Riverside fitness trail

[ForumManager]

I guess it does all go to the sewage treatment plant but the sewers can't handle the load during heavy rainfall or winter meltdown... the excess has to go somewhere, hence the overflows. 

[AllanY2525]

It seems to me that it would be much easier (and lest costly) to COMBINE the runoff from both storm drains and sewers,
then run it through a sewage treatment plant, thereby rendering ALL of the combined runoff harmless to the environment.

Methane gas could be extracted from the treatment plant, and used for fuel, also....

[ForumManager]

Take Mahoning toward town
Left on West Ave.
Cross Tod Ave.
Go under tracks
Make a right and drive down toward river - go under arches.
The sign is there when you make the right turn.
There is a dock - rotting.
The trail is mowed a bit at first then is overgrown.

It seems the trail has been damaged due to recent high waters... the guard railings are in pieces and there are ruts and what looks like river rock all along the trail.   It is hard to see all the ruts with the weeds, so if you go, proceed with caution.

The riverside trail brings me to the other issue I have long wondered about.  Youngstown has a combined sewer overflow system... when the storm drains overflow the runoff mixes with raw sewage drains and when the drainage capacity is overwhelmed the  mixture flows into areas in MillCreek, other local creeks and into the Mahoning.  Hence the smell of sewer in certain areas of the park.  There is a warning sign on the river bank under the expressway near Fellows Gardens.  I realize there is no  quick fix for this situation but is anything being done?   As long as we are dumping raw sewage into these areas is it safe for our recreation?

In 2002 there was a settlement stating that over the next 4 years what was referred to as "illegal sewage" in Youngstown would be reduced dramatically and over the long term things would be improved.
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/cwa/youngstown.html

Are there current documents available online that outline what Youngstown has been doing to comply with the settlement? My nose hasn't noticed any improvement over the years.

The Mahoning Watershed website mentions combined overflow and nothing is said about a reduction plan being implemented in Youngstown.
http://www.ysu.edu/mahoning_river/Research%20Reports/river_ongoing_pollution.htm

I've looked through the county and city sites and have found no plan of attack.

According to this document in 1998 Youngstown had 80 CSO outfalls
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/cso_cities.pdf

The Ohio EPA page  says there are 101
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/cso/csoindex.html

Youngstown was issued a permit in 2003 but it expired in 2007 and it contains 52 pages of specifics.
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/permits/doc/3PE00006.pdf

It is very difficult these days to get a single family septic system approved and installed but it seems large cities are grandfathered in.  And it is no wonder due to the massive scale of reconstruction that will be necessary to separate storm drains from raw sewage.

More Information about combined sewer overflow
http://cfpub1.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=5
There are plans outlined and much information is available for communities. It appears that there are grants available to assist with the cleanup and since Youngstown provides the system for a fairly large metropolitan area the adjoining townships might  also be able to apply for grants. Youngstown is not alone in its KA-KA separation plight.

[Elmo-Ytown]

I didn't even know it was there, where exactly is the entrance?

[jay]

It's a shame that the Youngstown Parks Department doesn't maintain the trail along the Mahoning River.  I suggest making a call to the first ward councilmember.

[ForumManager]

We decided to explore the fitness trail by the Mahoning. We entered it off of West Avenue and headed for the B&O.  The fitness stations are all overgrown  and the path is very uneven and rocky but aside from that the trail becomes completely impassable toward the bandstand behind the B&O. We turned back.  For nearly the entire stretch the overgrowth was much  taller than us and if it wasn't for our dog we wouldn't have recognized it as a trail.  Most of the  guard rail fencing is in a shambles I realize this may have been a plan that didn't account for possible flooding of the area.

I am trying to remember when the trail was established. Does anyone remember?  The entry marker sign had no  date and was covered with graffiti

I did a search and found a document from the League of Women Voters  website.  It states  the trail  is planned  to connect into Millcreek Park on one end and all the way past the  Chevy Center and eventually into the  Stavich Bike Trail on the Struthers end

I'm not complaining because I realize it is not a priority, just curious about when it was established and if the plan was abandoned.

The document is a very good source of information about the history of Youngstown and its neighborhoods.
http://www.cboss.com/lwv/citizens_guide_to_Youngstown.htm