Watersheds of Lower Mill Creek
MSD is evaluating current and future stormwater "source control" opportunities in the following sub-watersheds of Lower Mill Creek:
Current Source Control Opportunities
Future Source Control Opportunities
Watershed Details
Bloody Run Watershed
The Bloody Run watershed spans 2,187 acres within the City of Cincinnati over an area that services 22,000 customers. The neighborhoods of Amberley Village, Bond Hill, Golf Manor, Norwood, Pleasant Ridge and Roselawn fall within this watershed.
Three CSO locations - 181, 191 and 506 - within the watershed contribute about 916 million gallons of annual sewer overflow volume. CSO 181 is the focal point for this watershed project, as it contributes the most overflow.
Downloads: Bloody Run SWEP
Clifton Watershed
The Clifton watershed covers about 4.1 square miles and overlaps with 10 neighborhoods in the City of Cincinnati: Camp Washington, Clifton, Corryville, CUF (Clifton Heights, University Heights and Fairview), Clifton Heights, Northside, Queensgate, South Fairmount, West End and Winton Place.
The 12 CSO locations within the Clifton watershed contribute about 1.05 billion gallons of overflow volume each year. The Bates Run Regulator produces the highest amount of annual overflow in this watershed with 325 million gallons annually.
Downloads: Lower Mill Creek Coarse Evaluation
Denham Watershed
The Denham watershed covers 2.1 square miles and includes portions of three Cincinnati neighborhoods: North Fairmount, South Fairmount and Westwood.
Every year, about 365 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater overflow from five CSOs (CSOs 8, 10, 13, 14 and 530) in the Denham watershed. CSO 10 (Denham Street Regulator) has the highest average annual overflow volume in the watershed (249 million gallons a year).
Downloads: Denham Fact Sheet, Lower Mill Creek Coarse Evaluation
Kings Run Watershed
The Kings Run watershed is home to 20 CSOs, the most of any watershed in Lower Mill Creek. The watershed covers 6 square miles and includes portions of four Cincinnati neighborhoods: College Hill, Northside, Spring Grove Village and Winton Hills.
Every year, about 688 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater overflow from the 20 CSOs into the Mill Creek or the Kings Run tributary. Two of the highest volume CSOs - CSO 483 (223 million gallons) and CSO 217 (102 million gallons) - are linked. CSO 217 discharges into Kings Run, which is ultimately piped into the combined sewer system and contributes to overflows at CSO 483.
Downloads: Kings Run Fact Sheet, Lower Mill Creek Coarse Evaluation
Lick Run Watershed
The Lick Run watershed is home to CSO 5, the largest CSO in Hamilton County.
Every year, 1.7 billion gallons of combined sewage and stormwater overflow from CSO 5 - located at the east end of Queen City Avenue - into the Mill Creek. Of that total, less than 25% is sewage - the rest comes from stormwater and what used to be natural stream flow.
The Lick Run watershed covers about 2,700 acres on Cincinnati's west side. It includes Cincinnati's South Fairmount neighborhood and portions of East and West Price Hill and Westwood. It is roughly bounded by Harrison Avenue to the north, Ferguson Avenue to the west, Glenway Avenue to the south and the Mill Creek to the east.
The watershed was named after a stream - called Lick Run - that once ran between Queen City and Westwood avenues and discharged into Mill Creek. The stream was enclosed within a 19.5-foot-diameter combined sewer called the Lick Run interceptor, which runs under 3,700 feet of streets and buildings in South Fairmount. When it rains, the Lick Run interceptor sewer can become filled beyond its capacity. Excess flow is diverted - untreated - through the CSO 5 outfall to the Mill Creek.
Downloads: Lick Run website, Lick Run Fact Sheet, Overview of the community design workshop
Mitchell Watershed
The Mitchell watershed is about 2.4 square miles and extends over the neighborhoods of Avondale, Corryville, Mitchell, Mt. Auburn, North Avondale, St. Bernard and Winton Place. This watershed includes several key city buildings and businesses, such as the Cincinnati Zoo, University of Cincinnati, Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, Vine St. Cemetery and Cincinnati Board of Education.
The Mitchell Avenue Regulator is the only CSO in the watershed; it contributes an annual overflow volume of 703 million gallons.
Downloads: Lower Mill Creek Coarse Evaluation
Ross Run Watershed
The Ross Run watershed spans about 3,913 acres and overlaps seven Cincinnati neighborhoods (Avondale, Bond Hill, East Walnut Hills, Evanston, North Avondale, Paddock Hills and Walnut Hills) and the cities of St. Bernard and Norwood. The watershed is home to one of the largest CSOs in Hamilton County - the Ross Run Grating (CSO #487), which contributes about 1.4 billion gallons of overflows annually.
Downloads: Ross Run SWEP
West Fork Watershed
The West Fork watershed includes 6,117 acres within the City of Cincinnati, City of Cheviot and Green Township.
Seven Cincinnati neighborhoods are part of the watershed, including College Hill, East Westwood, Fay Apartments, Mt. Airy, Northside, South Cummingsville and Westwood.
Fifteen CSO locations within the watershed contribute about 753 million gallons of annual sewer overflow volume.
Downloads: West Fork SWEP, Lower Mill Creek Coarse Evaluation, West Fork Fact Sheet