Toledo, Ohio – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) is excited to announce completion of work to restore the Ottawa River within Jermain Park, including the stabilization of 1,450 linear feet of eroding streambank, enhancement of seven acres of riparian buffer, and the improvement of 2.7 acres of wetlands and in-stream habitat. This work will improve river health by reducing erosion and the amount of sediment entering the river, provide wood and rock habitats to benefit river wildlife, and improve wetlands that can hold and filter water during heavy rain events. Restoration of this site, which is part of the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC), is expected to move the AOC closer to removal from the list of the Great Lakes’ most environmentally degraded areas.

“Not only will the restoration of Jermain Park provide new fish and wildlife habitat and reduce soil erosion, it’s also expected to lead to increased tourism, birding and fishing in the community, as well as improved water quality,” said Mary Mertz, chair of the GLC and director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “The Great Lakes Commission extends our congratulations to our local partners on the restoration at Jermain Park.”

The Maumee AOC has a two-century history of development, contamination, and degradation that led to the impairment of water flowing into Lake Erie and the need for coordinated restoration efforts. Dredging and infrastructure development around Jermain Park, including previous use as an amusement park, damaged fish, and wildlife habitat along the Ottawa River. Still, the park was determined to have significant potential to provide habitat for a variety of critical native Great Lakes species including gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum); bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus); emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides) and golden redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum). Restoration work began in 2021 and has been ongoing since.

This project received a total of $1.28 million of funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through a partnership between the GLC and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A dedicated team provided oversight and support including the GLC, NOAA, city of Toledo, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Geological Survey. The Mannik & Smith Group provided engineering and design for the project and Geddis Paving & Excavation, Inc. implemented construction.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.