Hocking+River+Stream+Restoration+and+Wetland


 * =Birding in Ohio=

Fairfield County
=Hocking River Stream Restoration and Wetland= Lancaster, Ohio 43130 Hocking River Stream Restoration and Wetland webpage Hocking River Stream Restoration and Wetland map

media type="custom" key="29506307"

Hocking River Stream Restoration and Wetland
Coordinates: 39.7291385, -82.6252717 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Hocking River Stream Restoration and Wetland
​It started as a hole in the ground. In 1986, Glimcher Realty began development of the River Valley Mall complex. Fill material to elevate the site above the floodplain was excavated from this area and a wetland was born. Initially, the area was designed as a flood storage basin and detention pond to replace the floodplain area. But over the years the pond silted in and maintenance was neglected. Cattails abounded and drainage was impacted. The Hocking River in the area was also suffering from lack of habitat and sedimentation due to erosion.

In 1999 a group of community leaders saw the potential for an urban wetland education and conservation center on the site. Their vision was to create a wetland to benefit wildlife and a natural area for the community to enjoy. A conceptual drawing for the site included boardwalks and trails, nesting areas, education areas, and plantings. Unfortunately, funding for the project could not be identified and the basin continued to deteriorate.

Finally, in 2008 the site was donated by River Valley Associates to the City. Things began to look up when the City received a $362,077 grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2010 to perform stream and wetlands restoration. Four thousand feet of stream bank was regraded and replanted, and 25 acres of wetlands were restored. Construction was completed in 2011. The site is protected by a conservation easement that guarantees the area as a natural area in the future.

The next phase of the vision began in 2011 when Ducks Unlimited installed nesting boxes and egg tubes to encourage wild fowl. Construction of a multi-use path and a bridge connecting the Lancaster Bike Trail has made the wetlands accessible to the public for their enjoyment. From Hocking River Stream Restoration and Wetland webpage



|| media type="custom" key="27734793"

media type="custom" key="29203679"

|| L3820341 US US-OH US-OH-045 39.7291385 -82.6252717 Hocking River Stream Restoration and Wetland