Here's a map showing the location of the Big Darby Creek watershed, in case you don't know where it is. As you can see, it is just to the west of the Columbus metropolitan area.
It's proximity to a large urban center is surprising to many, as human development almost always destroys the streams around it. In fact, Darby is the only National Scenic River that flows partly through an urban area. Fortunately, Darby is just far enough away--at least to date--that it has escaped major impacts from Columbus and its suburbs.
However, development has been creeping westward for years, and biologists believe Darby is at its tipping point. So does the national river organization American Rivers, which named Darby one of the Ten Most Endangered Rivers in 2004.
Since then, the communities in Franklin County (the county with Columbus and suburbs such as Hilliard) have agreed to an historic plan to limit development in the watershed and purchase large tracts of open space in the most sensitive areas on Darby and its tributaries. If it can be achieved, the Darby Accord will serve as a model for other communities trying to balance development with healthy streams.
This plan, the Darby Accord, can be found at this website:
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