As a part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has broken ground on the Tipp City Off-Channel Wetland project in Troy.

 

“With every wetland, we are improving water quality for Ohioans,” said Governor Mike DeWine.  “We’ve taken an aggressive approach with our H2Ohio initiative because it’s the right thing to do for public health and clean water, and it’s also the right thing to do for Ohio’s economy.”

This 18.3-acre project is located where the Great Miami River meets Honey Creek in Tipp City.  The area includes wetlands and a 9.5-acre basin which will act as a natural filtration system for pollutants. Off-channel wetlands like this provide nutrient-reduction benefits to the nearby river as well as slowing the flow of water during heavy rains or flooding. Additionally, this project will restore habitat.

“This wetland, and the dozens of other projects underway, are really transforming the landscape and providing long-term solutions to Ohio’s water quality problems,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said.  “The research shows wetlands work, and we are putting that science to use to help the people of Ohio.”

Once complete, the Tipp City Off-Channel Wetland project is expected to cost $254,000. With the help of the City of Tipp City and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the project is expected to be finished in December 2021.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proud to partner with the Ohio DNR and others in creating new wetland habitat along the Great Miami River as part of the H2Ohio initiative,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great Lakes Regional Director Charlie Wooley. “Wetlands are vital ecosystems for fish and wildlife and provide important water quality benefits for all of us.”

While in Miami County, Director Mertz, the H2Ohio team, and partners from the Miami County Park District also held a ceremonial ribbon cutting at another H2Ohio wetland, the Springcreek Confluence Off-Channel Wetlands.  The 14-acre restored wetland will filter floodwaters before they can flow into the Great Miami River and improve habitat for local wildlife.

 

Other H2Ohio wetland projects currently underway or completed include the Brooks Park Wetland Creation and Water Quality Initiative at Buckeye Lake in Fairfield County, the Burntwood – Langenkamp wetland in Mercer County, the Oakwoods Nature Preserve East and Oakwoods Nature Preserve West in Hancock County, the Forder Bridge Floodplain Reconnection in Paulding County, the Van Order Wetland and Forest Restoration in Henry County, the wetland area east of the Andreoff Wildlife Area in Wyandot County, and Sandusky Headwaters Preserve in Crawford County, the Fruth Outdoor Center Wetland Restoration project in Seneca County, and the Redhorse Bend Wetland Restoration in Sandusky County.

H2Ohio is Governor DeWine’s initiative to ensure safe and clean water in Ohio. It is a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving water quality over the long term. H2Ohio focuses on encouraging agricultural best management practices, restoring wetlands, and replacing home septic systems to reduce nutrients that contribute to harmful algal blooms. For more information on the H2Ohio initiative, please visit h2.ohio.gov.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.

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