Rivers Unlimited

EFFLUENT DISCHARGED INTO GREAT MIAMI RIVER
A Letter by Dennis J. Malone

While fishing the Great Miami River, in the City of Hamilton, at locations downstream of the lowhead dam, approximately Latitude 39.37135 x Longitude -84.57034, on 24 December 2005, between the hours of 9:10 AM and 10:25 AM, my son and I were fishing immediately below the wastewater discharge adjacent to the wastewater treatment facility operated by the City of Hamilton at 2451 River Road. Having fished just below the dam from 5:30AM to 9:00AM the same morning, we decided to move downriver about ½-mile to another favorite spot.


OBSERVATION:
We arrived at the 2451 River Road site around 9:10 AM, and there was a terrible odor of sewage noticeable from the parking lot, and from the parking lot we could see the river was running bright red from the east bank to approximately 15 yards midstream, as a result of a discharge of unknown composition from a large (approximately 60-inch diameter) concrete pipe and spillway that appears to be connected to the treatment plant. There were none of the signs, usually visible, of natural river life in the area, as the 2 to 5 Great Blue Herons that fish there regularly had departed, and no fish nor any bottom-dwelling invertebrates were visible either. As we approached, the red discharge continued to emanate from the concrete pipe and spillway, at a rate and velocity enough to push it some yards into the mainstem flow (approximate the rate of discharge from the pipe at 50 to 150cfs, and early morning river gage about ½-mile upstream reported river flow at approximately 1720cfs), presenting a distinct boundary of red color visible in contrast with the clear river green. This red coloration appeared to be from some sort of suspended/partially dissolved solid matter, as the slower water on the bank showed the red material settling all over the streambed in areas of little current.

We attempted to fish in the area anyway, as we had previously been successful without the red flow, and the green, untainted water was within casting reach. We caught no fish, had no bites, and saw no evidence of stream life on the East bank from the spillway to at least 150 yards downstream. At approximately 10:10 AM, we noticed a sudden change in the discharge from the 60-inch pipe. The red effluent had turned to black/gray/brown, flow rate increased, and had a terribly putrid odor. There were visible solid particulates in the discharge, sediment, and waste products appearing to be pulverized paper and other solids. The constituents of the discharge were so thick that you could not see through the liquid, and could not see through the river water into which it mixed at the spillway. This discharge continued uninterrupted, and we determined to leave the area at approximately 10:25AM.


COMMENT:
These discharge events appear to the untrained observer to be distinct, flagrant, and detestable violations of laws, rules and regulation regarding Open Dumping as specified in ORC Sections 3734 and OAC Rules 3745-27 by the operators of the wastewater discharge, as well as delinquent disregard of general common sense and natural resource stewardship values. Furthermore, how could the City of Hamilton allow such wanton disregard for all downstream life, including human life, in a river system that it supposedly promulgates as a recreational facility! I guess the fact that they discharge downstream of the Hamilton pool makes it OK?

I have been fishing the Great Miami River for the last forty years, from Miamitown, to Middletown. This kind of obvious pollution was generally expected in the sixties and seventies, when you could tell what color paper the mills were running by the color in the river. As a kid, I used to catch fish under the Old Colerain Avenue bridge that had big tumors on them, and the river would smell something terrible. I didn’t really know any better, then. Lately, I was thinking the river has cleaned up quite a bit, and I have even taught my children to enjoy fishing there. We have had some enjoyable times at the dam, below the dam, all the way to the Ohio River, and have caught some very nice fish. We’ve enjoyed the return of the largemouth and smallmouth basses, walleye and saugeye, white bass, and even catfish, carp, and sheephead provide a great angling challenge. Sadly, I now know why we have days when there are no signs of fish, and can now explain one of the sources of vile colors, foams, and odors on the water. I always said I would never eat a fish from this river, and now my son has first-hand experience to corroborate the feeling. That is our loss, long-term. Short-term, we were denied the simple pleasure of getting out as a family to enjoy a natural resource that belongs to all of the community. Even if there is a permit for such a discharge (I would like to personally meet the person that authorizes such a nightmare), for a municipality to dump on its downstream neighbors like this is unconscionable. Think of the untold number of people that use the river for recreation (would you be comfortable wading in a cesspool?), or much worse as a source for agriculture, bathing, or drinking water. Please show some credibility and stop dumping in the river.

I am not an activist by any means, although witnessing another discharge such as these into a beautiful river system might just drive me to become one. Please feel free to contact me regarding complete resolution of these disgusting events, to the extent that "Hamilton continues to retain the character of the citys past while sharpening its focus on a bright, happy future."

posted by Mike at 7:19 AM