Ohio’s state legislature in 1914 passed a law called the Ohio Conservancy Act, which allowed formation of watershed districts, with self-taxing authority, to provide protection from disastrous floods. Projects sprung up statewide, and became models nationwide for flood control and regional rehabilitation efforts, including the enormous Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) project.

The Ohio Conservancy Act was prompted by a huge flood in 1913 that caused extreme loss of life and property.  The Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys were hard hit. The Miami Valley of western Ohio was particularly impacted, with over 290 reported dead in the cities of Dayton, Troy, Piqua, and Hamilton.

After flood clean-up, citizens worked together to plan how to avoid such devastation in the future. The Ohio Conservancy Act allowed citizens living in a threatened area to work together to plan and manage their own local flood control project. 

Find out more...

• Tennessee Valley Authority Natural Heritage Project
• The Nature Conservancy
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - About Watersheds
• The 1913 Ohio Flood
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Miami Valley Conservancy District