Turtle and Heron Ponds Revitalization and Mitigation

The Washington Township RecPlex has been awarded a grant from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund in the amount of $1.3 million for the Turtle & Heron Pond portion of the revitalization project in Countryside Park. This phase of the project will address the declining water quality and aquatic life in both Turtle and Heron ponds as well as the expressed interest by residents for more water-based recreational activities and facilities.

The velocity of uncontrolled water runoff from annual storms has led to the extensive siltation of Turtle Pond and substantial erosion along the channel connecting Turtle and Heron ponds. The plan is to restore Turtle Pond, limit future siltation and erosion, and increase accessibility and recreational use of the ponds by persons of all abilities.

Project components include:

Dredging Turtle Pond to remove silt and sediment (Underway as of 2/2/24)

Installing a forebay basin and controlled outlet structure for Turtle Pond to reduce siltation

Stabilizing the banks leading into and around Heron Pond with natural materials to control erosion

What about the fish?

Careful considerations were taken to ensure that the impact to aquatic life remains as minimal as possible during the dredging and construction. Since Turtle and Heron Ponds will be worked on in stages, with Turtle Pond being first, aquatic life will be able to easily displace themselves to Heron Pond during dredging. Additionally, one of the benefits of the dredging is a decreased number of carp and water lilies in the pond, both of which are invasive species. Decreasing these populations will help to limit sediment deposits and allow the native fish population to flourish. Read more about invasive fish species at:

ODNR: Aquatic Invasive Species
USDA: National Invasive Species

The $1.3 million Clean Ohio Conservation Fund grant will cover 75% of of the second phase of the project, ensuring that the RecPlex and the Township at large continue to be good financial stewards of taxpayer funds by continuously looking for ways to offset the costs of projects through grant funding.

Countryside Park Master Plan

Additional Information

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