Captina Creek Watershed is located in the southern half of Belmont County, Ohio.
It drains approximately one-third of the county and also a very small part of Monroe County. The watershed is 115,380 acres (180 miles sq.). The headwaters are along two main ridges running east-west.
Along the ridgetops are the villages of Barnesville, Malaga, Somerton, Belmont, Bethesda, and Centerville. Two communities are located within the stream valley, Armstrong Mills and Powhatan Point.
Captina Creek enters the Ohio River in the village of Powhatan Point. The main branch of the stream passes two underground mines, reclaimed land, and several recreational venues, including two golf courses, a marina, and a village park. The village of Barnesville’s water supply reservoir is located on a main tributary, Slope Creek.
The Ohio EPA completed a “Biological and Water Quality Study of the Captina Creek Watershed” in April 2010. This study is the most complete and recent information concerning the physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the watershed.
In summary, the OEPA found that:
“...of the 32 biological samples collected, 30 sites (94%) were fully meeting the designated or recommended aquatic life use and two (6%) were in partial attainment. ... Fifty four species of fish were found and an impressive 17.5 percent of the fish population in Captina Creek was comprised of fish species intolerant of water pollution. Additionally, some of Ohio’s highest values for total macroinvertebrate taxa richness (average of 84.3 taxa per site) and pollution sensitive taxa (average of 42.4 taxa per site) were documented at Captina Creek sites during 2008 and 2009. The exceptional biological integrity of the fish and macroinvertebrate community in Captina Creek is comparable to several of the best streams in Ohio including Big Darby Creek and the Kokosing River. Over the last 26 years of monitoring biological communities in Captina Creek, exceptional fish and macroinvertebrate populations have been maintained.”
To date, Captina Creek has the highest average Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score of any watershed in the entire state of Ohio, making it arguably Ohio’s highest quality watershed. Captina Creek is also home to the only known breeding population in Ohio of the Eastern Hellbender Salamander, which is listed as an endangered species in Ohio.
It drains approximately one-third of the county and also a very small part of Monroe County. The watershed is 115,380 acres (180 miles sq.). The headwaters are along two main ridges running east-west.
Along the ridgetops are the villages of Barnesville, Malaga, Somerton, Belmont, Bethesda, and Centerville. Two communities are located within the stream valley, Armstrong Mills and Powhatan Point.
Captina Creek enters the Ohio River in the village of Powhatan Point. The main branch of the stream passes two underground mines, reclaimed land, and several recreational venues, including two golf courses, a marina, and a village park. The village of Barnesville’s water supply reservoir is located on a main tributary, Slope Creek.
The Ohio EPA completed a “Biological and Water Quality Study of the Captina Creek Watershed” in April 2010. This study is the most complete and recent information concerning the physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the watershed.
In summary, the OEPA found that:
“...of the 32 biological samples collected, 30 sites (94%) were fully meeting the designated or recommended aquatic life use and two (6%) were in partial attainment. ... Fifty four species of fish were found and an impressive 17.5 percent of the fish population in Captina Creek was comprised of fish species intolerant of water pollution. Additionally, some of Ohio’s highest values for total macroinvertebrate taxa richness (average of 84.3 taxa per site) and pollution sensitive taxa (average of 42.4 taxa per site) were documented at Captina Creek sites during 2008 and 2009. The exceptional biological integrity of the fish and macroinvertebrate community in Captina Creek is comparable to several of the best streams in Ohio including Big Darby Creek and the Kokosing River. Over the last 26 years of monitoring biological communities in Captina Creek, exceptional fish and macroinvertebrate populations have been maintained.”
To date, Captina Creek has the highest average Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score of any watershed in the entire state of Ohio, making it arguably Ohio’s highest quality watershed. Captina Creek is also home to the only known breeding population in Ohio of the Eastern Hellbender Salamander, which is listed as an endangered species in Ohio.
References
What is A Watershed?
"A watershed is the land area that drains to a common waterway. Rivers, lakes, estuaries, wetlands, streams, and oceans are catch basins for the land adjacent to them. Ground water aquifers are replenished by water flowing through the land area above them. Large aquatic ecosystems comprise multiple small watersheds and water resources within a large geographic area.
Discharges of any type, including to air or land, can all affect living resources within an aquatic ecosystem. For example, some chemicals can persist in the environment and accumulate in the tissues of fish and other wildlife. A few chemicals can become more concentrated as predators farther up the food chain eat these organisms, which may ultimately cause health problems for wildlife and humans."
(excerpt from Watersheds, US EPA website)
Discharges of any type, including to air or land, can all affect living resources within an aquatic ecosystem. For example, some chemicals can persist in the environment and accumulate in the tissues of fish and other wildlife. A few chemicals can become more concentrated as predators farther up the food chain eat these organisms, which may ultimately cause health problems for wildlife and humans."
(excerpt from Watersheds, US EPA website)
Why is Captina Creek so special?
Much of it has to do with the surrounding land-use and land-cover (LULC). Over 62% (72,108 acres) of the Captina Creek Watershed is forested. The next most common LULC is pasture-hay, comprising 23% (23,907 acres), followed by developed areas at 6.8% (7825 acres). It is important to note that the vast majority of the developed areas (7077 acres) are classified as “Developed, Open Space,” the least intense category of developed land. Very few watersheds in the state can boast such a high percentage of natural or undeveloped LULC. Captina Creek is also home to the only known breeding population in Ohio of the Eastern Hellbender Salamander, which is listed as an endangered species in Ohio.
Pipeline Survey
In the summer of 2021, Captina Conservancy hosted graduate intern Kayla Kellar, who was studying for her Masters in Public Affairs from Indiana University. Over the course of the summer, Kayla researched and compiled a survey of oil and natural gas pipeline crossing of Captina Creek and its major tributaries. The goal of the project was to identify existing natural gas pipelines where they cross waterways in the Captina Creek watershed and evaluate their quality and potential impact on the watershed. The focus was on more recent pipelines constructed in the past ten years or so as a result of the oil and gas fracking boom of the 2010s. Particular attention was paid to pipeline crossings of Captina Creek mainstream and its six major tributaries of North Fork, South Fork, Bend Fork, Piney Creek, Pea Vine Creek, and Cat Run.
Maps of Captina Creek Watershed
Additional Resources
- Captina Creek Watershed Action Plan (Ohio EPA)
- Captina Creek Ohio's Hidden Treasure (Captina Conservancy)
- Captina Creek real time water database (USGS)
- Captina Creek, Oho Watershed Data interactive map (Ohio University)
- Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District website
- Monroe Soil and Water Conservation District website
- Benefits of a Healthy Watershed (US EPA)
