The Hamilton County Park District has grown by more than 250 acres, but it might be years before any of that property is ready for full access by the public.

        The district used a $1.1 million grant from the state's Clean Ohio Fund to buy 68.4 acres next to the Anderson Township Parks Department office on Broadwell Road between Round Bottom and Mount Carmel roads, and a 183-acre tract in Harrison Township between the banks of the Whitewater River and Campbell Road just west of Kilby Road.

        The Anderson site mostly is forested hillside and is being called Broadwell Woods, said Ross Hamre, the district planning director. The Whitewater site is a former gravel mine and includes four lakes totaling 58 acres. The main goal at both areas is preserving them as natural habitats, Mr. Hamre said.

        “The Whitewater site doesn't have a lot of topsoil, and there's not much vegetation,” he said. “We need to start planting native species and planting grasses to control erosion. We'll be creating habitat there, and the process will take several years because it is a reclaimed mine.”

        One of the lakes is classified as mesotrophic, Mr. Hamre said.

        “Mesotrophic refers to the type of habitat that the lake provides,” he said. “It has deep cold water. The water quality will lend itself to serve as the habitat of certain species of fish that we normally don't have in this area — northern pike as an example.”

        The Whitewater site could include a multi-use trail and picnic areas, but the majority will be preserved as a natural area, Mr. Hamre said.

        “We haven't done any master planning,” he said. “Development is still a few years away. The former owner is still on the site, restoring it.”

        The Anderson Township Parks Department will manage the Broadwell site under a 50-year lease with the county park district, said Molly McClure, the township department director.

        Township officials wanted the property under control before it was developed. Building a roadway into the site and parking will have to wait until the township finishes building two other parks and can find money for Broadwell, Ms. McClure said.

        “The Clean Ohio Program requires that you have some type of access,” Mr. Hamre said. “Anderson is going to manage it as a natural area. It's mostly steep hillside.”

        Ms. McClure said the district will “have to find outside funding to create roadways and parking, but if you don't have the property, you can't even begin that process.”

        Broadwell will be available for activities organized by the parks department, she said.

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