On October 8, 1998 the Black River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and International Joint Commission's Great Lakes Water Quality Board co-sponsored a public symposium in Lorain, Ohio. The participants of the event were challenged by the symposium theme of "Protecting What's Been Gained in the Black River." Over 125 decision-makers from governments at all levels, industries, environmental groups, faculty and students from surrounding universities, and concerned citizens gathered to:

• learn about the progress that has been made in the Black River watershed in recent years;
• share and celebrate successes; and
• provide advice on required future activities to protect and rehabilitate the Black River watershed.

This symposium was designed to be an action-oriented public meeting and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas pertaining to watershed management. The event began with research presentations focusing on improvements in the river and what remains to be done in terms of future action. Breakout sessions were used in the afternoon portion of the program to spur interaction between Water Quality Board members, Black River RAP Coordinating Committee members, key watershed stakeholders, and concerned citizens on specific issues related to the protection and rehabilitation of the Black River watershed.

The Symposium was well received by all participants. Conclusions and recommendations from the day's proceedings were compiled by the Symposium Steering Committee and include the following (please consult the summaries of the afternoon breakout sessions for more detailed discussion and recommendations):

• Substantial progress is being made in implementing the Black River RAP and restoring uses throughout the watershed (e.g., progress toward elimination of liver tumors in the brown bullhead population, improvements in sediment quality, etc.).

• However, much needs to be done to protect what's been gained and to further rehabilitate degraded areas in the watershed. Strategies are needed to address land use changes that threaten aquatic life communities and habitat. The Black River RAP has identified protection of the riparian corridor and urban sediment and erosion control programs as especially urgent. Participants confirmed the importance of protecting and restoring riparian corridors as a key factor in protecting what's been gained.

• The community-based process embodied in the Black River RAP has taken a leadership role in developing and advancing efforts to protect the Black River and this process needs to be sustained for the future.

• This community-based process requires the active involvement of informed citizens who are ecologically literate and willing to act as stewards of the watershed in their own backyard.

• As substantial progress has been made in controlling point sources of pollution, more effort now needs to be placed on addressing land use activities that contribute to nonpoint source pollution problems.

• Regulatory mechanisms should be considered to eliminate or reduce the nonpoint problems associated with failing or poorly maintained home sewage disposal systems.

• Greater emphasis should be placed on addressing habitat components in land use planning, local ordinances, zoning, etc.

• Participants recommended that, as a priority, the County enact an Urban Sediment Erosion Control Program to address stormwater management issues of new development. The efforts of the Lorain County Alliance to encourage an interjurisdictional approach to the stormwater management problems are applauded and should continue to be supported by the Black River RAP so that a comprehensive approach, that considers both water quantity (flooding) and water quality issues at the watershed level, is pursued. There needs to be a better understanding of how to deal with stormwater as it passes through one community to the next.

• There is a need to more effectively engage the public in understanding the importance of and support for long-term environmental monitoring. Citizens can have a direct role in this effort, but this means that realistic goals for monitoring programs by citizen volunteers need to be developed, goals that recognize what citizens can contribute practically. To achieve this, effective volunteer training and data quality assurance procedures must be established.

• The Black River RAP should heighten its profile in the community so that the important messages of the RAP program are more widely heard and acted upon.

• From a nonpoint source perspective, much of the "low hanging fruit" has been picked. Therefore, federal efforts through the Natural Resource Conservation Service should be focused on "picking the next lowest hanging fruit" which means implementing a targeted initiative at farmers who have not implemented best management practices (BMPs). Much more needs to be done to get these local farmers to expand use of BMPs in order to meet our collective goals of restoring and protecting all uses in the Black River watershed.

• Ohio EPA should continue to sustain the Black River RAP process. Ohio EPA, Ohio DNR, and other state agencies should focus state funds on implementing high priority actions and projects identified by the Black River RAP Coordinating Committee. Ohio EPA should consider allowing Division of Environmental Financial Assistance funds to be used more readily for RAPs.

• Participants further recommended that federal legislation is needed that recognizes and supports the community-based approach to watershed planning and implementation.

• The recent study by Ohio DNR that evaluated the Black River's potential for Scenic River status concluded that substantial portions of the riparian zone are in excellent condition, but need a sustained focus effort to preserve them. The Black River RAP Coordinating Committee should continue and expand its efforts to promote riparian protection at the household, community, and watershed level.

• The International Joint Commission and its Great Lakes Water Quality Board must continue to be champions for community-based RAP processes. The International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Water Quality Board are in a unique position to celebrate the progress of RAPs and help sustain community-based RAP groups working to restore and sustain uses in the Areas of Concern.

• Finally, the Great Lakes Water Quality Board should continue to convene public meetings with RAP groups in Areas of Concern. Such meetings give the public an opportunity to learn more about how local RAP efforts fit into the larger Great Lakes context. Further, these public meetings give members of the Water Quality Board and RAP groups important opportunities to meet, share, and learn from each other. This also provides a wonderful community building project for local RAP groups.