Here’s a good news story for millions of Ohio residents who are fortunate enough to live in the Muskingum Watershed. After some initial timidity, the board members of the Mukingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), charged with managing 8,000 square miles of rivers, reservoirs and creeks that drain into the Muskingum River (covering 20% of the state), decided in 2012 to lease MWCD-owned land for Utica Shale drilling. Since that time they’ve received more than $175 million in signing bonuses. With royalties that eventually will come in, it’s not inconceivable that the MWCD will rake in over $1 billion in revenue from Utica lease activity. They’ve already committed to reinvesting $300 million over the next 10 years (see MWCD Reinvesting $300M of Utica Shale Revenue over Next 10 Yrs). The further good news for residents in the Watershed is that the fees they pay to the MWCD will go down–by 50%–starting next year. Thanks to the Utica Shale…
