Hyponex Corporation, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

sustainable solutions for your water resources

Wetland Restoration Project, Shreve, Ohio

The Hyponex Corporation, a subsidiary of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, operates a soil-excavation facility near Shreve, Ohio. Much of the site supports wetlands along Kiser Ditch. Unfortunately, the historical promotion of ditching, draining and planting of reed canary grass, a non-native and invasive species in Ohio, has caused these wetlands to deteriorate to a low-quality condition. By excavating the subsoil and lowering the elevation of the wetlands, Hyponex has successfully developed a wetland complex that supports a very diverse array of habitat, from open water to emergent and forested/scrub-shrub wetlands. The site has developed into a wildlife haven and serves as an important wildlife corridor between the Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area and Shreve Lake. The site is used by bald eagles, trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes, ospreys, teal, grebes, mallards, harriers, kestrels, kingfishers, mergansers, and many other bird species. Coldwater developed a permitting, mitigation, and post-construction monitoring strategy for the next phase of operation, which includes approximately 25 acres of additional soil excavation from existing, low quality wetlands. The mitigation plan includes all on-site mitigation, saving the client from purchasing off-site mitigation that could have cost over $1.5 million.

Following restoration, the wetlands support a more diverse native vegetation community and a variety of

hydrological conditions

Prior to restoration, most of the wetlands on site support a monotypic stand of invasive reed

canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)