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Construction of the Clark and Delaware/Horseshoe Islands Restoration Project is almost complete!

Mark Haynes Construction is the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s construction contractor leading efforts to restore and protect these City of Toledo-owned islands in the Maumee River near Walbridge Park.

Staging areas were established for each of the two island areas: a gravel lot downstream from the Maumee River Yacht Club for work at the Delaware/Horseshoe Islands and the lower level of the public boat launch parking lot for work at Clark Island. Two temporary construction causeways were installed to connect the shoreline to the island areas to allow construction equipment to access the island improvement areas. They have culverts to allow for water flow and fish passage. The public is not allowed to use the causeways for any purpose. The causeways are anticipated to be fully removed by summer 2025.

All construction is currently scheduled for completion in fall 2025.   The causeway to Delaware/Horseshoe Island has been removed so boater access to the deeper channel between Clark and Delaware/Horseshoe Islands is restored in this area. The causeway to Clark Island is is planned to be partially removed by the end of June and boaters using the public launch prior to this will need to follow an alternate path based on appropriate navigation charts (see the Notice to Boaters sign at the top of this page and at the public launch for the approximate alternate route).

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is leading this effort in partnership with the City of Toledo, with significant input from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), and with support from the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC) Advisory Committee (MAAC).

The Port Authority received funding from the H2Ohio program and US EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to complete this construction and the previous engineering, design, and permit preparation activities. While both projects offer nutrient reduction and habitat improvements, plans for H2Ohio-funded activities focused primarily on nutrient reduction through sediment settlement and plant uptake and GLRI-funded planning activities focused primarily on improving habitat for fish and benthos (small organisms that live on the river bottom).

The engineering, design, and construction planning activities were finalized in June 2023 and reflect significant stakeholder input gathered through discussions with more than 100 individuals during small meetings and public open house sessions. Plans were completed under the direction of the collaborating agencies and were led by engineers and scientists at Verdantas (formerly Hull & Associates, LLC), with input from several specialists, including modeling experts at LimnoTech and biologists at the University of Toledo.

Details of Project Plans

The H2Ohio-funded project footprint includes the downstream portion of Delaware/Horseshoe Island and the entirety of Clark Island. This project restored 40% of the 1940s Clark Island footprint at 10.8 acres. The portion of the Delaware/Horseshoe Islands restoration within this H2Ohio footprint is 2.8 acres.

H2Ohio project features include:

• Wetland Area

• Open Backwater Area

• Island Revetment

• Inner Channel Reef

• Breakwater/Backwater Islands

The restoration includes protecting and enhancing existing islands and restoring portions of the island footprints to provide significant nutrient reduction and water quality benefits while restoring important fish and wildlife habitat within the Maumee River. A portion of the original island footprint was restored and a rock revetment and inner channel reef were installed to protect the improved area from river flows, boat wakes, and ice scour. An interior, protected open water area was created to establish ideal conditions for sediment deposition. Small islands and stone and wood structures were installed in that area to provide important habitat in this system while slowing down water flows and promoting sediment settlement.

The GLRI-funded project, recommended through the MAAC, includes Delaware/Horseshoe Island. This project involves an approximately 50-acre improvement area with approximately 12 acres of regraded and enhanced wetlands and 33 acres where phragmites were removed/managed.

GLRI-MAAC project features include:

• Wetland Area

• Rock Barrier Reef/Eastern Island Revetment/Vegetated Stone Sill

• Cove Improvements

• Open Water Improvements/Enhancements

• Invasive Species Management

More specifically, this project restored a portion of the original island footprint and improved habitat for fish and benthos, as well as enhanced upland wildlife habitat. An installed rock barrier reef/eastern island revetment/vegetated stone sill creates calm, open water habitat and provides protection from river flows, boat wakes, and ice scour. Coves were contoured with varying depths, providing areas with suitable habitat at different water levels. The installed wood/rock structures and added variety of gravel and other bottom substrate enhance fish and macroinvertebrate habitat. This project will also result in nutrient reduction through plant uptake and sediment settlement.

Planned Project Benefits

• Reduced sedimentation and nutrient loading in the Maumee River and Lake Erie, resulting in water quality improvements

• Improved habitat for fish, benthos, and other species

• Protected and enhanced island and shoreline habitat that will:

• Reduce further erosion of the islands

• Create resilience in ecological systems to withstand higher and more variable river flows

• Protect existing park and recreational boating infrastructure

Engineering Considerations and Details

Engineers and scientists on the project team spent considerable time analyzing current and potential conditions and designing durable and functional restoration plans. Some of these considerations and conclusions included:  

High Velocity Currents and Ice: It is well known that ice flows can be thick and destructive in the Maumee River. The design team included the revetment and reef structures in the plans to protect the islands from potential ice impacts. The modeling work and resulting design also considered high velocity currents during heavy precipitation and melting events. Project engineers specified the size of rock to withstand harsh conditions over the long-term based on standardized design methodologies.

Sources of Material: The contractor used rock from quarries in the region. All  stone materials for the causeways were reused from the recently decommissioned I-75 (DiSalle) Bridge construction causeway. The fill material was made up of fines sorted from the I-75 (DiSalle) Bridge construction causeway and material dredged from the existing coves and open water areas at Delaware/Horseshoe Islands. The contractor  also procured a variety of native vegetation (grasses, shrubs, and trees) that will continue to be planted on the islands over the next several months. Woody debris was also collected/procured from local sources.

Recreational Boating and Paddling Considerations

The temporary construction causeways were in place throughout the duration of construction. Through some creative solutions, the project team worked closely with users of the City of Toledo’s Walbridge Park public boat ramp, Toledo Sailing Club, and the Maumee River Yacht Club to establish plans and maintain boater access to the main river channel throughout the 2024 and the start of the 2025 boating seasons.  Full boater access from both causeways is anticipated to be restored by the end of June 2025.  In the interim, boaters using the Walbridge Park Boat Launch should continue to follow the downstream main channel access instructions . The project team ensured that all constructed improvements considered safe boating navigation and the existing navigation lights were realigned (by the city of Toledo) to reflect recent conditions (they had previously been out of alignment for years).

Post-construction, paddlers are allowed to enter into the protected open water areas of the islands but are asked not to traverse on the rocks or upland areas of the islands. The depths in the open water areas will vary based on lake levels and storm events, but generally are anticipated to range from one-foot to four-feet deep.

Maintenance

Restoration designs considered and prioritized improvements that will minimize long-term maintenance needs. As the owner of the islands, the City of Toledo will be responsible for maintaining the islands. They will follow the recommendations detailed in the long-term maintenance plans prepared during the engineering and design effort.

Supporting Studies

Recent biological assessments and other studies that support the need for this work include the 2019-2020 Identification of Optimal Sites for Maumee AOC Restoration Actions in the Lower Maumee River prepared by the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University; the 2020-2021 Lower Maumee River Restoration Design Concepts prepared by the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, and Hull/Verdantas; and the 2021-2022 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ feasibility study entitled, Summary of Concepts at Selected Sites – Lower Maumee River Habitat Restoration Projects. Descriptions and links to all previously completed studies and reports are in the Lower Maumee River Pre-Feasibility Studies and Lower Maumee River Project Development Feasibility Study project summaries in the Maumee AOC DMDS program.

Please click here to download the renderings. 

Please click here to view the construction schedule.