Howard Marsh Metropark Restoration

Project Location

Metroparks Toledo, with Ducks Unlimited, NOAA, and other partners, restored 987 acres of former farmland near Lake Erie into wetlands and uplands. Completed in two phases, the project includes fish passages, water control structures, and public amenities like boardwalks and fishing platforms. Phase I (732 acres) and Phase II (235 acres) reconnects the land to Lake Erie, enhancing wildlife habitat, water quality, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Project Benefits

• Important flyway for migratory birds and essential stopover habitat.
• ~1000 acres of marsh, open water, and upland habitat in the coastal plains region of Lake Erie.
• Several miles of trails (walking and kayaking) for recreation.
• Direct connection to Lake Erie with fish passage structure.
• Essential habitat for Ohio endangered species such as common tern.

Project Objectives

• Restore 987 acres to coastal wetlands and uplands (forest and native grass).
• Access into restored wetlands for fish and other aquatic organisms
• Restore approximately 2.5 linear miles of the former Cedar Creek channel.
• Establish a direct hydrologic connection between the restored project site and Lake Erie.
• Provide public recreational amenities such as boardwalks and fishing platforms.

Management Practices

• Water level management to maximize wetland plant establishment and wildlife usage and prevent dike erosion
• Muskrat management to maintain the integrity of the dike structures and vegetation density.
• Removal of all woody species, whether native or invasive, from dikes.
• Natural establishment of vegetation on non-forested islands.
• Relying on canopy closure became the primary management goal to address the thistle on islands.
• Seasonal mowing.
• Invasive species removal.