Wetland Wonders to showcase 62-acre restored wetland

To some, they may look like a murky, creepy swamp. But those in the know recognize the wetlands perform vital roles in protecting our water quality and proving habitat for wildlife.

Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will be hosting a Conservation Chat: Wetland Wonders on May 26 at 10 a.m. to share the good news about wetlands with community members and talk about cost-share opportunities for developing your own wetland projects in the county.

“Wetlands serve many important roles for the health of our watersheds, from filtering pollutants out of our waters to reducing flood risk to providing habitat for wildlife,” said Jane Houin, Ashland SWCD director. “In fact, wetlands are often referred to as ‘nature’s kidneys’ because of their incredible ability to filter impurities and nutrients from the water.”

The Conservation Chat will take place at the intersection of County Roads 175 and 1950, where Jeromesville resident Mike Hlavaty restored 62 acres of wetlands on his farm  adjacent to the Jerome Fork of the Mohican River in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) in 2020.

Located adjacent to the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s (ODNR’s) 1,536-acre Funk Bottoms Wildlife Landing as well as Ashland County Park District’s Hopkins Landing Park, restoration of this wetland provided tremendous connectivity between habitats in this area.

“This wetland property is a great natural resource for our area, providing habitat for season migratory birds and waterfowl,” said Houin. “The project also includes water control structures that help manage water levels and really helps improve the quality of the water in our watershed by filtering excess nutrients and sediment as well as providing flood protection.”

Not long after the wetland was installed, Hlavaty worked with Ashland SWCD to remove a logjam adjacent to the wetland through MWCD’s Debris Removal program as well. In many cases, the program can provide 100 percent cost share for log jam and debris removal within the MWCD’s jurisdictional boundaries.

“We’re really excited to be able to bring in experts from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Corps of Engineers to really talk though the benefits and the process of wetland restoration and development,” Houin said. “Plus, this site is a great opportunity to showcase not only a successful wetland project but also one of our logjam removal projects.”

The Conservation Chat: Wetland Wonders will take place May 26 at 10 a.m. at the intersection of County Roads 175 and 1950 near Jeromesville. RSVPs are recommended, but not required, and can be made by contacting Katie Eikleberry at Ashland SWCD at 419-281-7645.