Centerville Mills Falls in Bainbridge Township could become an official state nature preserve, Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials told trustees June 23.
Centerville Mills Falls in Bainbridge Township could become an official state nature preserve, Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials told trustees June 23.
The designation would open up the scenic waterfall to the public while preserving its geological features.
“We find properties around the state of ecological significance, geological significance, maybe rare plants … (and try) to protect the best of the remaining natural resources in the state of Ohio,” said Jeff Johnson, chief of ODNR’s Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
ODNR has 151 preserves across Ohio, ranging from half of an acre to 5,000 acres, he added.
“This is a really amazing feature. It’s got the exposed sandstone you don’t see a lot of here in Northeast Ohio,” said Adam Wohlever, manager of ODNR’s Northeast Ohio Regional Preserve.
Centerville Mills reminded Wohlever of Nelson Ledges in Garrettsville.
“That would be a place where you’d see something similar to that,” he said. “This would be a great place to protect.”
“You don’t see waterfalls like that in Northeast Ohio,” Johnson later added.
The nature preserve status would allow the public to access the falls while ODNR takes care of the parking lots, the trails and ecological management of the land, he said.
ODNR’s sites are low-impact and do not allow camping, mountain biking or pets, Johnson said.
“Having seen the area there, I mean, you’re looking basically at a small parking lot, (a) small trail will get you down to an overlook (to the waterfall) and that’s the only public facility that’ll be on that whole site,” he added.
Fiscal Officer Janice Sugarman asked where the liability lies in cases of injury and accidents on the property.
Johnson told trustees ODNR would be liable for falls off of an overlook built by ODNR, however, if someone fell off of a trail, the township would be responsible.
“We’re going to have liability because we built something for the public and it failed, that’s our responsibility,” Johnson said.
There is currently a conservation easement with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy on the property, trustees said.
A conservation easement is a legal agreement that limits uses of the land in order to preserve its natural resources, according to the National Conservation Easement Database.
“Think of (this as) a conservation easement on steroids,” Johnson said.
ODNR would work together with the WRLC.
“We’re looking at this as a long haul,” Johnson told trustees, adding they’ve never had a property’s dedication rescinded.
While trustees did not indicate whether they’d move forward with the project, Trustee Jeff Markley said he likes the idea of providing a space for the public to view the falls.
If trustees decide to move forward with the dedication, the next step would be to work with ODNR on a draft of the final language for the contract.
