Clean water keeps ecosystem afloat
MILLERSPORT – What used to be a large parking lot in a Fairfield County park has been reclaimed as wetlands, serving dually as a natural water filter and ecosystem near Buckeye Lake.
Marking the newly remade Brooks Park, a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Brooks Park Wetland Creation and Water Quality Initiative on Murphy’s Run was held Thursday afternoon, with representatives from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, H2ohio and local elected officials attending.
The first water quality initiative project in Central Ohio to be funded by H2ohiothe Odnr-project is meant to help reduce the amount of sediment and nutrient-rich farm runoff running into Buckeye Lake.
ODNR Director Mary Mertz explained H2ohio’s purpose is to help improve water quality across the state. Its focus has mostly been in the northeast part of Ohio, near Lake Erie.
“When it comes to water quality, the Ohio (Environmental Protection Agency) helps deal with man-made infrastructure, the Ohio Department of Agricultural works with producers to establish better practices, and ODNR helps promote and create natural infrastructure,” she said. “We look for natural ways to help filter water and take advantage of them. They come with added benefits, like wildlife habitation and improved recreation spaces.”
She added Buckeye Lake is one of the most important properties in the state, and the Brooks Park improvements are a “great first step” for better water.
The old parking lot was reduced, and the canal was expanded. The east wetlands serve as the main route for water running off the nearby farmland, with western wetlands serving as additional space in case of overflowing water. A small boardwalk was also installed, allowing visitors to look into the eastern wetlands.
Conner Smith, an ecological restoration project manager with Hull and Associates, Inc., said the mouth of the canal was turned into a deep pool habitat, which allows space for sediment to settle, instead of going to the lake.
“Before, the canal ran directly to the lake. We turned it into a stream, and planted native vegetation, which will help filter out sediment and nutrients. And in times of low flow, we installed a solar-powered pump that will take water from the east to west wetlands so they don’t dry up,” he said. “And using natural elements instead of mechanical kept costs down for a sustainable, mostly autonomous park. Over the years, wetlands have been removed from the area, and this project allowed us to bring them back, and give them a purpose.”
“It’s great feeling to see this project come to fruition, from site design to this ribbon cutting today. It’s great for everyone.”
Fairfield County Commissioner Dave Levacy and Buckeye Lake Village Councilwoman Kitty Zwissler said the project “exceeded expectations.”
“We’re always looking for state and federal money to help improve the lake area. We’re grateful for Gov. Dewine’s foresight on long-lasting and sustainable water quality improvement projects,” Zwissler said.
Levacy agreed, adding the park looked tremendous.
“As a member of Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow, we’ve had testing done to find the biggest sources of sediment and farming runoff, namely phosphorous, in the lake. Brooks Park was one, and the second was Honey Creek, in Thorn Township,” Levacy said. “When this project was first announced, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is amazing.”
“It’s a huge change. The land was under utilized before. It was rare to see more than four cars here, so even by removing the huge parking lot, it doesn’t feel like anything was lost. Now people will have a reason to come to Brooks Park.”
He added the completed park served as a good model for other water projects. There is new development proposed at Honey Creek, and Levacy said Brooks Park’s example could be followed by a private company.
Glen Cobb, the chief of the Division of Parks and Watercraft for ODNR, said the park is a great way to help give the people what they want.
“When people visit state parks, they’re coming back to nature. A majority of our visitors live in cities, so we want them visiting. Kayaking and sailing have been trending recently, and we want clean, safe water for those boaters,” Cobb said. “We’ve dredged lakes, especially Buckeye Lake, for a number of years, but filtering the water that comes to the lake is another great way to come at the problem.”