COLUMBUS — As part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was joined by the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks to celebrate the completion of the Walnut Creek Treatment Wetland Restoration — the first H2Ohio project in Franklin County.
This restoration project was completed through the first round of the Ohio River Basin H2Ohio Wetland Grant Program.
Now that it’s complete, the string of wetlands will filter nutrients from the water before it flows into Walnut Creek. The project also includes a line of vegetation that provides habitat for various amphibian, insect and aquatic species.
This wetland treatment system is viewable from a new walking trail that connects visitors to Walnut Woods Metro Park. Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks also restored a small stream, associated floodplain and upland habitat on 55 acres outside of the H2Ohio project site. The total cost of this project was $1 million.
DeWine created H2Ohio 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 the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 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initiative focuses on encouraging agricultural best management practices, restoring and enhancing wetlands, upgrading outdated water infrastructure and replacing lead pipes. For more information on the H2Ohio initiative, visit h2.ohio.gov.
