Program to Feature Scioto River Restoration

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Scioto River will take center stage -- and serve as the backdrop -- for June’s Environmental Professionals Network breakfast program.

Set for 7:15-9:45 a.m. June 10 on the amphitheater stage at Columbus’s John W. Galbreath Bicentennial Park, the program will feature three speakers presenting “Main Street Dam Removal: Restoring the Scioto River in the Heart of Downtown Columbus.” The park is at 233 Civic Center Drive.

The network is a service of Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources, part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

“The stage provides a million-dollar view of our beautiful riverfront and skyline, and proximity for a walking tour of the Scioto River restoration associated with the Main Street dam removal,” said the network’s coordinator, David Hanselmann, a lecturer with the school.

The Main Street dam was partially brought down in fall 2013 as a step in Columbus’s Scioto Greenways Project.

“This is another huge investment by our community to improve the natural functioning of a large river in the heart of downtown, and make it appealing to residents and visitors, too,” Hanselmann said.

• Related story: Ohio State Study: What Happens to a River When a Dam Comes Down?

The program includes a full breakfast, the speakers’ presentation, and a 45- to 50-minute walking tour of the river restoration site.

The speakers will be:

• Alan McKnight, director of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
• Bryon Ringley, professional engineer and senior principal with Stantec, the project’s engineering firm.
• Amy Edwards Taylor, chief operating office with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, the project’s administrators.

Registration, open to both members and non-members of the network, costs $10 or $15, depending on payment method. Paid parking will be available at garages and meters near the park.

Complete details and a link to online registration and payment are at go.osu.edu/haX. Payment by credit card is due by 5 p.m. June 6.

The event flier may be downloaded at go.osu.edu/hab.

For more information, contact Hanselmann at hanselmann.3@osu.edu or 614-247-1908.

EPN membership is free and open to anyone working in or studying an environmental field. Details about the network are at epn.osu.edu/home.

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