Buckeye Basins Newsletter: Summer-Fall 2005

Buckeye Basins is produced by the Ohio State University Extension, Watershed Team. It is compiled quarterly for watershed coordinators, Extension specialists, and natural resource professionals to include within their newsletters, programs, or however they see fit. Please feel free to ask questions, share ideas, or provide feedback.

In This Issue:

• Lakes in Jeopardy
• The Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Program
• Can we talk? ­ The interview as a valuable tool in watershed planning and implementation
• Ohio Boaters and Marinas Pledge to Keep Ohio Waterways Clean
• Swimming Pool Discharge Etiquette

Lakes in Jeopardy

Dana Oleskiewicz, OSU Extension

Highly eutrophic lakes as a result of phosphorus loading are characterized by algae blooms, low oxygen levels, fish kills, unpleasant odor, and extreme degradation making the water unhealthy for swimming, fishing, or drinking.

The eutrophication, or nutrient enrichment, in lakes is a natural process. Lakes slowly, over thousands of years, experience an increase of nutrients and sediment resulting in the basin filling-in, thus becoming land. In more recent years, however, human impacts on our lakes have caused this process to accelerate. Clear freshwater systems are quickly, relative to geological time, becoming dominated by aquatic weeds and algae. This is a concern given the recreational and economic value lakes have to offer.

A study released by Stephen R. Carpenter¹, a limnologist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reported that there is a build-up of phosphorus in watershed soils causing a potential pollution source to lakes, the impacts of which will likely be long-term, for hundreds of years. Phosphorus accumulation has exceeded what would naturally be in soil from weathering and, eventually, this nutrient will find its way into nearby rivers and lakes through leaching and sediment runoff.

The study also found that a dependence on phosphorus-rich fertilizer in industrial agriculture is a primary source of excess soil phosphorus. Many soils have a reserve of phosphorus already, so routine application of phosphorus fertilizer may not be necessary. A change in soil management is needed to mitigate the problem.

According to Carpenter, better water quality can be achieved if phosphorus loading to lakes is significantly reduced by decreasing soil erosion and developing new ways to reduce the phosphorus content of over-enriched soils. Vegetative buffers along streams and lakes, restoring wetlands, and efficient manure storage and handling are also methods for reducing phosphorus pollution to our lake ecosystems.

¹On-line edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 13 (www.pnas.org). Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems: Bistability and soil phosphorus, Carpenter PNAS.2005; 0: 50395910. For more information, contact Stephen R. Carpenter, 608-262-8690, srcarpen@wisc.edu.

return to top

A progress report on the development of
The Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Program

J.P Lieser and Joe Bonnell, OSU Extension

Last winter we first mentioned that a volunteer naturalist program was being developed in Ohio. The steering committee has come a long way since then and we thought we should share some of the developments.

• The overall objective of The Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Program (Formerly Master Naturalist) is to promote awareness and citizen stewardship for Ohio’s natural resources through science-based education and community service. The program embraces conservation but is not an advocacy group.
  
• The program plans to affiliate itself with a national initiative. Across the nation, 23 states offer or are in the process of developing a volunteer naturalist program. These programs are being coordinated by land grant universities, state natural resource agencies, local governments, and local parks and nature centers. Nationally the program is called The Master Naturalist Initiative and is funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/volunteer/txmasnat/workshop. The Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program has representatives on the National Steering Committee and one steering committee member attended the National Master Naturalist Conference in September 2005 http://www.fws.gov/refuges/natlMN.html. Currently, the national initiative requires that Volunteer Naturalist candidates successfully complete a standardized 40-hour classroom and field training program and then donate a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service to become certified. Additional volunteer hours and continuing education are required to maintain certification.
  
• We have established a very dedicated steering committee that meets monthly. The committee is made up of individuals from OSU Extension and Ohio Sea Grant, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio EPA, Five Rivers Metro Parks, Cleveland Metro Parks, Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, The Audubon Society, and Master Gardener Volunteers.
  
• The Ohio program recently completed an online needs assessment with the help of professionals from the natural resource, parks and recreation, and watershed management fields. This information has helped us decide on what major topic areas to cover, what learning objectives we should have for each topic area, and how volunteers service hours may be utilized. We are very excited about the results.
  
• The steering committee is in the process of creating a statewide core curriculum and manual, a formal organizational structure and bylaws, and plans to offer 1 or 2 pilot courses in targeted locations in late Spring of 2006.

If you would like more information about the program or have any questions please let us know.

J.P. Lieser
Extension Educator, Watersheds
OSU Extension, SE Regional Office
Phone: 740-732-2381
lieser8@ag.osu.edu

return to top

Can we talk? – The interview as a valuable tool in
watershed planning and implementation

Joe Bonnell, OSU Extension

“Talk is cheap”, or so the saying goes. But, in reality, much of watershed planning and implementation happens through conversations. Ideas are formed, information is shared, and solutions are created through conversations. Large group meetings have their place, but I would like to see more use of one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders as a valuable tool to forward watershed planning and implementation goals.

Why conduct one-on-one interviews?

From a practical standpoint, some stakeholders are reluctant to speak in group meetings. They may feel more comfortable speaking one-on-one. Some stakeholders, for a variety of reasons, never attend meetings. A one hour interview can be set up to accommodate almost anyone’s schedule.

More importantly, I advocate the interview as a means to gain a better understanding of your stakeholders. Normal conversations with stakeholders generally involve exchanging information or attempts to educate or convince. An effective interview allows you to reach a higher level of understanding, to “view” the world through the eyes of the stakeholder. Both the interviewer and the interviewee are changed by the end of an effective interview. Good working relationships can be built from one hour-long interview.

Who should you interview?

Conducting an effective interview requires many hours of preparation and analysis, so you should be selective about whom you interview. Here are a few suggestions on people to target for one-on-one interviews:

Individuals who have the potential to single-handedly carry out or block important action items. For example, landowners adjacent to a proposed dam removal project.

Opinion leaders. You may be able to develop new understandings about the needs and concerns of entire stakeholder groups by listening carefully to influential members of those groups.

Public officials. These folks are often too busy to attend planning meetings but they make many important decisions that affect water quality.

How to conduct an effective interview

Effective interviews begin with good questions. Most of us are accustomed to asking questions in a way that will elicit the answer we want. Good interviewers avoid leading questions and avoid imposing their assumptions and biases on the person being interviewed.

Let’s say you wanted to learn about how farmers in your watershed think about conservation so you set up an interview with an opinion leader in the farming community. Consider the different responses you might get from the following two questions:

A) “What conservation practices do you implement on your farm?”

B) “What are the most important decisions you make on a day-to-day basis related to your farming operation?”

You can probably predict the answer you would get to question A, but you wouldn’t learn much about how important conservation is to the farmer relative to other concerns. Start your interview with general, open-ended questions that will allow you to see the world through their eyes. Be vigilant about eliminating biases and assumptions in your questions. Question A, above, sends a subtle message to the farmer that they should be implementing conservation practices and that conservation should be a high priority for them. Question B allows the farmer to discuss conservation, if they choose, but doesn’t assume that conservation is a high priority.

Whenever possible, record your interviews. At first, most people feel self-conscious when they know they’re being recorded, but the discomfort disappears quickly, and you will want to focus your attention on listening, rather than taking notes. An effective interviewer is a good listener, and listening requires a high level of attention.

During the interview, try to avoid comments and body language that express agreement or disagreement. This may sound easy to do, but try listening to anyone for more than a few moments without nodding your head or saying, “uh-huh”. Avoid the temptation to respond to statements you consider incorrect or uninformed. Remember that the purpose of the interview is to see the world from the other person’s perspective. Everything the interviewee says is correct, because they are sharing how they understand the world.

Before you end the interview, always ask the interviewee if there is anything else they would like to say. Often, some of the most interesting and important information I have gotten from interviews has come out of asking this simple question. It is the ultimate open-ended question and allows the person you are interviewing to complete the interview feeling that they have said all there is to say.

What to do with the interview transcript

Transcribing an hour-long interview can be very time consuming. I recommend paraphrasing as much as possible. Word-for-word transcripts are only necessary if you are conducting research. The process of synthesizing and summarizing the interview will help you to process what was said and to develop a higher level of understanding. To protect the confidentiality of the interviewee, you should erase the tape and avoid any specific reference in the transcript that would allow a third party to identify the interviewee. Be certain to have permission before sharing any information you have gained from an interview. People often share things in one-on-one interviews that they would not share in other situations.

How you use the information you have collected from the interview will depend, of course, on why you conducted the interview. Be very careful, however, about generalizing what you learn from one interview to an entire stakeholder group. You can certainly gain a better appreciation for farmers and the difficulties they face from speaking to one farmer, but you can’t assume that you now know the opinions of farmers in your watershed because you know the opinions of one farmer.

Interviews can broaden our perspective and help us to eliminate assumptions and biases about individuals or entire groups of stakeholders. They can expose unforeseen concerns or opportunities for collaboration. Most importantly, one-on-one interviews help us build relationships with key stakeholders by demonstrating to those individuals that they are important and their opinions are valued.

If you would like to learn more about effective interview techniques, or would like to plan an individual or group interview with a stakeholder in your watershed, contact Joe Bonnell at 614/292-9383 or Bonnell.8@osu.edu

return to top

Ohio Boaters and Marinas Pledge to Keep Ohio Waterways Clean

Gary Comer, Ohio Sea Grant

Ohio marinas and boaters can now take action to improve waters with the help of two new programs, the Ohio Clean Marinas and Clean Boater Programs. The two new programs show people how they can keep waterways clean by adopting voluntary best management practices.

“ Lake Erie is arguably the most important lake in the world, but since 1996, the ecosystem has been on a downward spiral,” stated Dr. Jeff Reutter, Director of Ohio Sea Grant. “The Clean Marinas and Boater Programs will allow marinas and boaters to do their part to improve the Lake Erie ecosystem. I encourage Lake Erie boaters to take the Clean Boater Pledge and use marinas that are Clean Marinas.”

Ohio Clean Boaters are invited to take the Clean Boater Pledge and abide by the Best Boater Practices listed within the program’s clean boater brochure. “These practices include simple tasks like disposing of trash and fish waste properly and remembering to keep your boat’s engine well tuned to avoid oil and fuel leaks,” stated Leroy Hushak, Coordinator of the Ohio Clean Boater Program. “Our hope is that people will easily incorporate these practices into their normal regime and in the process keep our Ohio waters clean.” Boaters now can take the Pledge on line at www.ohiocleanboater.osu.edu and receive information where than can obtain a decal for their boat and other clean boater incentives. The Best Boater Practices brochure and six brief tip or fact sheets are also available at this web site.

To become an Ohio Clean Marina, marinas including yacht clubs take the Clean Marina Pledge and agree to within one year bring their marinas into compliance with all state and federal regulations along with management goals identified by the advisory board. In exchange, marinas can advertise themselves as clean marinas and be eligible for components of the Ohio Clean Marina incentive package. “The program promotes best management practices along with pollution prevention through the application of cost effective and practical solutions,” said Ken Alvey, Chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Watercraft. “This leads to overall reductions in waste generation, an improved aquatic environment, and increased reuse and recycling activities. What boater does not want a clean boating environment” said Gary L. Comer, Jr., Ohio Sea Grant Extension Educator and Coordinator for the Ohio Clean Marinas Program.? Certified Ohio Clean Marinas will benefit through boaters being attracted to their facility which will increase profitability while voluntarily benefiting the environment.”

The two programs have been well received with sixteen Ohio marinas and over 350 boaters already taking the Clean Marina and Clean Boater pledges. Clean marina workshops are currently being scheduled for 2005. To sign up for a workshop, call Gary L. Comer, Jr. at 419.609.4120 (comer.29@osu.edu). Check the web site for workshop dates and locations at www.ohiocleanmarina.osu.edu.

Administered by Ohio Sea Grant with funding from NOAA and the Lake Erie Protection Fund, the Ohio Clean Marinas and Boater Programs are collaborative efforts between agencies and organizations involved in the boating industry, including Ohio Sea Grant, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Commerce, U.S. Coast Guard, Ohio Lake Erie Commission, the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association and the Greater Cleveland Boating Association.

return to top

Swimming Pool Discharge Etiquette

Chris Eddy, Hamilton County Health Dept

As pool owners contemplate closing their pools for the season, the question of pool discharge arises. During the swimming season pool owners have spent much time and some money ensuring that the chlorine level in their pool is high enough to prevent anyone from becoming ill. However, now that the season is over and people are ready to drain their pools, that residual chlorine can become a problem for the wildlife living on the receiving end of the discharge. Just as the chlorine was so effective at killing the bacteria and algae during the year, it can also kill the natural biota in the waterway.
To help alleviate this problem, pool owners should turn the pool chlorinators off several days before they are ready to empty the pool. By doing this, the residual chlorine you tried so hard to maintain during the season will dissipate and not harm the wildlife on the receiving end of the water.
Always be alert to the fact that this discharge water can create an erosion problem. Placing a rock run at the end of the discharge hose would help disperse the waters force. Please be a good neighbor and do not discharge your pool onto your neighbor’s yard. This may create a mosquito problem in the age of West Nile Virus.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency does not require a permit to discharge pool water at the end of the season; however the water should be tested to ensure that there is no residual chlorine. Also, you must obtain approval from the local storm sewer authority prior to discharging pool waters to a storm sewer system.
If you have additional questions regarding the discharge of swimming pool water contact your local Health Department or the Ohio EPA.

return to top

Contact Buckeye Basins:

J.P. Lieser (Editor)
OSU Extension, East District
16714 SR 215
Caldwell, OH 43724
(740) 732-2381 fax (740) 732-5992
lieser8@ag.osu.edu