Causeway wetlands plan seeks funding; staff weigh flow-through design versus enclosed wetlands

City staff updated the commission on the Causeway Wetlands effort and said the project currently has about $600,000 under contract but needs additional funding to implement the final configuration.

Staff said the total project cost is estimated between $2.5 million and $3.0 million; the city is seeking federal funds and coordinating with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio EPA. If the city secures the additional funds, the preferred design would reconfigure the northern cell with a flow-through channel from the northwest corner through the cell to a southern overflow weir, which would create continuous flow and allow nonmotorized boating or paddling through portions of the wetlands.

If additional funding is not secured, staff said the city may pursue a less expensive option that would create wet-dry habitat (mudflats and native plantings) that benefits shorebirds, amphibians and other wildlife but would not allow paddling through the interior. “If we fail to find those funds, then we will go to, obviously, more economical route,” a staff member said, adding that the alternative would not be “all cottonwood forest” and would include native plantings.

Staff also reported that earlier seeding efforts produced cottonwood growth and that the plan includes removing some of those trees so future plantings will establish correctly. No formal decisions were made; staff continue to seek grant funding and will return with funding and design recommendations.