We're proud to announce our "Love Your Little Miami " campaign running throughout the month of November!

This year more people than ever discovered the peace and solitude offered by the jewel in our midst - the Little Miami National Wild & Scenic River. They enjoyed the 103 miles of natural beauty (over half of the river) that has been restored and conserved by LMC and its many partners!

The river we love needs your continued support to protect, and expand upon all the great conservation work that we - and YOU - have made.  Please make a gift to the "Love Your Little Miami" Fund! 

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LMC is pleased to announce a long list of conservation projects for 2020-2021, including the purchase and major restoration of over one mile of riverfront farmland land in Greene County,  continuation and improvement of its water quality monitoring project entitled the "DOMES" project to constantly monitor dissolved oxygen at 9 river sites, it's long-running Little Miami Clean Sweep, the John Ruthven Fishing Clinic, Public programs at the LMC River Center,  and more.  LMC is also seeking to boost its Endowment Fund to $1 million.  If you are interested in contributing to these worthy efforts, please email partee@littlemiami.com  . Thanks!

Think Globally - Act Locally. Thanks for supporting the Little Miami Conservancy by clicking the "DONATE" button at www.littlemiami.org . Enjoy this latest Little Miami 'Xperience' video on the Great Blue Herons of the Little Miami. ENJOY!

​LMC has acquired yet another riverfront parcel near Bellbrook and in March 2020 demolished another eyesore (the third in two years)  along the Little Miami . This condemned house at 3135 Washington Mill Road was in tax arrears for several years and was acquired by Sugarcreek Township, transferred to the Little Miami Conservancy, and LMC has demolished the structure and restored the native beauty of this stretch of the Little Miami riverbank. Funding was provided by the former Upper River Fund established by LMC Founder Glenn Thompson. MANY thanks to Sugarcreek Township officials and staff!

In 2019 the Little Miami Conservancy rolled out an historic water quality monitoring system to monitor the health of the Little Miami National Wild & Scenic River. YSI Xylem has generously donated 9 EXO1 "Sondes" which LMC has placed at strategic locations along the Little Miami starting in Greene County and stretching downstream through Warren County, Clermont County and Hamilton County. The Sondes records the critical level of dissolved oxygen in the river round the clock every 15 minutes. In 2020 LMC expanded this important effort to partner with Central State University and Groundwork ORV. Stay tuned to the LMC Facebook page for updates.

A new chapter is unfolding for addressing streambank erosion where needed along the Little Miami. CLICK on the photo for a 3 minute video introduction.  Channel Maintenance Systems (CMS), founded by William Holdren and Ronald Wine in 1984, specializes in environmentally sound, cost effective strategies and techniques to manage waterways that provide a lasting solution to mitigate problem erosion areas and flow obstructions.They adapted and modified these basic techniques to create the CMS river management system based in large part on the findings and actual practice of river restoration methods pioneered by Ohio native George Palmiter and studied by the US Army Corps of Engineers. (Reference: Contributing Report 82-CR1, March, 1982) These techniques have been developed, refined and proven effective in a multitude of projects in Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina. Recently CMS has contracted with the Warren County Engineer to address bank erosion at the Corwin Nixon Covered Bridge south of Waynesville.

Start your next Little Miami adventure with a great map! The LMC map series includes color maps showing the river, trail, roads, and much more!  You can even download the maps onto your cell phone for easy reference 'in the field'. Info includes public access, river mileage, trail milelage, parking, restrooms, major parks, and much more!  Three maps cover the entire river corridor.  

LMC has published a wonderul children's book highlighting the journey of 'Smallmouh Sonny" and his river friends!  Close to 5,000 books have been distributed to area young students, and author Bill Schroeder continues to present a "meet the author" day at over 50 area classrooms! If you'd like Bill to join your class of students (VIA ZOOM!) for a "meet the author" day, email partee@littlemiami.com . MANY thanks to James Billiter for illustrative this imaginative book!

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Enjoy a video reading of this great little story, both in English and Spanish!

LMC is pleased to announce the completion of a major restoration effort along the Little Miami in Greene County. ​On September 26, 2019 LMC removed a low-head dam to restore the river's natural ecosystem and improve paddling safety. Located downstream from the US68 on the LMC Case Nature Preserve, the demolition work was funded by Patagonia and YSI Xylem.  The project will also include the natural restoration of several LMC nature preserves in the area, removing invasives and planting native species.

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Scientists are seeking the cause of mussel die-off in Tennesee's Clinch River and across the nation. Scientific studies of the aquatic life in the Little Miami over the past 30 years, while showing similar declines in mussel population, have also shown a return of fish and macroinvertebrate populations to "exceptional" levels of health. "It is very important that we support the scientific research to identify the cause of mussel declines" notes LMC Executive Director Eric B. Partee, "before we start pointing fingers." The recent article in the Dayton-Journal Newspaper can be found at https://www.journal-news.com/…/scie…/ggu5gQ4Ueyl9fwtms9c21N/ 

Duke has awarded $25,000 for the new Mouth of the Little Miami River Nature Preserve. Home to the City of Cincinnati's only Bald Eagle Nest, the nature preserve will add 122 acres and over one mile of riverfront forest preserve protection to the Little Miami! MANY thanks to the great lead work of the #CardinalLandConservancy in partnership with the Little Miami Conservancy to make this happen.
 

This is another great protection project which compliments LMC's recent one-mile acquisition along the river near Spring Valley earlier this year. Future generations (of children and eagles) will appreciate this worthy effort!

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“We’re committed to the environment and will do our part to recognize programs that advance this mission.”said Amy Spiller, Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky president. Majority funding is expected from the Clean Ohio project.

This year's Little Miami Conservancy Annual Dinner originally scheduled for Monday, April 20, 2020 at the Marriott NE in Mason, Ohio is canceled over concerns for the coronavirus pandemic. MANY thanks for your ongoing support!

Join your river fishing friends at the Little Miami Conservancy Booth (B43) again this year at the 2020 Greater Cincinnati Fly Fishing Show on Saturday, February 1st. It is a fantastic fishing experience - without getting your feet wet!

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LMC VP Bill Schroeder signs the popular Smallmouth Sonny book he authored for several budding river conservationists at the LMC exhibit at the February 1st BUFF Flyfishers Expo near Loveland. Bill continues to speak at area schools about "Sonny" and river wildlife. LMC will be donating several hundred books to area students again in 2020. Enjoy the video version online at www.littlemiami.org (in English and Spanish) !

Teaching kids to catch their first fish is something that makes international wildlife artist and conservationist John A. Ruthven smile!  In September 2019 partnered with Adventure Crew to bring hundreds of inner city kids to the Little Miami to learn how to fish and care for the environment.  MANY thanks to ODNR Division of Wildlife, Loveland Canoe & Kayak, and Great Parks of Hamilton County for helping make this annual event possible! Stay tuned for the 2020 dates of this wonderful clinic.

LMC has demolished yet another eyesore along the Little Miami and has completed its demolition of a condemned house and three associated structures near Bellbrook along Washington Mill Road. 
 

Click on the photo for a 5 minute 'Demo Tape' showing the LMC work in action!

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LMC had purchased the property at auction on June 20, 2018. LMC Founder Glenn Thompson's "Upper River Fund" funded the demolition and return of this section of the river corridor to its wild and scenic nature. Native grasses and wildflower seeds have been planted on the site. Many thanks to our good friends at Sugarcreek Township for helping make this acquisition a reality. Another good day for the river!

Meet the Raptors of the Little Miami upclose and personnal on October 20th at 2pm at the LMC River & Trail Center in downtown Loveland, 211 Railroad Avenue along the Little Miami Bike Trail next to Nisbet Park. "Raptors LIVE!" monthly programs are Free to Kids of All Ages.Weather dependent. 

Dr. Stan Hedeen was presented with the LMC 2019 Little Miami Legacy Award at the LMC Conservation Dinner on April 22, 2019 at the Marriott NE in Mason, Ohio. Stan has educated tens of thousands students at Xavier University over the past five decades, authored informative books on the Little Miami and other area streams, created a wonderful Little Miami mussel exhibit, served as Chairman of the Little Miami Scenic River Advisory Council and continues to lecture on the importance of local rivers. LMC's 'Double Eagle' Award of Appreciation was also presented to YSI Xylem, Mark & Robyn Bersani, Chris Brausch, Jason Tincu, and the Ohio Scenic Rivers program in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Little Miami as Ohio's first State Scenic River. Congratulations to all for this well-deserved recognition!

Irv Bieser's passing on February 6th leaves a big hole in the heart of all who care about the Little Miami and conservation throughout the Miami Valley Region and the State of Ohio.

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In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you please make donations to a favorite charity. If you would like to donate to the Little Miami Conservancy, please click on the yellow DONATE button at the top of the page.

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Irv was selected by LMC Founder Glenn Thompson to administer The Upper River Fund which oversaw the distribution of Glenn's estate and other donations to purchase riverfront lands along the Little Miami National Wild & Scenic River. "Many miles of vital riverfront forests were protected by Irv through LMC nature preserve acquisitions. We will miss his dedicated leadership and his warm smile," noted Eric B. Partee, LMC Executive Director. Our deepest sympathies go out to Tracy and the Bieser family.

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A memorial service will be held at 11am on Saturday, February 29, 2020, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 33 W Dixon Ave, Dayton, OH 45419. A private family burial will take place at Woodland Cemetery. A reception will follow the service.

PHOTO: LMC awarded the Little Miami Legacy Award to Irv in 2017.

John P. Williams, Jr., grandson of LMC (FKA Little Miami, Inc. and LMI) co-founder Charles Sawyer passed recently at 78. Like his Uncle John Sawyer, and his Grandfather Charles Sawyer, John was a wonderful supporter of the Little Miami Conservancy conservation efforts.

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LMC attorney (and former LMC Executive Director) Timothy M Burke noted "John Williams was a great friend, made through Little Miami. When I was Executive Director in 1975 I hand wrote a plan to acquire Bass Island and shared that rough draft with Helen Black, Sudie Geier and a couple of others. Shortly afterwards I got a call that I was to join Helen and Sudie at a meeting in Charles Sawyer's office. I was warned that Sawyer, who had served as President Truman's Secretary of Commerce would have his personal lawyer in attendance at the meeting. Mr. Sawyer heard us out, told stories about fishing and swimming in the Little Miami at Bass Island when he was a kid and ultimately, with John's encouragement committed the necessary $100,000 to buy Bass Island."

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"Later, when the State of Ohio denied Little Miami's tax exemption, because we were not doing anything with the property, John and I together argued, what was for both of us our first, before the Ohio Supreme Court. The court accepted our argument that preserving the land in its natural state was a valid charitable use entitle to tax exemption...which became the law other environmental groups could rely on."

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John was a great leader and will be deeply missed.  His legacy will live on along the Little Miami National Wild & Scenic River. 

For those so inclined, a donation can be made to LMC in John's memory. Online donations can be made by clicking on the yellow DONATE button above on this page.  Thank you.

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We will miss Helen so very dearly. She was a wonderful spirit for river conservation along the Little Miami. We will forever stand on her shoulders as we continue to protect and restore the river she loved. The Black family has asked that you make a donation to the Little Miami Conservancy and/or one of Helen's other worthy charitable organizations in lieu of flowers. Donations to LMC can be sent to LMC, 209 Railroad Avenue, Loveland OH 45140 or made online on the LMC website at www.littlemiami.org .