Sugarcamp Blanchard Habitat Restoration

The first H2Ohio project to be implemented in private lands, the restoration of wetlands and forest along the Blanchard River begins to reverse decades of erosion and degradation caused by previous agricultural land use.

The owners of land along the Blanchard River that had been used for agriculture for decades sought to address erosion and ecological degradation by restoring wetlands and riparian forests on the property. With funding from H2Ohio, and design-build services led by Biohabitats, they were able to implement the restoration and create a permanent conservation easement on the property for long-term protection.

Biohabitats began by assessing and analyzing the site’s ecology, including its soils, vegetation, and hydrology. Researchers from the Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network used ground penetrating radar to help local drain tiles that were daylighted as part of the design.

Biohabitats’ design approach emphasized nutrient assimilation, sediment retention and establishment of a diverse native plant community and wetland habitat. Daylighted tile drains now empty into a 1-acre emergent wetland where nutrients can be processed before entering into the Blanchard River. The final design restored 8 acres of an integrated wetland-forest complex. The restoration was the first H2Ohio-funded project to be implemented on private land.