Reservoir-to-wetland project to start this fall in Oberlin

OBERLIN — The transformation of an old reservoir into a wetland preserve will begin this fall on Morgan Street. Plans for the back-to-nature project are about 60 percent complete, landscape architect Ryan Bentley of Environmental Design Group told Oberlin City Council in a special session Monday. "We know that this is a beloved site, and that there are people who walk it every day," he said. "It's a beautiful walking trail." The side-by-side reservoirs on the southwest side of town near the Oberlin Arboretum once provided drinking water to residents. Those days are decades gone, but now the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has demanded maintenance that could cost in the $1 million range. To sidestep the issue, City Council has authorized a project that will lower the water level and embankments so the site is no longer considered a controlled dam. When work is complete — which Bentley anticipates will happen before the end of 2021 — the ODNR will no longer have any say over how the city maintains the site. At the larger and easternmost of the two reservoirs, Environmental Design Group has mapped out plans to strategically remove 13 trees, install a drainage outlet that will run to Plum Creek and lower the water level by about 18 inches. Gravel will be added to the existing trail that loops the water, and two overlooks with benches will be created. To the west, the smaller reservoir will be converted to wetland with trees and flowers. A seed mix will be spread that includes swamp milkweed, several types of sedge, woolgrass, bulrushes, prairie cord grass, Ohio spiderwort and many other native species. A portion of the north embankment will be removed to create a manicured lawn, and to allow pathways to be connected. A new walking trail has been proposed with a short boardwalk and deck, and observation areas on the north and south sides of the water. A spillway will be developed on the south end to handle water in the event of a major storm. If a major storm happens, it will allow water to escape into a ditch and then to Plum Creek. Bentley said in recent months his firm has grown to better understand the area's hydrogeology, which includes a high water table. There's sufficient water in the area to maintain the wetland from precipitation and runoff, he said. Residents who live close to the old reservoirs posed questions about the new grade around the water, the vegetation that will remain there and the possibility of erosion. Several questioned the inclusion of the lawn area, and said the wetland should instead be allowed to be wild. "There's plenty of places to go and have a picnic," said Diana Steele, a professional naturalist. "There's not a lot of places for wildlife to go, and for you to observe wildlife." Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.