The Miami Conservancy District (MCD) actively promotes and develops recreational amenities throughout the Great Miami River Watershed.
Recreation trails: MCD owns and/or maintains an extensive recreation trail system (nearly 34 miles) throughout Montgomery County. See maps.View regional trail system.
River access: MCD – in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Watercraft – built three hand-carried-boat ramps in 2005 to encourage recreation on the Great Miami River. The ramps are located below Germantown, Taylorsville and Englewood dams. MCD also offers river recreation maps.
Low dams: MCD owns six low dams that it built at the request of the host communities. The low dams create a pool of water upstream of the dam for recreation including boating and fishing. The cities of Hamilton, West Carrollton, Moraine and Dayton, and Montgomery County pay an assessment for MCD to maintain the dams. Watch Play It Safe.
RiverWalk: The Dayton RiverWalk runs along the levee-top between the Main Street Bridge and the Monument Avenue (Dayton View) Bridge on each side of the Great Miami River. The total length of the lighted, crushed gravel walkway including the two bridges is about 2 miles. The walkway is easily accessible from the end of either bridge. The Miami Conservancy District controls the land where the walkway is located and maintains the facility for the City of Dayton.
All of these projects were constructed and are maintained by funds separate from flood protection or groundwater assessments. Assessments to cities – as well as grants and other revenue sources – pay for the construction and maintenance of MCD recreation amenities.