Whether you prefer to call them wetlands, swamps or bogs, we can’t deny the significance of these ever-shrinking ecological gems. Since the late 18th Century, Ohio has lost nearly 90% of its wetlands, primarily due to development and agricultural practices. As a result, we have lost many of the ecological benefits that we are now trying to restore and recreate. Wetlands benefit our communities by controlling flooding, removing pollutants from the water, and providing valuable habitat for plants and wildlife, as well as for rare and endangered species. Disastrous flooding has occurred in the Midwest where rivers have been restricted and wetlands filled in.

Dr. William Mitsch, Director of the Ohio State University’s 50-acre Olentangy River Wetland Research Park (ORWRP), is head of a unique wetland research and education facility in the urban center of Columbus. This 50-acre site is used to understand 1) how wetlands, rivers, and watersheds function, and 2) if and how we can restore these systems. No other facility of this kind exists on any other campus in the world.

In 2008, the ORWRP was named a Ramsar Wetland of International importance, making it the first and only in Ohio to receive this honor. This international designation recognizes the vital role of wetlands to society and elevates the importance of protecting and maintaining these ecosystems. The designation was instituted by the Convention of Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty “that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise-use of wetlands and their resources.” It is the only global environmental treaty that addresses a specific type of ecosystem.

Dr. Mitsch and the ORWRP recently proposed a vision referred to as the Olentangy/Scioto Ecosystem Corridor (OSEC). The goal is to develop 8.5 miles of the Olentangy/Scioto River “ecological highway” from the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park north of the OSU campus to the Grange Insurance Audubon Center on the southern edge of downtown Columbus. Restoring this 8.5 mile stretch of river would lead to a goal of having this entire section of the river added to the Ramsar designation. The object is to unify river restoration projects as part of a broader effort to connect into an urban “blue and green” corridor. The inclusion of bike paths and water trails will allow wildlife, fish, and humans to move unimpeded along the river.

Many pieces of this vision are already underway. The OSU Wetland Research Park is improving water quality in the Olentangy River, and at the end of this river corridor the Audubon Center is involved in river/floodplain restoration. The City of Columbus is working to improve the sewer system to reduce overflows, and planning a green waterfront park called The Scioto Mile. The Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed also work to improve river health in a variety of ways, and will be establishing a Water Trail on the Olentangy River from Kenney Park near Graceland to the confluence with the Scioto, including portages around dams that remain on the river. While restoration is already happening on many fronts, it will be given inertia and direction by being unified and coordinated as an OSEC project.

The Sierra Club’s work to reduce sewer overflows and stormwater runoff is also an important piece of creating a healthier river. We are encouraging the City of Columbus to remove the Fifth Avenue dam in order to improve water quality within a 2-mile stretch that is currently impaired. The dam is not only a drowning hazard, but it also contributes to poor water quality by creating a stagnant pool that concentrates pollution.
As individuals, we are encouraged to improve water quality and habitat in the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers by avoiding lawn and household chemicals, minimizing or ending lawn watering, installing rain barrels, and disconnecting downspouts into rain gardens.

A Ramsar Designation would give added protection to the corridor. For instance, when Columbia Gas recently decided to put gas lines under the Olentangy Wetlands, they simply went ahead with the project and marked the trees in the area that they were planning to cut. When wetlands personnel noticed the marked trees, they contacted Columbia Gas and found out the plan. Because of the special wetlands designation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service had authority to stop the pipeline.

According to Dr. Mitsch, “A restored and ecologically designated river corridor along the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers in Columbus would be a point of civic pride and an example of sustainable development for the citizens of Columbus. There is no other city in the world that would have such a distinctive riverscape.”

For more information on the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park and the proposed OSEC Corridor, visit http://swamp.osu.edu/news/OSEC.htm.