These Adena Brook neighbors have businesses:

John Blake (Outdoor Sensations, owner) 784-8585

Tom Barton (Barton Brickscapes, owner): cell 505-6344, leave message if you get voice mail

Wan Jung, photographer

Lisa Fosco, director of animal care at the Ohio Wildlife Center, wrties:

Unfortunately humans are the primary predator of adult owls (cars, power lines, rodenticides).  As far as natural predators, the Great Horned Owl is the most notable predator.  They most commonly prey on Barred Owls, and will also eat Eastern Screech Owls (both common species in our area).  Other Ohio species that they may predate would include Saw Whet, Long Eared and Short Eared Owls.  I am not sure if any of these less common species inhabit our ravine, but it is possible.

Eggs and owlets are predated by anything that finds them, but the most common predators would probably be the raccoon and the black rat snake.

Also, I just wanted to let you know that there is an injured coyote in the ravine.  He is limping on his front right leg and commonly crosses Cooke Rd by the creek.  I have been trying to keep an eye on him, and have seen him several times in the last few weeks.  I tracked him after the last two heavy snowfalls and plan to look for him tonite (since we have more beautiful snow).  I wanted to make sure that if anyone sees him, they dont panic and do anything to try to intervene.  He looks very healthy and his limp has improved significantly.  His limp is now so minor that the other day  I could hardly distinguish his tracks from others.  Also, please let people know to keep their bird/squirrel feeders full right now.  Wild animals have also been congregating around water sources.  Most wont eat snow since they are working so hard to conserve heat, so putting out shallow bowls of water (tepid or luke warm) near the feeders has been helpful.  The robins and other ground feeding birds are just starting to attract attention, so if you see any that look questionnable, it is a good idea to put out a plate of fruit (cut apples, whole or halved grapes, etc).  

If you see any birds (or any wild animal) that are slow moving and down in the snow, PLEASE get them in to us asap.  If it is after hours, call me directly and I will take them (415-336-6661).  We have lost quite a few birds in the last week and several today that died en route to us, so they likely need helpquick.  The freezing rain last night took its toll on many that were roosting/hiding in the trees/brush, and many froze to chunks of ice.  One goldfinch was actually frozen into an ice block with an air hole, still working on her now.  So, please keep your eyes open.

Jeff Frontz (coordinator of the website for smart spraying for West Nile mosquitoes) writes:

A  decision was handed down a few days ago from the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals (Ohio is in the 6th Circuit).  The gist is that if you’re going to apply pesticides near a waterway, a Federal NPDES permit is needed.

This article has info about it in layperson’s terms:

http://enviro.blr.com/news.aspx?id=99129

Wan Jung took this picture of Overbrook Drive (between High and Canyon) on January 15, 2009. 

To: Mr. Hartman with GPD Engineering
From: Terry Casey
cc: David Mackey, Doug Roberts

Thanks for your call today.  Glad to learn that the City is doing an in-depth, independent evaluation of the new culvert on Overbrook Drive between Cooke Rd. and Lenappe.  As I understand, your work will look at the effectiveness of the recent fixes, actual water flow history and needs, future maintenance questions/costs, etc. 

At your request, attached are five of the pictures I took on June 26, 2008, including the up to 30″ of pavement “undermining” that happened during that three-inch rainfall incident that had closed this new construction project.   Since that incident, the City did have a firm do work to clean up some of the build-up under the bridge and upstream.

The key question, of course, is whether that is a real, long-term solution or just a temporary “Band-Aid”. 

Let me know if you have any added questions.  

Many in the area will look forward to seeing the results of your report and the options being considered for long-term maintenance.  

I have more pictures and at higher resolutions, if needed.  Let me know any other background/history needs on this project.

A few email responses:

Kenn Cahill says, 1/16/09

Terry, I agree with you that cleaning out under the bridge is short term damage control.  The stream ultimately re-establishes its “bed”.

Terry Casey says, 1/16/09

It’s good that the City is doing this study . . . and by an independent firm from Akron.  I’m checking with some key sources on this firm who have worked with them up in Summit County.   

You’re 100% correct on nature and the tendacy for the “re-bedding” of the creek over time.  You can clean it as they did this past summer, but it fills up again.  

JUNE 26 FLOODING:  The engineer was asking about flooding on the morning of June 26.  It was a three inch rainfall and happened at night.  My sense was that most of the big stuff and problem was on the new bridge, not on the other three bridges to the west along Overbrook Drive.  Any re-call you have with the bridge below your house on that am?  Am copying to some of the neighbors on their re-call.  

Bill Burns says, 1/16/09:

From Kip Patterson dated 1/16/09:

I disagree in part with Ken’s comments as follows:

Moving water picks up sediment and larger material in an amount that is largely governed by the speed of the current.  It deposits those materials when something causes the current to slow down.  You will recall that the stream bed at the bridge site showed little or no sediment, in fact the billiard-table smoothness and cleanliness of the black shell was a big part of its attractiveness.

The problem started with a simple engineering error.  The hydraulic calculations were based upon a rectangular bridge channel, 24 x 4, for an area under the bridge of 96 square feet.  The bridge as designed and constructed used pre-cast arch sections.  Without detail drawings of the arches, we can only estimate the actual flow area.  I bet it is the area of 64 square feet, or two-thirds of what it should have been. Once the flow reached the top of the arch, it slowed down and dumped its contents above, under, and below the bridge.

We, especially the city, should be happy about this fortuitous error.  I looked at the culvert under High street after the flood.  It was immaculately free of debris, but an examination of trees and shrubs in the area showed that the water came within a few inches of filling the culvert. If the upstream culvert had not served as a detention structure the overtopping would have been at High street, and the first floor of 4100 High, built directly over the culvert, would be lying in the middle of High Street.

What is needed is upstream detention in areas before the stream is exposed to debris.  Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of construction upstream.  In particular, the city constructed a new storm sewer without detention, contrary to their own rules.

Kip Patterson, PE (ret)

VIDEO – Slow rainwater down – Soak It In

Washington, D.C. - Jan. 15, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Botanic Garden produced an on-line video, “Reduce Runoff: Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In,” that highlights green techniques such as rain gardens, green roofs and rain barrels to help manage stormwater runoff.  

The video highlights green techniques on display in 2008 at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s “One Planet – Ours!” Exhibit” and at the U.S. EPA in Washington, D.C., including recently completed cisterns.