Olentangy Watershed Alliance

The 8th Annual Olentangy River Festival (formerly the NOW Festival) is back!

Let us know you are coming on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/events/618395232884635?ref=newsfeed

Join us for the 8th Annual Olentangy River Festival (formerly the NOW Festival)!
This is an educational family festival that will allow you to experience our Olentangy State Scenic River, and learn how to keep it beautiful.
There will be several hands-on activities in and outside of the river, including kayaking and creeking, educational booths, bingo and prizes, rain barrel raffle, food trucks, yard games, face painting, live music, and more!

Schedule of Events:
1:00 Festival begins
1:00-2:00 Litter Clean-Up
2:00 Conservation Awards announced
4:30 Rain Barrel Raffle drawing
4:45 Bingo Card Prize Raffle drawing
5:00 Festival ends

Olentangy River Festival Flyer 2021

Happy New Year! OWA invites you to join our efforts in preserving and enhancing the Olentangy River Watershed by becoming a member, or renewing your membership. There are many benefits to joining, including discounted rain barrels and a gift certificate to a local, native plant nursery, Natives in Harmony. Visit our membership page for more information on how to join.

If you would rather donate to OWA, consider linking your Kroger rewards account to our non-profit. Follow the instructions on our donation page and a small portion of your spending will get donated to us annually.

Interested in contributing to our efforts beyond funding? We have multiple openings on our Board. Please inquire at olentangyriverwatershed@gmail.com.

The 17th Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum took place on October 22, 2020. The program was recorded and can be viewed until February 1, 2021 at this link.

The City of Delaware has been awarded a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) for funding to develop a NPS-IS plan on the Delaware Run HUC-12 watershed. This area spans from south of the Delaware Lake Dam to just south US 36. The State of Ohio Gulf Hypoxia Assistance Agreement is the specific funding source. OWA will be helping to fund the development of the plan, and assist with stakeholder outreach as things progress. If you would like to be involved in identifying critical areas the plan should focus on for water quality improvements, or are a concerned or interested resident that would like to learn more, please contact the City’s Watershed & Sustainability Coordinator, Caroline Cicerchi, at ccicerchi@delawareohio.net.

For more information on the non-point source pollution control program, visit Ohio EPA’s website here.

The Olentangy Watershed Alliance is proud to partner again with several stakeholders to hold the Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum on October 22nd from 8 AM to noon. Ohio Wesleyan University will be the host and MC through the Zoom platform. The virtual event will be recorded and posted to this website at a later date.

For the past 17 years, the Olentangy Watershed Forum has connected citizens and experts who wish to explore issues that impact the quality of life in the watershed. Please join us for state of the watershed updates by the sponsors listed below, along with presentations covering mussels in the Olentangy, the Delaware Lake Dam and flood control management, the implementation strategies for the Olentangy Greenspace plan, and much more. Jonathan Overpeck, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the United Nations advisory group on climate change and Dean of the School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, will be the keynote speaker from 8:10 AM to 9:05 AM with a presentation titled, “American Rivers and Climate Change: a Tale of Two Hydrologic Extremes.”

Register for the event through Eventbrite here. 

Zoom access information: 
Time: Oct 22, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://owu-edu.zoom.us/j/88921114089?pwd=YXY4UWF1ZXV1VmhKallkUkJrUnhTdz09

Meeting ID: 889 2111 4089
Passcode: 341674

The City of Delaware Public Utilities Department held its Annual Northern Olentangy Watershed Festival on July 18, 2020 but took a virtual route due to COVID-19. Local partners helped to bring the experience of the Olentangy River right to your living room with experiential videos and watershed lessons. The program had a live question and answer session with panel experts. The full recording can be viewed on the Public Utilities Facebook page or visiting this link.

The Nature Conservancy and Be the Change for Clean Water are partnering to host a Soil Health Workshop on March 10, 2020 from 11am to 2 pm. RSVP by contacting the Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District office at 419-946-7923.

**DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 SITUATION, OWA HAS POSTPONED THIS EVENT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. ALL PARTNERS FULLY INTEND TO HOLD THE EVENT AT ANOTHER TIME. CHECK BACK HERE FOR DETAILS.**

OWA, the Delaware State Park, Keep Delaware County Beautiful, the City of Delaware Public Utilities Department, and the Ohio EPA are pleased to partner for a clean-up and tree planting program on April 4th from 11am-1pm at the Delaware State Park (5202 US-23, Delaware, OH 43015). This event is in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Volunteers will receive a light lunch immediately following the program thanks to the Delaware State Park and their generous volunteers. Supplies will be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own shovels and gardening gloves if preferred. Close-toed shoes are required. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Check-in, parking, and the lunch will all be at the State Park’s beach, follow “beach” signs from the park entrance from U.S. 23.

Registration is required, please register following this link.

 The 7th Annual NOW Festival will take place on June 20, 2020 at Mingo Park (500 E. Lincoln Avenue, Delaware) from noon to 3 pm. The festival is designed to engage and educate the community on our land and water resources especially as they pertain to the Olentangy River Watershed. OWA will have a both at the event. In previous years, the festival has had over 20 environmental organizations with information booths, free canoeing, a stream sampling demonstration, a scavenger hunt, a guided nature walk, the announcement of the Conservation Awards, a rubber duck race down the Olentangy, food trucks, a rain barrel raffle, and a free-to-enter raffle with prizes for all ages.

All of the proceeds from the rain barrel raffle benefit OWA. If you are interested in sponsoring and/or painting a barrel for the event, please contact Caroline Cicerchi at ccicerchi@delawareohio.net. Consider also nominating someone you know in the watershed who is doing outstanding work to protect our waterways for the Conservation Awards.

More info on the sponsorship opportunity: here
More info on the Conservation Awards: here

OWA is a proud partner of Be the Change for Clean Water which brings together ten counties and a multitude of partners to provide education, resources, and opportunities to make it easier for all Central Ohio residents to Be the Change for Clean Water. Be the Change focuses on several different themes, including stormwater infiltration and pollution, nutrient management, and home sewage treatment system management. The current area of focus is Farm 4R Future. Farmers can improve their bottom line by practicing the 4 Rs. Use the right source at the right rate, at the right time, with the right placement. Consult the Tri-state Fertilizer Recommendations and your 4R Certified Crop Advisor before applying nutrients. Visit the website for more information.

Video on 4R Nutrient Stewardship