Restoring Rush Run

By Peter Quent, Restoration Construction Project Manager, EnviroScience

Rush Run is an unassuming stream that meanders through agricultural fields, rolling hills, and patches of forest in Holmes County, Ohio. For years, it flowed quietly, but near its confluence with Killbuck Creek, it was creating problems. During high-water events, Rush Run was transporting large amounts of sand and gravel downstream, which began to impact county infrastructure.

Recognizing the issue, the Holmes County Soil and Water Conservation District took the lead in exploring solutions. An environmental representative from the county reached out to EnviroScience to see if there was a way to slow sediment movement and protect local assets. Together, we developed an action plan, engaged community partners, and secured funding through the H2Ohio Wetland Grant Program.

Building the Plan

Our design targeted the heart of the sediment transport issue. The plan included:

• Re-shaping and stabilizing stream banks to resist erosion.
• Reinforcing the streambed with appropriate substrate to keep sediment in place.
• Reconnecting the stream to its floodplain to reduce erosive forces during storms.
• Creating new wetlands to slow and store water while improving habitat.
• Adding livestock exclusion fencing to allow vegetation to reestablish naturally along the stream.

In late 2021, our construction team broke ground. Over several months, we restored 1,547 linear feet of stream to a more naturalized channel and created 3.1 acres of wetlands. The project combined strategic earthwork, targeted hardening of key reaches, and extensive re-vegetation to stabilize soil and improve ecological health.

Results on the Ground

Today, the improvements are clear and measurable:

• Sediment stabilized: Tons of mobile material now remain in place, protecting downstream infrastructure.
• Thriving aquatic life: We’ve seen significant increases in fish density, diversity, and aquatic invertebrate populations.
• Healthier habitat: Terrestrial invasive species were removed, and native trees, shrubs, and grasses have flourished.
• Resilient design: The restored stream and wetlands have held strong during major high-water events.

Three years after completion, we hosted a project tour for key stakeholders, including representatives from the Holmes County Engineer’s Office, Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the Holmes County Soil and Water Conservation District. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Some even commented how well the restoration performed — even during flood conditions — and how the “soft” living approach outperformed traditional hard-armoring methods like rock and steel.

A Win for the Stream — and the Community

This project demonstrates that nature-based solutions can protect infrastructure, improve habitat, and satisfy regulators and engineers alike. By blending sound science with practical construction, EnviroScience helped Holmes County achieve long-term stability and ecological renewal, all while earning the confidence of key state and local decision-makers.

Rush Run is now a healthier, more stable stream, and a great example of how smart design and community collaboration can produce long-term benefits.

Few environmental firms in the country retain EnviroScience’s degree of scientific know-how, talent, and capability under one roof. The diverse backgrounds of our biologists, environmental engineers, scientists, and divers enable us to provide comprehensive in-house services and an integrated approach to solving environmental challenges—saving clients time, reducing costs, and ensuring high-quality results.

Our client guarantee is to provide “Excellence in Any Environment,” meaning no matter what we do, we will deliver on our Core Values of respect, client advocacy, quality work, accountability, teamwork, and safety. EnviroScience was created with the concept that we could solve complex problems by empowering great people. This concept still holds true today as our scientists explore the latest environmental legislation and regulations and incorporate the most up-to-date technology to gather and report data.

EnviroScience expertise includes but is not limited to aquatic surveys (including macroinvertebrate surveys and biological assessments); ecological restoration; ecological services (including impact assessments, invasive species control, and water quality monitoring); emergency response; engineering and compliance services; endangered mussel surveys; laboratory and analysis; stormwater management; sustainability services; threatened and endangered species; and wetlands and streams (including delineation and mitigation). Further, EnviroScience is one of the few biological firms in the country that is a general member of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) and offers full-service commercial diving services.