Headwaters Tenmile Creek Riparian Restoration Project - Berkey, Ohio

Projected Timeline: Spring 2023 - Summer 2026

Construction has begun on the Headwaters Tenmile Stream Restoration Project in Berkey! Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District, in partnership with EnviroScience and River Reach Construction, will restore 3 acres of land in the Maumee Area of Concern (Maumee AOC). This includes stabilizing 1,200 feet of eroding streambank; creating 40 ft. of riffle habitat in stream; and planting native trees and shrubs to enhance and create 2.5 acres of riparian buffer.

This project will address the Degradation of Benthos and Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat Beneficial Use Impairments for the Maumee Area of Concern and is fully funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Construction Progress:

September 30 - October 7, 2024: The crew mobilized equipment to the project site and began setting up the staging area while reviewing access and stream crossing locations. 

The crew started with tree removal and gathering all woody material needed for the project. They stockpiled it close to the installation area. 
October 16 - 22, 2024: The crew continued to load and haul spoil material either for use off-site at another project or for fill in the backwater wetland. They also began placing deadwood trees into pre-drilled holes in the wetland to create habitat. 

The bench alongside the stream was graded and more streambank was seeded with native plants and cover crops, and then covered with straw to keep soil and seed in place.​
October 30-November 11, 2024: The crew continued to work on the project, adding more straw and matting to secure the soil and seeds; continuing the grade the bench; creating the connection between the wetland and creek; and finally monitoring how the project area responds after a rain event.
You can see the wetland filling with water in a few of the pictures, and crew members even saw a snapping turtle return to the area!

​Plantings with 875 live stakes and at least 100 3-gallon trees. Plantings will be in the areas most disturbed. Come spring time, there will be a lot of green popping up in areas already planted!
October 9 - 15, 2024: This week, the crew built and completed one of three in-stream ​riffles that will create aquatic habitat. The crew started to excavate and grade the bottom of the backwater wetland. ​They also seeded one of the streambanks with a mixture of cover crop and native seed, and then placed a mat over it to secure the seed in place.
October 23-29, 2024: The crew continued placing woody structures and then seeded the backwater wetland with both native seed and cover crops. They also continued to grade and seed the streambank, while also protecting water quality with a preventative silt fence when rain was in the forecast. 

The riffle enhancement in the streambed will create habitat for many macroinvertabrates and other aquatic species by slowing the flow and adding oxygen with the movement over rocks.  
March 13, 2025: On this sunny early spring day, Lucas SWCD Board Supervisors and staff went to the site in Berkey to talk with the project team about the different aspects of the restoration. We walked along the streambank, observing the trees and live stakes that had been planted. We also saw one of the installed riffles in action. 

Lastly, the group made it to the "Beaver Pond", which is the what the backwater wetland had been named due some of the stumps being made to look like a beaver had been there. Water was present in the wetland, as well as positioned dead wood trees for habitat and even an 'animal crossing' bridge.