by Tom Wallace

River and trail seen from I-275 bridge south of Loveland. Photo by Eric Partee, ca. 1990

It was a close-run thing.

 - Winston Churchill, commenting on the Battle of Britain following the British victory

Well, Sir Winston, so was the Little Miami Scenic Trail. There were some “close calls” involved in converting abandoned railroad tracks into a first-rate multi-use trail; had these close calls gone the wrong way, it would have been much more difficult, if not impossible. For example: 

Money, always in short supply it seems, was particularly tight at the beginning. Little Miami Inc. (LMI) had been deeply involved in getting the river designated a National Wild and Scenic River, and that gave it some credibility and stature.

LMI was the catalyst in setting up a pivotal meeting in Senator Howard Metzenbaum’s office in Washington. Also present were Senator John Glenn; Chris Delaporte, Director of the federal Bureau of Outdoor Recreation; LMI officials; and others. At the senators’ urging, Delaporte agreed to come to southwestern Ohio to evaluate the proposed scenic trail.

If that hadn’t happened, the trail might never have happened.

Loveland, March 1913

by Gary Standafer

Trail volunteers seem to fight a never-ending battle of keeping the trail free of conditions that cause flooding on parts of the trail—clogged culverts, erosion caused by bridge embankments, and other obstacles that interrupt the flow of water away from the trail surface. We worry about a few inches of water covering small sections of the trail because even a few inches can cause permanent damage. Can you imagine a flooding situation that would cause most of the Little Miami State Park to be covered with 10 to 20 feet of water? It happened, in March of 1913.

by Stanley Hedeen

This 96-page resource is a guide to the ecological and historical features of the Little Miami. The physical setting of the river is introduced in Chapter One and the peopling of the Little Miami watershed is covered in Chapters Two and Three. Chapter Four reviews the watermills that once operated on the river and its tributaries, and Chapter Five recounts the help and hindrance of the watercourse to the transportation of humans and goods. Chapter Six examines the stream’s organisms ranging in size from microbes to beavers, while Chapter Seven describes how water pollution is threatening the riverine community and presents methods to control the contamination. Finally, the Appendix lists organizations that the reader may join to assist in the preservation and protection of the Little Miami. The Bibliography is extensive and offers resources for further information on various aspects of the Little Miami River.

Click to open PDF file: The Little Miami - Wild & Scenic River Ecology & History