained. “About 2 inches evaporate; 25 inches are absorbed into the soil and 9 inches become runoff. On developed land, the rain water cannot be absorbed into the soil and contributes to a total of 34 inches of total runoff on these developed sites. "Engineers figure on each 1,500 acres developed, runoff increases from around 40 million gallons to better than one billion gallons. This action alone is why we have flooded backyards, property damage and, sadly, loss of life." In addition to turbulent runoff damage, John says water quality is also affected by pollutants and soil erosion. "Topsoil takes centuries to build," he said. "In areas of Richland County, we have soil types that annually erode at a rate of four tons per acre in agricultural land use. Factor in development and the erosion rate can easily double." All of this points to the growing need to create new programs to study and control rain runoff and its effect on our waterways. "How many communities are located along rivers and lakes?" he asks. "How many communities have annexed along river corridors and the shorelines of lakes? What would be the loss of community, infrastructure and lives if a flood control dam should fail? Who should be responsible for management of the flood control dams? Should these people be financially funded to protect our communities and potential dam failures? Should this same group extend their responsibility to sensitive areas above the reservoirs?" The public, he believes, is not prepared to fully understand and deal with the complex challenges of flood control and water quality. That’s why conservancy districts were formed in the wake of the 1913 disaster in the Miami Watershed above Dayton. "There are subjects and topics that are best left to the individuals that are trained and educated to address land use issues," said John. "We live in a reactive society today. We tend to fix things after there is a disaster such as New Orleans. The current plan, and the assessment to finance the plan, is long overdue."
< back to testimonials
> John Hildreth
> Howard "Butch" Zwelling > Joe Sommer > Dorothy Montgomery > Mike Lauber > Quincy Robe |
 |
Every year in the Richland County area, some 1,500 acres of unincorporated rural land is being converted for some sort of development – residential buildings, highways, improved infrastructure and industrial parks. It’s a boom to the local economy, but also raising concerns because of the increased rain water runoff, according to John Hildreth, District Administrator for the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District.