Old Woman Creek, Ohio

Research

The research program at Old Woman Creek Reserve is directed toward determining the role of estuaries and other wetlands in the Great Lakes ecosystem. A second and equally important responsibility of the program is to develop a database that can be used to evaluate the subtle, long-range changes in the Lake Erie system.

Within the Old Woman Creek watershed, agriculture is the major land use; therefore, much of the research undertaken here has focused on the effectiveness of the estuary in lessening storm runoff from agricultural lands. Recent research has focused on the movement of sediments from farm fields into the creek, and finally into the estuary.

Other research projects are examining the function of the estuary in breaking down organic pollutants, particularly herbicides, before these pollutants move into Lake Erie. The recent marked decline in water levels in Lake Erie has also presented the research community with an opportunity to examine the impact of changing water levels on the coastal wetlands environment.