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Working Wetlands Infographic

Working Wetlands Infographic

Wetlands provide many important services, including fish and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and improved water quality. Coastal wetlands along the Ohio coast of Lake Erie have declined by about 90% compared to historical levels. Wetland restoration and enhancement has been identified by managers and policy makers as a way to help improve Lake Erie ’s water quality and reduce the occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms. In collaboration with several regional partners, Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) conducted a study aimed at understanding different wetlands' long-term capacity for removing phosphorus.

About this resource

Along with their partners, Old Woman Creek NERR developed this infographic to illustrate the ability for wetlands to reduce phosphorus loading to Lake Erie, in the context of wetland loss and increased phosphorus loading to the lake. The infographic also describes how wetlands have a limit to their long-term capacity to retain phosphorus and how the researchers used data from different Ohio wetlands to estimate long-term wetland retention capacities. Wetland managers can use the approach and a monitoring protocol developed to evaluate their wetland ’s long-term retention capacity and identify any changes in capacity as the wetland ages. Other stakeholders in the Lake Erie watershed can use this resource to learn how different wetlands influence water quality and what next steps are necessary to better understand how wetland characteristics and activities might impact this influence.

Questions about the infographic can be directed to:

Emily Kuzmick, Coastal Training Coordinator, Old Woman Creek NERR, Emily.Kuzmick@dnr.state.oh.us
Kristi Arend, Wetland Ecologist, kristin.arend@gmail.com
Breann Hohman, Firelands Tributary Watershed Coordinator, Erie Soil and Water Conservation District, BHohman@eriecounty.oh.gov