Watershed coalition hears about Sandusky River trends

As the Sandusky River flows north to Sandusky Bay and drains water from Seneca, Sandusky, Crawford and portions of other counties into Lake Erie, a few trends have been noted over the past 46 years. "The Sandusky River is a fairly big input into Lake Erie," said Laura Johnson, director of Heidelberg University's National Center for Water Quality Research, during a presentation Tuesday to members of the Sandusky River Watershed Coalition. "Over the past 46 years, we have found divergent trends, depending on what water quality parameter you are examining," she said. She said suspended sediments — which make the water look muddy — decreased in the 1980s and 1900s. Also, she said dissolved phosphorus — the nutrient that plays a major part in harmful algal blooms — increased in the late 1990s, while nitrates and nitrogen decreased in the early 2000s. Johnson said levels of dissolved phosphorus consistently increase during storm events with heavy rains, but only sporadically increase after fall fertilizer application. On the other hand, she said nitrate-nitrogen levels tend to exceed drinking water limits each June after fertilizer application, especially if an untimely rain washes extra nitrogen from the corn fields where it's needed into streams. Johnson said the Sandusky River exhibits similar trends and loads as other western Lake Erie tributaries where agriculture is the main land use. In the Sandusky, she said clay soils often drain poorly by themselves and depend on systems of drainage tile to help remove water. "We have remnants of the old, ancient version of Lake Erie," she said. "As the water receded, it left behind a bunch of clay." However, results are different on the River Raisin in southern Michigan where there is less agriculture and on the Cuyahoga River near Cleveland where there is even less agriculture. Those are both locations where the center has expanded the water sampling program undertaken by the late David Baker when he founded the water quality lab 46 years ago. In addition to three locations on the Sandusky, she said the program samples water three times every day, 365 days a year, on the Maumee River, Grand Lake St. Marys, the Ohio River and other locations. "We don't care if it's raining or snowing," she said. Actually, she said it's important to collect data during rain to determine the amount of change from day-to-day levels. Along with total and dissolved phosphorus and forms of nitrogen, which are both nutrients essential to life, Johnson said the lab tests for total suspended solids, which are caused by erosion. Also, she said the lab tests for other substances such as chlorides, which might measure, for example, the amount of road salt getting into the water, as well as sulfates and dissolved silica. As scientists learn more about the need for filtering water before it reaches Lake Erie, they have noted a need for replacing the wetlands that were formerly a major part of the northwest Ohio landscape. Underway now are several H2Ohio wetland restoration projects designed to filter nutrients from the water before it reaches the lake, and the water quality lab will be regularly monitoring several of them. Johnson said the latest count on the number of wetland projects underway in Ohio is 83. "A lot of these wetlands are being constructed in the western Lake Erie basin," she said. "A lot of them are around Sandusky Bay. Some projects also are underway in other parts of the state, and she said more wetlands will be added throughout Ohio. The Heidelberg lab is monitoring three of the wetlands — Fruth Wetland Nature Preserve on SR 18 in Seneca County, Redhorse Bend in Sandusky County and Sandusky River Headwaters in Crawford County. She said lab technicians will be adding more regular monitoring as more wetlands are completed. Jakob Beohler, SRWC coordinator, said the watershed coalition is planning its 2022 Sandusky River Tour in Crawford County 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 30. Along with visits to farms and Crawford Park District's Lowe-Volk Nature Center, he said the Sandusky River Headwaters wetland will be on the tour. Registration should be on the website by next week at sanduskyriver.org. Another project the coalition in sponsoring in partnership with Seneca Parks and Tiffin Parks is removal of invasive species at Schekelhoff and Clinton nature preserves along the river. They're working 1-2:30 p.m. every Thursday through April. On April 14, they plan to work 5-6:30 p.m. as well. Volunteers are removing invasive honeysuckle and privet to allow the riparian area to go back to native plant species. Anyone is welcome to assist. Supplies, including pruners and loppers, are provided, but volunteers are welcome to provide their own. Gloves are encouraged, and volunteers should park at the Schekelhoff Park entrance, 1018 N. Water St.