This map shows and describes the work done on the wetlands at the Delaware Wildlife Area.
Courtesy | ODNR
ASHLEY — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and H2Ohio recently celebrated a new project in Delaware County, restoring and enhancing wetlands in the Delaware Wildlife Area.
As an end result, the water quality of Delaware Lake in adjacent Delaware State Park will be improved, and threatened wildlife species such as sandhill cranes will be protected.
Officially called the O’Donnell Wetland Restoration and Treatment Train project, two wetlands were restored, and five other wetlands enhanced, covering 250 acres of the 4,670-acre Wildlife Area. A treatment train is defined as “a sequence of stormwater treatments” for specific environmental needs. In this particular case, water will be filtered as farm runoff consisting of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous are captured.
“The wetlands will connect to Delaware Lake through a pump, water control structures and water distribution channels,” the ODNR said last month in a news release.
In his book The Devil’s Element, author Dan Egan explains that phosphorous, the P in NPK fertilizer, while beneficial to crop growth, has also led to harmful algal blooms in places such as Lake Erie that can kill fish. The United States Environmental Protection Agency annually tracks changes to the amounts of phosphorous in Lake Erie, and NASA satellite photos taken last month shows the water’s color changes to green, with suffocating blue-green algae formed by a combination of a hot summer and nitrogen and phosphorous.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife, Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District, Ducks Unlimited and the United States Army Corps of Engineers worked on the project for the H2Ohio, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s initiative to improve the quality of Ohio’s waterways. Launched in 2019, H2Ohio projects tackle algal blooms, pollution, road salt, land conservation, and infrastructure.
“H2Ohio is all about partnership and collaboration to improve our water quality, and this new wetland project is the perfect example of that,” DeWine said in the release. “We want people to enjoy the recreational aspects of Delaware Lake, and we are working hand in hand with our agriculture partners who farm nearby and want the same thing.”
“What makes these H2Ohio projects successful is collaboration with the community,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said in the release. “These water quality improvement projects will make places like Delaware Lake enjoyable for years to come.”
“This conservation project covers all bases,” said Ducks Unlimited Senior Regional Biologist Russ Terry, in the release. “We restored and enhanced 250 acres of wetlands that will provide habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, expanded and improved public recreation opportunity, and positively impacted the water quality in Delaware Lake.”
The ODNR is in its 75th year. For more information, visit ohiodnr.gov or h2.ohio.gov.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak photographs and reports on stories in eastern Delaware County and surrounding areas. He can be reached at 740-413-0906.
