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Ottawa River Habitat Restoration Inventory
The Ottawa River is a tributary
of North Maumee Bay at the western end of Lake Erie. While most of the watershed is in Fulton and Lucas Counties, Ohio, both headwater streams and the mouth of the Ottawa River
are in Monroe County, Michigan. The Ottawa River is formed in Sylvania Ohio where its two main branches, Tenmile Creek and North Tenmile
Creek, join.
The Ottawa River’s water quality has been severely impaired over the
years from many sources. Through the Maumee
RAP governmental agencies, businesses, and the public have worked
to improve its water quality, The Ottawa River’s highest-profile
environmental issue is stream sediment contaminated by PCBs, PAHs, and
metals. Under other projects, the Maumee RAP,
TMACOG, and many stakeholders are developing solutions to contaminated
sediments.
The lower portion of the Ottawa River, in Toledo and Washington Township, is a low-gradient stream with historical marshy areas along
its banks. Under certain weather conditions called the seiche,
Lake Erie water can flow six or seven miles upstream into the river.
Parts of lower river have been channelized or relocated over the years.
Many of the former wetlands along the river have been filled. TMACOG
has worked with the University of Toledo to develop a Wetland
Inventory for Lucas County. This reference is provided to aid consultants
in preparing proposals: please see the disclaimer.
Beyond
removal of pollutants, the ecological restoration of the Ottawa River will depend on restoration
of environmental habitat and riparian wetlands. The first step is to
identify areas along the river that have good habitat restoration potential.
With funding from the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, TMACOG is commissioning a study to help answer
this question.
Mannik-Smith
Group and the Project Management Team have completed a preliminary survey
identifying ten Areas of Interest along the river which may have restoration
potential as wetlands or riparian habitat. These ten areas have been
evaluated, with approval of property owners, and four sites were selected
for more detailed study. Conceptual habitat restoration plans have been
developed for these sites. To download the full project report, please
click on this link:
Ottawa River Habitat Restoration Inventory – final report
March 2008 (large file)
Contact
Kurt Erichsen, P.E.
Vice President of Environmental Planning
419-241-9155 extension 126
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Toledo
Metropolitan Area Council of Governments