Killbuck Watershed Land Trust receives $1.17 million grant for Crane Swamp restoration
Killbuck Watershed Land Trust received $1.17 million in funding for wetland restoration at Crane Swamp in Killbuck.
The grant was awarded under the competitive H2Ohio Statewide Wetland Grant Program.
"We're super excited to get this grant," Land Trust Executive Director Tate Emerson said. "We do have bigger plans to rehabilitate the property as wetlands we acquired earlier last year through a CleanOhio grant that adjoins Crane Swamp. We're hoping this is just the first phase of that project."
Crane Swamp is part of the larger Killbuck Swamp Preserve, a protected 443 acres of swamp, marsh and woodland located on both sides of state Route 60 south of Killbuck below US Route 62.
The land trust began acquiring the land in partnership with Arc of Appalachia in 2021.
Planned improvements for Crane Swamp
Emerson said the restoration of Crane Swamp, which covers about 150 acres, will include construction of several wetland pools to drown out the highly invasive Reed Canary Grass. Additionally, culverts will be placed along the former railroad bed to allow floodwater to spread across the entire floodplain, enhancing riparian wetlands.
"We hope to reconnect the Killbuck Creek with the floodplain," Emerson said. "There's a little bit of a bank at the northern part of the property that we're going to remove a little bit, so when the creek gets high, it'll flood into Crane Swamp,"
And where possible, drainage ditches will be modified and tiling disrupted to reduce flooding and erosion downstream by allowing water to be stored and then slowly released.
KWLT President and resident naturalist Randy Carmel shared his enthusiasm for the project.
“The combination of these enhancements will reduce sediment, nutrient and bacterial load in Killbuck Creek, improving its water quality,” Carmel said. “That leads to improved wildlife populations, particularly those dependent on shallow water and seasonally flooded wetlands.”
Along with improving water quality and wildlife populations, the restoration work will bring the added benefit of enhancing outdoor recreation possibilities.
Plans are in the works to construct trails with observation areas at Crane Swamp, as well as a creek access point at Turtle Pond for kayakers and canoers to explore Killbuck Swamp Preserve. The restoration project will occur over the next two years, with the wetland preserve opening to the public in late 2025.
About the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust
Founded in 2001 in response to rapid residential and commercial development, the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust (KWLT) is a private, nonprofit conservation organization for local landowners wanting to protect and preserve their land − whether that land is agricultural, woodlots, wetlands or land with unique historical or ecological features.
To date the organization is overseeing conservation easements protecting more than 10,000 acres of farmland and wildlife preserves throughout Wayne, Holmes, Richland, Ashland, Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties.
About the H2Ohio Program
Launched in 2019 by Gov Mike DeWine, the H2Ohio Program provides funding for natural-infrastructure projects focused on nutrient reduction and water quality improvement across the state of Ohio. Natural wetland creation has been shown to be a low-cost alternative for enhancing water quality.
“Our water is such an incredibly valuable resource, and building and restoring wetlands brings us closer to having cleaner water throughout the state,” said DeWine in a release.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Killbuck Watershed Land Trust receives grant for wetland restoration
