Western Reserve Land Conservancy Transfers Ownership of Niss Waterfall Preserve to Richland County Park District

After nearly seven years of dedicated restoration, Western Reserve Land Conservancy has transferred the Niss Waterfall Preserve to the Richland County Park District. The Park District will own and manage the property moving forward and plans to open it to the public for passive recreation, ensuring this asset can be enjoyed and protected for years to come.

The 287-acre property, which features shrub-scrub wetlands, forested upland, an open water pond, and agricultural fields, was purchased by Western Reserve Land Conservancy in 2019 from Niss Marion LLC and protected with Clean Ohio Declaration of Restrictions and a conservation easement held by the Land Conservancy. The acquisition was made possible through a grant from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund (Clean Ohio) and a generous donation from Dan and Brenda Niss. While under the ownership of the Land Conservancy, the former agricultural fields were seeded with a native pollinator mix and planted with 27,700 bare root seedlings to provide wildlife habitat. A parking area was also installed, and the City of Mansfield built a trail connector in coordination with the Land Conservancy to join the Trimble Road multiuse path with the Richland B&O Trail. We are very appreciative of our funding partners on this project including the Ohio Public Works Commission, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, Arbor Day Foundation, the Black Family Foundation Fund, and Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Without the Land Conservancy’s acquisition, this natural area likely would have been lost to development. Thanks to the efforts of Western Reserve Land Conservancy and the Richland County Park District, it will instead remain a lasting natural asset—benefiting both the community and local wildlife for generations to come.