We are seeing the consequences of hundreds of rocks being moved and stacked in the Little Miami River. What may have started as a few small rock stacks has grown into a large, man-made rock dam that changes the river’s natural flow and creates a dangerous hazard for critters (including humans) using the river.

But this is about more than safety.

The spaces between and beneath rocks provide important habitat for aquatic insects, crayfish, and salamanders. Rocks and gravel also help create the streambed structure that fish depend on for shelter, feeding, and spawning. When rocks are moved, that habitat can be disturbed, and water flows can change—potentially exposing eggs and young fish to stronger currents or predators.

With permission from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Greene County Parks and Trails, we will work to dismantle the dam and return the river to a more natural state. If you have a strong back and a willingness to help, drop in and join us anytime between 3–7 p.m. on Monday, October 12, at the Jacoby Road Canoe Launch. You don’t have to stay for the entire time. Come for an hour, come for four hours, or stop by to learn why leaving the river’s rocks where they belong matters. Please REGISTER HERE to sign our volunteer/participant waiver.

And the next time you’re enjoying the Little Miami, please look, explore, take a picture—and, on behalf of all the creatures that depend on us to do right by them, please leave the rocks where they are.

What looks like an ordinary rock to us may be someone’s home, nursery, or hiding place.

Help us protect the river by leaving no trace—and leaving the river’s habitat intact.