H2Ohio Grand River Casement Preserve Wetland Restoration

The restoration transforms 67 acres of a state-designated Wild and Scenic River floodplain into complex wetland habitat, improving biodiversity and water quality in the urbanized lower Grand River watershed.

The Grand River Casement Preserve is a 67-acre former golf course that lies along 3,900 linear feet of the Grand River and includes extensive floodplain and steep shale gorges with mature forest characteristic of the Grand River Gorge. Located in a designated Critical Area, development pressure and land use caused substantially worse water quality metrics than upstream along the Grand River. The site drains 97.2% of the entire Grand River watershed only six river miles upstream of the Grand River’s confluence with Lake Erie. Restoration and permanent conservation of the property will improve water quality in both and is aligned with regional efforts to protect and restore two of the most quintessential elements of Ohio’s unique natural heritage.

Biohabitats’ approach built upon West Creek Conservancy’s vision and the restoration goals of ODNR’s Division of Wildlife and the H2Ohio program. The design-build project restored this recovering golf course back to an ecologically functional matrix of wetland habitats by re-establishing native vegetative communities. The reduction of nutrients and sediment that are naturally filtered through the revegetated floodplain will improve water quality and enhance habitat for local wildlife. Extensive native seeding, plug and tree planting, and invasive species treatment to support succession of native riparian and upland habitat drastically improved the biodiversity and ecological resilience of the landscape.

TAGS

• Conservation
• Ecological Restoration