Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Toledo, 2010, College of Engineering

The hybrid hydraulic vehicle (HHV) is a new technology that uses hydraulic power in conjunction with the conventional vehicle internal combustion engine (ICE) in order to improve fuel economy for road vehicles propulsion. In addition to propulsion, a portion of the hydraulic power can be used to drive hydraulic accessories, through a power take-off point. A power take-off method with HHV decreases the cost of implementation on the vehicle as the main power source is readily available. The transferred power, with the appropriate interface using controlled hydraulic circuit, drives the accessories system. This research preliminary analysis investigates three proposed systems: hydraulic intensifier, hydraulic transformer, and pump/motor configuration or hydrostatic system. The research studies the systems efficiencies and the impact of these systems on the main hydraulic circuit. The impact is measured by the system ability to isolate the hydraulic accessories fluid from the main circuit fluid in order to maintain the main circuit performance. The hydraulic intensifier and the hydraulic transformer do not isolate the main source fluid from the load fluid effectively. The estimated efficiency is around 55% for the hydraulic intensifier while it is around 90% for the hydraulic transformer. Accordingly, both of them are not suitable for the application. A hydrostatic transmission or the pump/motor configuration provides complete isolation as the load fluid is separated from the source fluid. In addition efficiency expected to be in range of 80% to 90%. Consequently, the hydrostatic transmission system design is used in this application. A comprehensive analysis is performed on the hydrostatic transmission. The analysis starts by defining two pressure working ranges from hydraulic tools manufacturer's datasheets; the low pressure at 2,000 psi and the high pressure at 10,000 psi. After selection of loading pressure, the design of the driving pumps, and hydraulic motor with (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science in Engineering, Youngstown State University, 2014, Department of Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering

Oil and natural gas production in the United Sates has increased tremendously for the last few years. A significant amount of water is needed for the production of oil and natural gas through the application of advanced technique called hydraulic fracturing (fracking). This has raised a serious concern about the potential impact on hydrological cycle, due to water withdrawal for fracking, especially for low flow periods. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis is essential for the evaluation of stream low flow conditions due to unanticipated water withdrawal. In addition, the atmospheric greenhouse gases are believed to be increasing, leading to future climate change, which may alter the hydrologic flow regime in the future and threaten the hydrological and environmental sustainability. Therefore, this study was initiated to investigate the potential impact of fracking and climate change on stream low flows. Since limited modeling studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of hydraulic fracking for watershed scale studies, a systematic review and documentation of existing watershed models was conducted; this was important because an appropriate selection of watershed model for these studies is still a matter of investigation. A widely used watershed model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), was found to be appropriate for the representation of the fracking process in terms of spatial and temporal scale. Various future scenarios were developed based on the possible future climatic conditions, which was conducted in two steps: i) first, analysis was conducted for the immediate future by generating a probable set of climate data (precipitation, temperature) based on historical records of the climate data; ii) second, climate change data from Coupled Model Intercomparision Project (CMIP5) using the Max Planck Institute earth system model (MPI-ESM) were analyzed for the 21st century to see the effect of climate change on stream low flows. Analysis showed that (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Too much of a good thing can become a problem. This is certainly the case with nutrients in surface waters. Excess nutrients are a concern in streams and lakes. While there are direct health risks related to drinking water contamination among vulnerable populations including infants, harmful algal blooms are a more prevalent concern since they manifest themselves at enrichment levels well below accepted drinking water standards. Half of the lakes in the United States have elevated nutrient levels, a condition that can ultimately lead to oxygen depletion. This problem is exported across state and national boundaries into coastal waters. Agricultural nutrient discharges are particularly difficult to address because, unlike end-of-pipe discharges, fertilizer runoff is hard to capture and treat in a cost effective manner. Appropriate technologies are needed that promote agricultural production through the sustainable management of natural resources. Treatment wetlands are a low-tech alternative to conventional water treatment. Constructed wetlands provide passive treatment of nutrient enriched runoff and other diffuse non-point sources of contamination through nutrient uptake, absorption, or chemical reduction. Hydraulic inefficiencies can substantially limit nutrient reductions when stagnant zones and preferential flow paths exist that reduce contact time. Optimally configured wetlands cost less and perform better. Unfortunately, it is not clear what constitutes an optimal configuration. Many factors, including shape, depth, and botanical structure, influence hydraulic efficiency. The various factors also influence each other, which makes it difficult to ascribe an effect to any one particular factor. Conventional investigative methods using controlled experiments focusing on a response to a single factor cannot tell the whole story. A more comprehensive approach is described here. Scaled models were used to investigate treatment wetland hyd (open full item for complete abstract)

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering

Aligned with the medical device industry's trend of miniaturization, academic and commercial researchers are constantly attempting to reduce device sizes for minimally invasive therapy. Many applications with size constraints require miniature actuators in the millimeter range to perform mechanical work. Here, a millimeter scale robot (called millirobot) is conceptualized for performing diagnostics and therapy such as biopsies and targeted drug delivery in the human body. A 2 mm diameter tethered device equipped with a cutter to traverse through tissue can provide direct access to difficult anatomical locations for the surgeons. Millirobot being a complex system, its development can be decomposed into multiple subsystem problems such as dissection, navigation, drug delivery, biopsy etc. The research presented herein focused on exploring and developing a biocompatible cutting module/actuator for the millirobot. Literature review and initial concepts generated for the cutting module using miniature versions of the traditional hydraulic motors and turbines were presented along with a discussion of their benefits and limitations. Preliminary design, prototyping efforts, numerical modeling and experimental results of a hydraulically driven millirobot cutting module that aims to combine cutting, biopsy and drug delivery were presented. The cutting module was scaled from ~20 mm outside diameter (OD) to the target 2 mm OD. As a challenge, a 1 mm OD micromotor prototype was also fabricated to demonstrate further scaling. As the design was scaled down, the intermediate stage prototypes were tested extensively and numerically modeled to leverage the learnings and go smaller. The 2:1 scale prototype of the cutting module (4 mm OD) established consistent mechanical work from a biocompatible miniature hydraulic motor with output characteristics comparable to motors of different working principles currently available in an equivalent size range. Next, a target sized hydrau (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1983, Graduate School

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2015, Civil Engineering

The work presented in this thesis builds upon previous research related to the biodegradation of organic constituents within hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFF). Hydraulic fracturing fluids, which contain approximately 1% chemical additives, are injected into deep shale plays to create cracks and improve the mobility and extraction of oil and natural gas. Although these fluids contain mostly organic compounds that are considered readily biodegradable as individuals, complex surfactant and glycol formulations are also used within these fluids to function as emulsifiers and wetting agents and may take longer to degrade in environmental systems. There are multiple routes where hydraulic fracturing fluids may be released to shallow subsurface and groundwater aquifers via spills or equipment failures and there is a large concern and uncertainty as to how the organic constituents within HFF will attenuate. If chemical additives within HFF, specifically surfactants, are accidently released to the environment and enter a groundwater aquifer that is used for drinking water, understanding the recalcitrance of these compounds is crucial in assessing the risk to public health. Here, analysis of the anaerobic biodegradation of glycol formulations, in addition to other nonionic surfactants, was conducted using batch soil and groundwater microcosms. Microcosms were used to test the degradation of five HFF related substrates: (1) a synthetic fracturing fluid (SFF) (2) a revert flow stimulation surfactant (3) a corrosion inhibitor (4) polypropylene glycol (PPG), and (5) propylene glycol. Changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), surfactant concentration (PPG, C8 and C10 ethoxylated alcohols, nonylphenol ethoxylates), metabolite concentration (propylene glycol, n-propanol, propionaldehyde, propionate, acetone, acetate) and other geochemical parameters (total and ferrous iron, sulfate, sulfide, and chloride) were measured over 50 days. Microbial community analysis and (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Mechanical Engineering

Smart material electro-hydraulic actuators (EHAs) utilize fluid rectification via one-way check valves to amplify the small, high-frequency vibrations of certain smart materials into large motions of a hydraulic cylinder. Although the concept has been demonstrated in previously, the operating frequency of smart material EHA systems has been limited to a small fraction of the available bandwidth of the driver materials. The focus of this work is to characterize and model the mechanical performance of a magnetostrictive EHA considering key system components: rectification valves, smart material driver, and fluid-system components, leading to an improved actuator design relative to prior work. The one-way valves were modeled using 3-D finite element analysis, and their behavior was characterized experimentally by static and dynamic experimental measurement. Taking into account the effect of the fluid and mechanical conditions applied to the valves within the pump, the dynamic response of the valve was quantified and applied to determine rectification bandwidth of different valve configurations. A novel miniature reed valve, designed for a frequency response above 10~kHz, was fabricated and tested within a magnetostrictive EHA. The nonlinear response of the magnetostrictive driver, including saturation and hysteresis effects, was modeled using the Jiles-Atherton approach to calculate the magnetization and the resulting magnetostriction based on the applied field calculated within the rod from Maxwell's equations. The dynamic pressure response of the fluid system components (pumping chamber, hydraulic cylinder, and connecting passages) was measured over a range of input frequencies. For the magnetostrictive EHA tested, the peak performance frequency was found to be limited by the fluid resonances within the system. A lumped-parameter modeling approach was applied to model the overall behavior of a magnetostrictive EHA, incorporating models for the ree (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2010, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Constructed wetlands are becoming an increasingly common best management practice for reducing pollutants. Processes like rhizofiltration, settling of suspended particles, and degradation are all time dependent. These treatment mechanisms can be limited by hydraulic inefficiencies like short-circuiting in treatment wetlands. It is not known exactly what role such inefficiencies play in treatment, but when expected water quality gains are not realized the adoption of treatment wetlands as a best management practice can be slowed. One reason the effects on treatment are not well understood is that hydraulic inefficiencies are difficult to quantify. The aim of this work was to develop a universally applicable hydraulic index to quantify the hydraulic performance of treatment wetlands. An index demonstrating strong correlation to pollutant reduction is needed to identify the optimal wetland configuration for maximizing residence time. Such an index should be related to the various wetland parameters that influence the RTD. The index would not only be useful in quantifying the effects of vegetation, bathymetry, and wetland shape on residence time; it could then be used to supply the bounds for anticipated pollutant reduction. Three existing hydraulic indices were evaluated for their suitability both as a measure of hydraulic performance and as a predictor of treatment. Of the three existing hydraulic indices evaluated, only one demonstrated strong correlation to the effluent pollutant fraction. However, that index could not detect variations among residence time distributions that had a common centroid implying the index could not detect attenuation of a residence time distribution. Other indices are needed to better quantify the influence that various wetland parameters have on residence time and develop predictive models for treatment. Three new indices were proposed. The moment index was derived using residence time distribution theory. This approach quantifies hydr (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, Miami University, 2006, Environmental Sciences

This practicum was carried out along the Great Miami River at Charles M. Bolton well field site 6 corresponding to pumping well 6 owned by Greater Cincinnati Water Works. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of storms and floods on the hydraulic conductance of the bed of the Great Miami River using seepage meters in conjunction with mini-piezometers and the method outlined by Lee (1977). In this study the hydraulic conductivity of the streambed was measured before and after flooding and ranged from 2.53×10-3 to 5.22×10-1cm/s. The streambed conductivity was lower compared to the glacial aquifer conductivity measured by other researchers. The pre-and post-flood hydraulic conductivities were not significantly different (p=0.77).

Master of Science in Engineering, University of Akron, 2011, Mechanical Engineering

This paper presents data collected examining the flow, pressure, speed, and torque characteristics of two Eaton Geroler hydraulic motors. A test installation was designed and built with the purpose of studying these two Gerolers while modifying the parameters such as the flow rate and viscosity of the working fluid. The geometry and flow characteristics of both Gerolers are explained as well as a description of the design and function of the test installation and all of the components and instrumentation within it. The paper details the pressure characteristics of the inlet and outlet of the two Gerolers as well as the pressure characteristics within the cavities of the Gerolers. In addition the torque behavior of the two Gerolers are also examined and explained. High speed cameras were also used to capture the fluid flow path through one of the Gerolers as well as to visualize leakages which had an adverse effect on the performance characteristics of the Geroler.

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2006, Mechanical Engineering

This thesis illustrates the application of a non-linear robust control to deal with friction variations in a hydraulic positioning system. The hydraulic system is modeled using analytical and experimental identification techniques considering both linear and nonlinear dynamics of the system. In the literature the friction is usually modeled as a function of velocity which has static, Coulomb and viscous friction components. However, there are several fascinating properties observed in systems with friction. This research is aimed at investigating the friction phenomenon and performing experiments on hydraulic positioning system to validate the identification of dynamic friction model (behavior in pre-sliding friction regime). The LuGre friction model which combines the pre-sliding behavior as well as the steady state characteristics is used to model and predict the friction for the controller design. A sliding mode controller is developed which has a feedback linearizing component plus additional terms that explicitly deal with system uncertainties due to friction and other unknowns. The sliding mode controller performed well during the experiments and simulations.

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Engineering and Applied Science: Environmental Engineering

We created the GLObal river Width from Sentinel-2 (GLOW-S), derived from Sentinel-2 imagery, to examine river width seasonality globally. GLOW-S, containing 2.1 billion observations across 797,394 river reaches for 2017-2022, represents an 8.9-fold increase in data frequency and a 2-fold increase in spatial coverage compared to previous studies, enabling the seasonality analysis of river width. Results indicate that 9.4% of rivers maintain steady widths, 30.2% exhibit sinusoidal seasonality, and 44.4% display non-sinusoidal seasonal patterns; additionally, we identified 16% of global rivers that are non-seasonal, suggesting complex environmental interactions that, along with the non-sinusoidal but seasonal rivers, require further targeted research. Larger, more regulated rivers tend to have steadier widths than smaller, free-flowing ones. The timing of peak widths varies regionally, with 31.4% occurring in April and June. This study has important implications for freshwater hydrology and ecosystems (e.g., nutrient and carbon exchange) and provides data support for future studies in this avenue and beyond.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Mechanical Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

This work evaluates the geochemistry between the Utica-Point Pleasant (UPP) shale and associated connate fluids under simulated reservoir conditions in a batch reactor system with a primary focus on identifying precipitate formation. Preliminary studies were performed to identify and characterize precipitation formation under simulated reservoir conditions. The formation of iron-based precipitate was evident through results from fluid and material analyses. Fe2+ was the predominant iron form found in the aqueous phase, with oxidation to Fe3+ and subsequent precipitate formation. Geochemical modeling further supported that Fe3+ was the favorable species for precipitation. Furthermore, this work evaluated a deeper comprehension of the impact of citric acid and sodium gluconate on the kinetics of iron oxidation and precipitation within the UPP formation. Zeroth- and first-order kinetic models were applied to experimental data acquired at 37, 57 and 77 °C (98.6, 134.6 and 170.6 °F) to determine reaction rates, activation energy and pre-exponential factor. It was found that zeroth-order kinetics were a better fit for the system and used as the kinetics basis for additional analysis in the study. Additionally, subsequent trials were performed to evaluate the effect of the iron control agent. Results from these trials indicate that citric acid effectively diminishes iron precipitation by exerting a chelating influence on Fe3+, with the chelation effect becoming more pronounced as the concentration of citric acid is increased. Sodium gluconate also demonstrated effectiveness as an iron control agent, inhibiting the oxidation of Fe2+ when present in the solution. No residual Fe3+ was observed in the solution for either of the sodium gluconate trials, suggesting that its chelation capability is notably lower compared to that of citric acid. It is suggested that the most effective iron control strategy for the UPP formation would involve a combination of sodium gl (open full item for complete abstract)

MS, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences

Piping or internal erosion has been responsible for almost half of all dam failures worldwide. In this research, we studied the influence of grain size heterogeneity, as characterized by sediment size (d50) and the uniformity coefficient (Cu), on piping potential. A novel experimental setup was designed in-house that included sediment mass, pressure, and turbidity sensors allowing the examination of transient changes during piping events. Porosity and conductivity were analyzed in order to compare trends across varying grain size distributions. Mass values of soil lost during piping failure via a continuous mass balance and a turbidity meter to capture fines that remain in suspension were both utilized to capture the magnitude of piping failure. Minute Piping and Clogging events that are only able to be captured via the pressure transducers were recorded during this experiment, adding complexity to the onset of piping phenomena. The smaller the Cu, the less clogging events occurred before piping failure. It was noted that these minute piping and clogging events would stabilize as the sediment column reached equilibrium. This research allows for further studies to expand on these piping and clogging events as well as depicted trends between soil heterogeneity and piping potential.

BA, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

The question this paper addresses is whether or not the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the State of Ohio are in violation of the Great Lakes Compact for allowing unapproved water to be depleted from the Great Lakes Basin Watershed. This project used two distinct study designs: a legal analysis of the Great Lakes Compact was conducted to interpret the binational agreement as written. Additionally, secondary data analysis was used to extract, extrapolate, aggregate, analyze and then interpret data from the ODNR to investigate whether or not this accord has indeed been violated by examining the quantities of water used to drill and stimulate oil and gas wells in Ohio permitted after December of 2008 when the Compact went into effect. 450 wells were found to have been permitted in the Lake Erie Watershed between December of 2008 and December of 2021. This study has shown that the use of injection wells as a means of disposal for hydraulic fracturing wastewater originally derived from the Lake Erie Watershed is in violation of the spirit of the Great Lakes Compact. There are potentially implications for future litigation to address this violation pending further research.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Chemical Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

Methane, the second largest greenhouse gas, is often released as a fugitive emission from natural gas drilling sites commonly located in rural, sparsely populated areas. At this level satellites lack the necessary spatial resolution to identify methane emissions, and site by site ground-based monitoring is economically unsustainable. To reconcile these issues, implementing aerial remote sensing platforms have recently been investigated. In this study a low altitude aircraft retrofitted with a shortwave infrared (SWIR), non-imaging spectrometer was used to locate methane leaks and estimate methane concentrations from active natural gas producing regions and natural gas infrastructures in Eastern Ohio. Three separate monitoring flights were completed on July 3rd, 2018, October 18th, 2018 and May 8th, 2019. Pairing flight data with MODTRAN6 radiative modeling, multiple concentration heat maps displaying flight path and estimated methane concentration were constructed. From these maps there was shown to be elevated methane concentrations in multiple regions: Proctor and Wheeling, West Virginia, Piedmont Lake, Ohio and an area of Eastern Ohio densely populated with actively producing horizontally drilled natural gas wells. There was also shown to be elevated methane concentrations at several specific locations: the Athens-Hocking Reclamation Center, a natural gas compressor station, a natural gas processing facility, and a surface mining site.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Environment and Natural Resources

To thoroughly understand how environmental policy decisions are made and how effective they are, we need to understand the environmental dimension of the problem along with the political and social context. Individuals rarely make decisions in isolation. Rather, they tend to form coalitions to aggregate resources and coordinate actions. These dynamics are conditioned by myriad contextual variables that define the opportunities and resources available to actors, partly defining the policies coalitions will support and seek out. Despite general agreement of the significance of contextual variables regarding subsystem affairs, our understanding of this dynamic remains unfinished. Theoretically rooted in the Advocacy Coalition Framework, this dissertation is structured around this fundamental gap in our knowledge and asks the question: how do contextual parameters affect the behavior and structure of coalitions and the policy actors in them? Specifically, I focus on two important contextual variables that affect policy actors: changes in systemwide conditions, and the distribution of power between coalitions. My objective is to advance our understanding of this relationship by looking at two conflict-prone policy areas in the United States: climate change and hydraulic fracturing. In doing so, I also revisit three core types of policy actors the literature has overlooked: material groups, purposive groups, and brokers. For each one, I explore their limitations as theoretical constructs and propose new ways to study their policy behavior in the context of highly conflictive policy arenas. The two studies conducted here rely on a comparative research strategy and use two novel datasets of actors' participation in environmental policymaking to understand the impact of contextual factors over actors' behavior and strategies. I use a combination of textual analysis, descriptive statistics, and generalized linear models to study the differences between groups and to explo (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2021, Plant Biology (Arts and Sciences)

Carbon-mediated hydraulic failure is the current leading hypothesis for natural tree mortality. However, the physiological mechanisms of this process vary among species and environment. The way in which a tree responds to drought is defined as its hydraulic behavior, which is described using the isohydric/anisohydric continuum. Theoretically, diffuse-porous and ring-porous trees should fall at opposite ends of this continuum due to their contrasting xylem anatomy and associated carbon requirements. While previous studies have documented this trend, the relationship between wood type and hydraulic behavior is still unresolved, particularly in temperate forests. The overall goal of my research was to describe hydraulic behavior in ring- and diffuse-porous species in a temperate, deciduous forest. I included small and mature trees to understand the influence of size class on hydraulic behavior. My results indicate a distinct dichotomy between isohydric, diffuse-porous Acer saccharum and anisohydric, ring-porous Carya ovata; however, other species exemplify a spectrum of hydraulic behaviors, falling along a gradient between wood types. This pattern was consistent among size classes, validating comparisons of hydraulic behavior between small saplings and mature trees. Overall, this work provides new insights into the physiological mechanisms responsible for carbon-water trade-offs in ring- and diffuse-porous trees in temperate forests.

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2020, Geology and Environmental Earth Science

Recent studies have suggested that slow slip processes and high pore fluid pressures may have a role in promoting seismogenic events, particularly earthquake swarms. Swarms of seismicity have also been observed to be induced by the injection of fluid, either via hydraulic fracturing or wastewater disposal, such that this can provide a complimentary comparison. Here, we present three chapters that seek to detect and investigate the origin of earthquake swarms. In Chapter 1, we generate a catalog of earthquake swarms in Oaxaca, Mexico and find most events outline a steeply dipping fault in the overriding plate. Examination of GPS data reveals many of these swarms occur during slow slip events, although they occur during episodes of strike slip motion as opposed to thrust motion. This appears to be the first evidence for slow slip behavior on a sliver fault that helps to partition the oblique convergence. Conductivity studies indicate fluids released along the subduction interface may be channeled up this steep sliver fault, leaving the megathrust with drier conditions that could promote traditional fast slip behavior. In Chapter 2, we investigate the increase in seismicity in the Eagle Ford oil and gas field of south Texas and how hydraulic fracturing (HF) contributed. We compare times and locations of HF wells with a catalog of seismicity we enhanced through template matching (2014-2018). Several HF wells have seismicity nearby during operation, indicating seismicity from HF is more common in this area than previously thought. We find that HF strategy affects the probability of earthquakes. A MW 4.0 earthquake is the largest HF‐induced earthquake in the U.S. Thus, this study demonstrates that faults in this area are capable of producing felt and potentially damaging earthquakes due to ongoing HF. In Chapter 3, we seek to perform a deeper exploration of how HF has contributed to recent seismicity using template matching with newly deployed stations and a repeating sig (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

This study investigated pollinator use across areas of the channelized Hocking River's banks in different stages of ecological succession, according to when each area last experienced a mowing disturbance. These successional stages of growth—an associated pollinator use—were compared according to each area's community structure using metrics such as diversity, leaf area index (LAI), greatest height, percentage of native plants, and percentage of noxious plants. Each successional stage was monitored over time to assess seasonal change in both vegetative growth and pollinator use. Each area was also evaluated for both actual and hypothetical roughness scenarios to determine what impact mowing regimes—and lack thereof—might have on flood potential. Considerations were given to past studies that examined community perceptions of the channelized river, as well as precipitation and flood trends. Ultimately, this study investigated whether alternative mowing practices could be socially, economically, and ecologically beneficial, without jeopardizing flood protection. The study concluded that the ecosystem service benefits of actively managed growth outweigh the risk of flooding in the channel. It recommends that further studies, including a review from the Army Corps of Engineers, be undertaken to begin the process of restoring the channelized Hocking River's riparian zone to a more sustainable and ecologically beneficial state.