Old Woman Creek and Pipe Creek Report Cards

Report card coversThe aim of these two report cards is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of the watershed health for Old Woman Creek and Pipe Creek in 2012. Old Woman Creek, on the south-central shore of Lake Erie, is one of Ohio's few remaining examples of a natural estuary and is designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve and anĀ Ohio State Nature Preserve. Pipe Creek is a small tributary to Sandusky Bay on the south-central shore of Lake Erie to the west of Old Woman Creek. Old Woman Creek and Pipe Creek watershed health is defined as the progress of three water quality indicators (nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus, and turbidity) toward scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals. These three indicators are combined into one overarching Health Index, which is presented as the report card score. Detailed methods and results are available from the Firelands Coastal Tributaries Watershed Program. The overall score for Old Woman Creek was a C in 2012, and for Pipe Creek was a C- in 2012.