Darby Creek

Part of the Darby System, Big Darby Creek, is located within the boundaries of the Hilliard City School District.  The rapid growth of Hilliard has brought the watershed to the attention of the community.  The extensive building in the area may certainly have an impact on the ecology of the Darby System.  Darby Creek watershed, including Big and Little Darby Creeks, is an important water resource in central Ohio and the entire Midwest.  Ohio is one of the few states in the country that measures the health of its streams and rivers by examining the number and types of fish and macroinvertebrates living in the water.  Natural resource professionals from private, public, and academic institutions are unanimous in citing these streams as among the most biologically diverse streams of their size in the Midwest.  Big and Little Darby Creeks have been designated as State and National Scenic Rivers, and the watershed is known to provide habitat for several state and federally listed endangered species.  As teachers, we feel that it is important for the students to learn about this impact by actually monitoring the creek for macroinvertebrates.  Their findings are then sent to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as an ongoing research base for this area.

Before going to Darby Creek each fall, the students are exposed to the history of the area and to the macroinvertebrates that they will be locating.  The macroinvertebrates are collected by kick seining, counted, and then returned to the stream.  Data sheets are then completed and returned to ODNR.

Go to the Parent Info Tab at the top of this page and tap on Darby Creek for more information.

Below are the dates that teams will attend: