Partnering Agency Projects

Projects Completed by AWARE and its Partnering Agencies



Mahoning Soil and Water Conservation District:
In the fall and early winter months of 2018, the Mahoning Soil and Water Conservation District, in collaboration with Aqua Ohio, started a series of campaigns featured on digital billboards in Mahoning County. Fundamental ideas such as conserving water, proper lawn fertilizer application, and car washing were a few of the topics touched on during the campaign season. Messages were strategically placed in locations with high traffic volumes to increase awareness of the fundamental topics. These message, along with new ones will continue to scroll through alongside local roadways.


Designs were created by LAMAR Advertising
Mahoning County Farm Bureau:
The Mahoning County Farm Bureau received $1,500 from the Ohio Farm Bureau's 2016 Water Quality Initiative Fund Program. Their project, "Nutrient Management in the Upper Mill Creek Watershed: What Our Soils Can Teach Us",  illustrates how soil sampling is one of the simplest and cost effective measure landowners and farmers can perform to ensure they are protecting water quality and saving money before they begin applying fertilizer. The Mahoning County Farm Bureau and the project's collaborators  provided both agricultural and residential landowners an educational background on proper nutrient management.  Whether it was a landowner who fertilizes their lawn or a farmer who spreads nutrients across their fields, the message was clear- nutrient management is needed to improve water quality in the Mill Creek Watershed. Funding from the program covered the cost for several workshops and soil analyses for attendees.  

Mill Creek MetroParks Awarded Grants from Ohio EPA for Innovative Stormwater Projects:
In 2010 Mill Creek MetroParks was awarded a Surface Water Improvement Fund (SWIF) grant for the construction of a demonstration rain garden at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield.  The MetroParks was also awarded a Section 319 grant for the resurfacing of the Newport Wetlands parking lot with permeable pavers and construction of a bioswale.  Each project not only helps improve water quality in local streams and wetlands, but are valuable educational tools.
MetroParks Farm Rain Garden
Permeable Pavers in Mill Creek Park

Sign Our Streams (SOS): 
In 2009 the SOS project erected stream signs at 44 crossings on county roads throughout the Mill Creek Watershed.  In 2010 37 stream signs were placed at crossings in the Meander Creek Watershed.