BATAVIA, Ohio — Clermont County’s Soil & Water Conservation District is in the middle of a $3.5 million river restoration project and is planning to remove an aging dam on Clover Creek in Bethel, the district’s director told the Clermont County Board of Commissioners this week.
District Administrator John McManus briefed commissioners on a slate of projects and grants underway across the county, including stream restoration, agricultural assistance and a countywide land-use planning effort, according to a post from Clermont County.
The largest project is an Ohio EPA-funded restoration spanning nearly a mile of the Lower East Fork Little Miami River. Construction is underway and is expected to be substantially complete by September, weather permitting, the county said.
Separately, the district is planning to remove a low-head dam and an adjacent pump house on Clover Creek in Bethel. The county said the project would improve stream habitat, restore fish passage and improve public safety along the waterway. Construction is expected to begin around this time next year.
McManus also outlined two new grants the district has secured. A $250,000 award from the Ohio Department of Agriculture will help local livestock producers with grazing plans, soil testing, fencing and watering systems. A separate $50,000 grant will fund an update to Clermont County’s comprehensive land-use plan, which has not been revised since 2014. The county said opportunities for public input will be announced as that project moves forward.
The district also completed a Bethel-area tree distribution program this year, providing 656 trees representing 21 species to area residents, according to the county.
McManus told commissioners the district has fielded a growing number of requests for help with drainage, flooding and erosion this year amid heavy rainfall across the county. Soil & Water has completed 84 direct-assistance visits so far in 2026, working with property owners to evaluate problems and identify solutions, the county said.
The Clermont Soil & Water Conservation District will hold its annual meeting Sept. 10 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Winemiller Farms. The event is free and open to the public, and voting for the district’s Board of Supervisors is already underway, according to the county.
McManus has led the district since 2013. He previously spent 13 years with the county’s Office of Environmental Quality and Storm Water Department and worked seven years as an environmental scientist with the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission. He holds a master’s degree in environmental science from Miami University.
The Clermont Soil & Water Conservation District traces its roots to a 1943 local election that established the agency. It now provides agricultural services, stormwater management resources, conservation grants and educational programming to landowners across the county’s rural, suburban and urban communities. Its Board of Supervisors meets at 8 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the district’s headquarters on Locust Street in Owensville.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Clermont County.