Friends of Lower Muskingum River

"commited to restoring, protecting, maintaining and promoting the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the Muskingum River"

Friends of Lower Muskingum River (FLMR) is a partnership of organizations and individuals whose mission is to restore, protect and maintain the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the Muskingum River and to protect and promote its natural, cultural, historic and socioeconomic resources.

In early 2001, the organization decided to enlarge its scope to include the watershed of the 68-mile river segment from Philo to Marietta. This is the Lower Muskingum Watershed as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. FLMR has been a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization since early 2003. In conjunction with its partner agencies, FLMR is steadily increasing public participation, collecting and analyzing existing water quality and biological data, identifying issues and goals and successfully seeking funding to restore the watershed to its highest ecological potential.

FLMR currently meets monthly to discuss issues concerning the ecological and economic health of the watershed. Guest presenters in recent years have led discussions dealing with the wildlife in the basin, volunteer monitoring, and habitat conservation efforts for rare, threatened and endangered species.

Instead of meetings during the summer months, potluck picnics and field trips are scheduled on fourth Thursdays. A recent tour of the hydroelectric facility at the Stockport Mill Inn preceded a picnic at Luke Chute Conservation Area which is one of FLMR’s Land Trust holdings. See the Land Trust section for more information.

A comprehensive management plan for Meigs Creek, a major tributary, was completed in 2004 and continues to help guide goals and contacts with landowners in that watershed.

More recently, former Watershed Coordinator, Krystin Robinson, worked with four local public water districts to reduce the nitrate levels in the public water supply and to create Source Water Protection Plans to protect municipal well fields from contamination. A 3-year Ohio EPA grant is funded this work.

Currently, FLMR's newest Watershed Coordinator, Jesse Daubert, is working under an Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 4-year, Watershed Coordinator grant to develop a Watershed Action Plan for the Southern most watershed of the Lower Muskingum River Basin. This area of land encompasses the City of Marietta and extends north just past the Village of Lowell. For more information on his planning efforts, check out the Watershed Planning page.