JEROMESVILLE — The Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District graded Jerome Fork and 11 other streams an “F” on the watershed report card.
The grade reflects the high levels of coliform and surfactants in Jerome Fork, Leidigh Mill, Orange Creek, Lang Creek, Town Run, Jamison Creek, Oldtown Run, Quaker Spring Run, Glenn Run, Scott Run, Katotawa Creek and Newell Run.
Surfactants are a diverse group of chemicals widely used in detergents and cleaning products that can be present in greywater.
“In simple terms, [coliform is] any type of runoff from sewer systems or manure runoff from fields. If you have a failing septic system, there is always going to be coliform present in the streams,” water quality specialist Zoey Dudte said.
Ashland SWCD samples water quality from water sources across Ashland County. The grade comes from testing done in the fall, which will be performed again in the spring, but this is the first time the SWCD published a grade to correlate with the water quality data.
Dudte said the sample reveals poor management of residential septic systems and improper fertilizer and manure distribution on farmlands.
She noted there are several dairy farm and other livestock farms on land near the stream, which could be causing the runoff.
“Until people implement better management practices, that [coliform] will always be there,” she said.
Jerome Fork begins in northeastern Ashland County as a tributary of Orange Creek, which starts shortly before flowing through Terrace Lake.
Eventually, Jerome Fork flows into Lake Fork which dispenses into the Mohican River, meaning the degraded water quality ends up in one of north central Ohio’s four scenic rivers.
Scenic rivers receive their designation for retaining their natural character for the majority of its length, meaning undisturbed shorelines, and must meet certain aquatic life criteria, according to the Mohican River designation study.
Dudte said high levels of surfactants can cause algal blooms or even make water unlivable for aquatic species. However, that is not the case in Jerome Fork.
Dudte’s advice for farmers and homeowners near Jerome Fork?
Manage septic sewage systems regularly and do not spread manure or fertilizer before a heavy rain.
The report card noted there have been “significant improvements in nitrate, phosphate and potassium levels throughout the watershed,” which are common pollutants that stem from agricultural or sewage runoff.
Executive Director Jane Houin said that is because Ashland SWCD has worked with farmers to implement livestock exclusion fencing to keep the animals away from the streams and rotate cover crops to naturally improve soil health.
So Houin believes failing septic systems are the major cause of the coliform levels, which have historically been a challenge in the Mohican watershed, she said.
The coliform levels leave the water source unfit for a recreational use designation, Houin said.