Wetland project underway in Putnam County

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced in a Wednesday press release that it has started work on a new wetland project in Putnam County. The Sugarcamp 7 Blanchard Habitat Project broke ground in early March. This project, and another that recently broke ground in Williams County, "are two of more than 80 underway or already complete in Ohio thanks to the work of ODNR and our local partners," Gov. Mike DeWine said in a press release. "Wetlands are important because they protect our waterways to help ensure that future generations have access to clean water." The 9-acre Sugarcamp 7 Blanchard Habitat Project will replace frequently flooded farmland along the Blanchard River with restored wetlands and riparian buffers (tree plantings along waterways) that will help reverse erosion from years of agricultural use, the press release states. The project, built on private land with the partnership of property owners the Weiss family, will ultimately slow the flow of any nutrient-filled water, filtering it before it reaches the Maumee River Watershed. "The Sugarcamp wetlands project completes the circle from the Black Swamp to rich evidence of the Ottawa Native American tribe to the legacy of the immigrant farmers from Germany," landowner Kathleen Weiss said in the press release. "The wetland restoration is a memorial to the history of this unique area and a token of consideration for future generations." This project is expected to cost $200,000 and will be completed in the spring. The project was funded through the H2Ohio initiative, which DeWine created in 2019 as a comprehensive, data-driven approach to combatting algal blooms, enhancing water quality and improving water infrastructure over the long term. H2Ohio operates in partnership between ODNR, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. The initiative focuses on encouraging agricultural best management practices, restoring and enhancing wetlands, upgrading outdated water infrastructure and replacing lead pipes.