River declared “nearly lifeless” in Ohio now is home to 92 species of fish and is the state’s 16th Ohio Scenic River

During a ceremony at Lake Hope State Park, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz officially designated Raccoon Creek as Ohio’s newest state scenic river.

The designation makes Raccoon Creek the 16 th state scenic river in Ohio and the first in the state’s southeastern region, flowing for more than 100 miles through parts of Vinton, Meigs, and Gallia counties.

“As we designate Raccoon Creek as a state scenic river today, we are celebrating the health of this waterway while capping off a true comeback story,” said Governor DeWine. “Once considered ‘nearly lifeless,’ Raccoon Creek is now home to more than 90 species of fish and serves as an example of what we can achieve when water quality is prioritized at the state, local, and federal levels.”

For many years, Raccoon Creek was considered by many to be “unrecoverable” due to acid mine drainage and sedimentation throughout the watershed caused by more than 70 years of coal mining. In the 1970s, area residents pushed for a coordinated effort to restore the waterway. Since then, ODNR has completed 20 acid mine drainage treatment projects that have reduced total drainage by more than 8,500 pounds per day. These projects include the removal of mine waste piles and the creation of limestone channels, leach beds, and wetlands.

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