The ottawa county wetland restoration project will create wildlife management access between two refuge properties that are separated by a township road

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 awarded $172,500 to the Ottawa Soil Water Conservation District under the National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements program (CFDA 15.654) through a Cooperative Agreement effective March 1, 2025, with an ultimate completion date of August 31, 2026. The Ottawa County Wetland Restoration Project will establish wildlife management access between two separated refuge properties in Ohio by raising a township road to mitigate flooding issues and installing new culverts to create connectivity between wetland units. This infrastructure improvement project directly supports the program's objectives of enhancing physical and ecological infrastructure within the National Wildlife Refuge System while addressing both habitat management and public access considerations.

The project represents a typical application of the National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements program, which funds conservation, restoration, and management activities across refuge lands. As a county-level conservation district, the Ottawa Soil Water Conservation District brings established environmental expertise and organizational capacity for implementing habitat restoration and infrastructure projects within the Maumee watershed region. The approximately 18-month project timeline aligns with the program's standard cooperative agreement framework, which emphasizes partnerships between the Fish and Wildlife Service and qualified state, local, and nonprofit entities to advance refuge system priorities.

The public road will be raised to alleviate flooding concerns and new culverts installed to connect the wetland units.