If nature cooperates, Oberlin's new wetland will open in September

OBERLIN — A new wetland habitat and park, shaped from the basin of a former reservoir on Morgan Street, is on schedule to open to the public in mid-September. Two city reservoirs existed side-by-side next to Oberlin College's Arboretum for decades. When the Ohio Department of Natural Resources demanded about $1 million in repairs there in 2019, Oberlin officials went with a different plan. They hired Big Trees Inc. of Valley City to instead drain the western reservoir. The company has spent nearly a year moving earth. "It's a big change, and I'm hopeful people will be pleasantly surprised," said Oberlin Public Works Director Jeff Baumann. The job has taken longer than expected, mostly due to draining the basin, which delayed planting and seeding. Big Trees' subcontractor, Schirmer Construction, has been delayed "by larger economic forces including materials and labor shortages that have pushed them behind schedule," Baumann said. Now a boardwalk and observation deck have been completed, along with stairs on either side of the wetland spillway and handrails for stone stairs on the southwest corner of the project. Those stairs will be refurbished to connect to the college's arboretum, which features trails, bridges and towering trees. Big Trees is finishing grading now at the wetland, planting more trees and shrubs and will soon complete construction of a trail that loops around the water, Baumann said. Water is being returned via rainfall and pumping. As it rises again, Big Trees will place "plugs" — 360 starter plants such as dark green bulrush, soft rush, broadleaf arrowhead and great blue lobelia. The wetland will also be seeded with a mix of 20 native plant species. As work finishes, Big Trees will remove access drives it used for construction and build a circular gathering area with pavers. That work will ideally happen before the end of the month, Baumann said. Final seeding and site cleanup is slated for the first two weeks of September. "I'm excited for the public to see it and enjoy it," he said. "That landscape has been changed dramatically, and only a handful of (workers) have seen it." Oberlin Recreation Superintendent Ian Yarber is eager for the property to open as a park. "We do know a lot of people miss being able to walk around the reservoir. The wetlands add a whole other educational dimension," he said. The plan is to eventually place informational signs to teach visitors about the ecosystem and the native plants, birds, insects, fish and frogs that make a home there. The city's Recreation Commission has talked about possibilities for the long-term development of the park. Yarber said there are a lot of ideas: remodeling the fire-damaged waterworks building as a nature center, building restrooms, adding a "nature play" playground. Some residents also want docks there to accommodate canoeing, kayaking and rowing, he said. Those options are expensive. Yarber said it's unlikely any will come to fruition for at least three years. In the shorter term, he expects dog-walking, hiking, fishing and small weddings to make a comeback on Morgan Street. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.