Sandusky Bay is a 64 sq mi shallow embayment that supports the region’s ecotourism economy. Historically, the Bay supported a complex matrix of wetlands, however, regional land use has negatively altered the Bay’s water quality and its ability to regulate as a healthy system. Wetlands, habitat, and wildlife populations are diminished, shorelines are largely armored, and the Bay is plagued by high levels of turbidity and persistent harmful algal blooms. Therefore, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Coastal Management launched the Sandusky Bay Initiative, a landscape-scale intervention to restore ecosystem functionality. The Nature Conservancy is leading the implementation of 13 integrated projects designed to reduce sediment resuspension, enhance nutrient assimilation, and restore habitat. Several projects repurpose excavated material within their footprint and serve as an example of the innovative use of dredge material for nature-based shoreline restoration. The largest project, the Inner Bay Wetlands, involves the creation of three barrier wetland features spanning 600 acres. Approximately 5.33 million cy of fill material is needed for the project, so The Nature Conservancy is exploring fill material source options including a nearby borrow area and the Sandusky Federal Navigation channel and the associated technical, financial, operational, maintenance, environmental, and regulatory tradeoffs.
