Riffle on the Little Miami at Miamiville & Indian Hill
Riffle on the Little Miami at Miamiville & Indian Hill
The Little Miami flows through several steep-sloped forested gorges and
contain some of Ohio's most scenic and diverse riverine habitats.
The Little Miami Scenic River is 105.5 miles long and contains the longest Exceptional Warmwater Habitat (EWH) segment of any stream or river in Ohio. The watershed occupies 1,757 square miles of land area, includes 133 named streams, and was principally formed by three glacial events.
Great Blue Herons along the Little Miami at Anderson
Township in the early morning mist
National Wild & Scenic River Designations along the Little Miami:
Clifton to Foster August 1973
Foster to Mouth January 1980
State Scenic River Designations:
Headwaters to Clermont County line
April 23, 1969
Clermont County line to East Fork
September 19, 1969
East Fork to Mouth
October 27, 1971
| Currently (1998) listed endangered species found in the Little Miami Scenic River since 1990 | |
| Endangered | Blue Sucker Mountain Madtom Northern Madtom |
| Threatened | Tonguetied Minnow Bigeye Shiner American Eel |
| Special Interest | River Redhorse Least Darter |
Sections of the mainstem became Ohio's first state and national designated scenic river in 1969 through 1980.
Land use within the basin is predominantly agricultural, but suburban land uses are rapidly increasing.
The mainstem and larger tributaries are popular retreats for many Ohioans. Seven commercial canoe liveries operate along the mainstem.
Of the 102.1 mainstem miles evaluated by OEPA (Sanders) in 1993, 41% were in FULL attainment of EWH criteria. During the period of 1983-1993, significant progress was made towards restoring the entire length of the mainstem. In 1983 only 1.5 miles of the mainstem were in FULL attainment of the EWH criteria.
Higher than expected number of fish with external deformities, eroded fins, lesions/ulcers, and tumors (AKA DELT anomalies) were collected in the mainstem downstream from many of the Wastewater Treatment Plants (even in sections currently meeting EWH criteria).
Nonpoint source pollutants, such as silt, manure runoff, and habitat alterations also impact streams through the watershed and pose a threat to the EWH goals. Stream protection measures, such as erosion controls, and improved riparian management and restoration are needed to bring other sections of the mainstem and tributaries into FULL attainment and protect and preserve the existing high quality streams, according to OEPA.
ref: OEPA 1995 (Sanders) , LMI, USGS