Complete report - Partners for Clean Streams

Blue Creek Wetlands Demonstration Project
1993-1995
Description:
Lead Organization:
Collaborator(s):
The Blue Creek Wetlands were created to show the effectiveness of wetlands in
removing agricultural pollutants, pesticides and sediments from storm water runoff
while providing habitat enhancement. This 3-acre wetland was built at the Quarry
Pond Farm, at that time owned by the City of Toledo at the former Work House Farm.
The average depth of the wetland is 18-inches. The Blue Creek Management Team,
a group of nine local government agencies and universities, developed and managed
the wetlands. The property was officially dedicated in 1995. Several newsletters
were written to keep partners updated on wetland construction and to report on
research progress.
Blue Creek Wetlands Management Team, coordinated by TMACOG (funded in part
through a grant from US EPA-GLNPO)
University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Ohio EPA, Lucas
SWCD, City of Toledo DNR, Toledo Area Metroparks, Lucas County Engineers, Ohio
DNR
Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area Restoration
1994
Description:
The re-creation and preservation of the 900+ acre Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area was
the state’s first restoration of a Lake Erie coastal marsh. A 7,700 foot dike was built to
keep carp and other lake impacts out of the marsh to protect vegetation. Fish/water
passages in the dike enable water and most fish to flow in and out of the marsh.
Water levels were controlled for the first two years to allow the vegetation to flourish.
This marsh was once protected by both a beach and lake-front dike. They were
breached in the late 1950s. As late as the mid-1970s, cattails still covered about 40%
of the land mass. By the time restoration efforts began in 1994, only 10% of the
original wetland remained. Extensive research is being conducted by many
organizations to evaluate the success of this restoration project.
Lead Organization:
Collaborator(s):
Ohio DNR, US Fish and Wildlife Service (funded in part by a grant from the Great
Lakes Protection Fund)
Ducks Unlimited, many other organizations
Maumee Bay State Park Coastal Wetlands Improvements
1997-1998
Description:
Lead Organization:
Ohio DNR’s Maumee Bay State Park restored a 20-acre area, involving the
construction of a 3.5 acre pond as well as restoring native vegetation, controlling
exotic species and monitoring changes in bird usage before and after management
applications. Restoration of this wetland added to the existing block of wetlands along
the south shore of Lake Erie in Northwest Ohio and provided a larger continuous
block of wetlands to benefit many species.
Ohio DNR
140
Activities and Accomplishments
Issue 3: Wetlands and
in the Maumee Area of Concern Open Space Preservation