Eastgate recognizes the importance of working with local watershed groups and their efforts to promote watershed awareness within the communities they serve. Eastgate is currently an active member of the Mahoning River Consortium and the Alliance for Watershed Action and Riparian Easements, two of our region's leading watershed groups.
Mahoning River Consortium:
The Mahoning River's grassroots group, the Mahoning River Consortium (MRC), has taken the goal of restoring the river very seriously since their founding in 1996. The Mission of the Mahoning River Consortium (MRC) is to restore and maintain higher environmental quality of the Mahoning River and its watershed to enhance social, recreational and economic development of the Mahoning River Valley Communities. The MRC advocates research, multiple use planning, education, recreation, social and economic activities that positively impact the quality of life along the river.
The Consortium is working to develop a Mahoning River Watershed Action Plan with the leadership of Youngstown State University. Supported by a USEPA grant, this plan will essentially serve as a blue print for the recovery of the watershed. The plan aims to identify factors leading to the impairment of the water quality and aquatic habitat of the river and the tributaries that feed the river. Like other watershed action plans in our region, the Mahoning River's plan will propose measurable goals and establish priorities to improve the river's water quality. For additional information regarding the MRC and/or its meeting schedule, visit their website at www.mahoningriver.com.
The Alliance for Watershed Action and Riparian Easements:
Eastgate works with another very successful watershed group, the Alliance for Watershed Action and Riparian Easements (AWARE). AWARE serves as an alliance of stewards for the Mill Creek, Yellow Creek, and Meander Creek watersheds by preserving green space and restoring and enhancing waterways through conservation easements, education, and technical resources for the community. AWARE strives to be a proactive organization regarded as a key resource producing tangible improvements in watersheds. AWARE organizes creek sweeps, watershed festivals, and is responsible for the roadside signs that identify what watershed they are entering and/or leaving within Mahoning County. AWARE meets on the last Wednesday of every month at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield, OH. Call AWARE's Justin Rogers at (330) 702-3000 for more meeting information or e-mail your inquiries to jarogers@zoominternet.net. Additional information on our local watersheds can be found at www.watershed.cboss.com. The community is encouraged to participate as every citizen has a stake in clean water.
The Mahoning River Education Project:
The Mahoning River Education Project was developed by Holly Burnett-Hanley with a US EPA grant through the Mahoning River Consortium and administered by the Trumbull County Soil & Water Conservation District. Youngstown State University, through an Ohio EPA Environmental Education Fund grant, continues the efforts to educate our youth about the Mahoning River ecology, its pre and post industrial history, and Valley culture. Visit the Mahoning River Education Project web site at www.ysu.edu/mahoning_river/education_project.htm to revisit the Valley's history and to see for yourself the inspiring work being done by our up-and-coming leaders.
