Board keeping promise to create wetlands
The old farm field across from Prairie Oaks Metro Park in West Jefferson doesn’t look like much.
The soil is dry and cracked, and the only growth on the 270-acre plot is prairie weeds.
But it won’t be long before the area is restored to its former glory — a natural wetland.
In May, the Metro Parks board voted to make good on a levy promise made nearly a decade ago of restoring 1,000 acres of wetlands in its park system.
Voters passed the 10-year, 0.75-mill property tax in 2009 after Metro Parks leaders also promised to build new parks and construct 50 miles of new trails.
One of its largest commitments, said Executive Director Tim Moloney, was to restore wetlands to improve water quality.
“We have many passions,” Moloney said, “but
protecting groundwater is a top priority.”
The newest plan is to restore a wetland habitat within the 150-year-old farm field. The agency is hiring Groveport-based Environmental Remediation Contractor for the job.
The first step in restoring a wetland is studying the soil. Andrew Boose, an aquatic ecologist with the project, said surveyors look for how well the soil is able to hold water.
If the soil checks out, a topographic survey of the land is taken to map the highs and lows in its geography.
Contractors then create potholes in the ground to hold rainwater. Because the soil is designed to hold water, these potholes eventually fill on their own with enough rain.
Boose said a common problem in restoring former farm fields to wetlands is removing drain tiles — underground pipes originally placed to drain excess water from overly saturated farm fields.
These tiles, sometimes 15 feet below ground, have to be dug up, plugged or rerouted so the water will stay in the wetland.
Boose said in addition to protecting and filtering groundwater, restoring wetlands brings wildlife back to the area.
“When we rebuild (wetlands), we bring in habitats for animals,” Boose said, “some that haven’t been around for 100 to 150 years.”
Other wetlands projects include restoring more than 600 acres of wetlands at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park in western Franklin County.
Considered a signature piece of the restoration project, Battelle Darby Creek has seen a number of native and rare birds return to the area, making it a prime location for bird watchers.
All 19 Metro Parks have some acres of wetlands. Even one of the smallest parks — Scioto Audubon — has had some of its wetlands redeveloped, something that Moloney said is impressive considering the size.
“Even in our 170-acre Scioto Audubon Park, we’ve done work in the 20- to 30-acre range,” Moloney said. “That might not seem like a lot, but that’s a quarter of the park under some wetland restoration.”
The Prairie Oaks project has a price tag of $320,958 and is set to begin this fall. It should be completed by year’s end, Moloney said.
Before early settlers began developing what is now Ohio for agriculture, much of the area was covered in wetlands. Since the 1800s, however, Ohio has lost 90 percent of its wetlands to development, said Bill Stanley, director of conservation at the Nature Conservancy in Ohio.
Stanley describes wetlands as “nature’s multi-taskers,” providing habitat and refuge for wildlife while cleaning water and protecting streams from flooding. “Wetlands provide a lot of different value for both animals and humans,” he said.
Stanley said suburban and rural development has cost a lot in terms of wetlands loss.
Although people might lose sight of why wetlands are so crucial to the environment, Moloney said that restoring them is important for wildlife and humans alike.
“Wetlands restoration is broad-reaching,” Moloney said. “It’s something that impacts all of our parks and central Ohio communities.”