The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, City of Toledo, and the Maumee AOC Advisory Committee (MAAC) hosted a public open house on September 20, 2022, at Walbridge Park Picnic Pavilion in Toledo, Ohio. The open house was an opportunity to share draft designs and seek input for plans intended to help improve water quality and aquatic habitat while helping to restore and protect Clark Island and Delaware/Horseshoe Islands. These islands are in the Maumee River near Walbridge Park and are owned by the City of Toledo.
"The open house was very successful," says Verdantas Senior Consultant Jenny Carter-Cornell, APR, one of the main organizers of the event. "The number of people that showed interest in this project was fantastic and we heard a lot of positive feedback on the plans; we estimate that 50-70 members of the public attended this information session." She adds, "This is one of the most exciting projects I've been able to work on."
The team gathered at the end of the successful public information event. Pictured left to right are: George Carlton, Jenny Keffer, Phil Hicks, Conner Smith, Wendy Carr, Joe Capel (Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority), Jenny Carter-Cornell, Jordan Rofkar, Cherie Blair (Ohio EPA), Ariya Fathi, Abbey Calmes
Plans for the H2Ohio-funded activities at and near the islands are focused on nutrient reduction through the settling of sediment and uptake from plants. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-funded planning activities are focused on improving habitat for fish and benthos (small organisms that live on the river bottom). Island habitat in the Maumee River is particularly important for the prosperity of fish and benthos.
Engineering and design activities are being completed under the direction of the collaborating and funding agencies and are led by engineers and scientists at Verdantas, with input from several specialists, including modeling experts at LimnoTech and biologists at the University of Toledo. Plans for the Delaware/Horseshoe Islands advance the preliminary design prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2021-2022. These designs incorporated significant stakeholder input.
To learn more about these exciting projects please email Jenny Carter-Cornell, APR, or call (567) 200-4355.
Additional Information
www.toledoport.org/projects/clark-and-delawarehorseshoe-islands-restoration-projects
