The End of an Era: Removing Old #16

Photos don't do this project justice; these two boatloads were supposed to be the "easy part" of removing this blind --
turns out you can get a fair amount of accumulation over 50 years+, even if you bring the lumber out "a couple 2x4's at a time"

I love days like yesterday. Action packed. It was the first day of school for our kids, so we were up and at 'em early. After an initial explosion of activity, the house was unusually quiet by 7:20, so I was able to gather my things and get out the door myself. Thanks to the luxury of a smart phone, I got a lot accomplished in the first half of the morning by phone and my email while checking things off my list around the bunkhouse. But with refreshing winds out of the north and afternoon temps projected to struggle to hit the 70s again, it was an ideal day for some heavy lifting. So during the late morning and afternoon, Roy and I finished up what has been a 3-day project that we spaced over maybe three weeks. And truth be told, it probably should have been done three years ago: we removed "Old #16."

Time took its toll

Scale is tough in photos like these, but this duck "blind" had grown to the point that it was hardly blinding -- or if it was, it was blinding in the wrong sense of the word. By the time we took a destructive hammer to it, the accumulation looked more like an air craft carrier. Lots of history and lots of stories reside in these hallowed grounds though. I've heard various reports about when hunting got started in this island of what is now cattails. One account puts it back 75 years or more. Another suggests that "major construction" on the "grass blind" didn't happen until the 60s sometime.

But suffice it to say, a lot of sunrises have been witnessed, a lot of coffee (etc.) has been consumed, a lot of ducks have been harvested (or at least scared), a lot of unique and memorable conversations have taken place, and a lot of laughter has been shared from this vantage point. I don't take that casually. In fact, I love the history.

Just like the removal of the blind -- and somehow, appropriately -- yesterday also marked another event probably long-overdue: Roy and I got to meet the entire group of ten lease holders who have been "renting" the West Marsh from us since the '15 waterfowl season. We obviously met a few of the guys early on, and they have been great ambassadors, but it was really great for us to put faces with all the names.

While there is one newcomer, all of these guys have a few critical things in common: (1) a common conservation ethic and respect for the environment where they pursue their passions, (2) a shared love for duck hunting, (3) direct or indirect ties to hunting in Bay View [some of these guys have hunted with their grandfathers, fathers, sons, and grandsons on this property], and (4) roots that tie them to Cleveland and for most, Beaver Creek Hunt Club (a private sportsman's playground between Vermilion and Lorain, OH).

The motley crew; the only two missing were a couple of the punters (one of whom had to split just before we took this photo); Roy and I really enjoyed the conversation, the meal, the hospitality, and the genuine interest in helping to make the marsh better

Beaver Creek was the site of last evening's dinner gathering. After informal introductions and a 3,000 calorie steak dinner, we enjoyed swapping stories, shared updates regarding progress on the marsh, and got the juices flowing in anticipation for a waterfowl season that starts in just eight short days. There are a handful of "post-worthy" topics from last evening alone, but they will come out in time -- especially as the duck season gets underway. I rolled into my driveway about 11:30 last night, admittedly tired from a full day. But I can honestly say it was one of my highlights of this adventure thus far. We gotta good thing going; we just gotta keep the momentum rolling in the right direction.

Believe it or not, there is a jon boat under this pile -- one of five loads of lumber that we removed from Old #16;
we did salvage a handful of side boards from the blind itself, the unbelievably weathered oak benches, and a few other odds and ends;
some will be distributed to the guys who show interest, and others will be kept as part of a growing time capsule for the property

Protecting an Asset -- Bringing Stone to the New Dike

Buehler Excavating (Oak Harbor, OH) getting underway on our newest project; they are a preferred contractor for us --
not only are they a pleasure to work with, they are masters of all things marsh management-related

After a year of planning, another important project got underway yesterday. Phase II of the West Dike rehabilitation/reconstruction project comes down to protecting the asset that was rebuilt last summer. Essentially, we are laying down an 8'-wide, 1'-thick band of crushed limestone along the entire 3,000 linear foot south-facing slope of the new dike to protect the underlying clay from the erosional forces of wind and waves.

If everything goes just right and we can stay on budget, we will also protect 500 linear feet of the most vulnerable north-facing slope. We are less concerned about this side of the dike though because there is a much lower probability of water being held high on the dike from this side, particularly without a good amount of vegetation to break up the momentum of wind/waves (as compared to what can become large expanses of open water to the south).

Always dangerous to use a size 15 work boot for scale;
this stone is classified as D-rock by ODOT and ranges from
grapefruits to footballs in size

While this project isn't glamorous, it is crucial to extending both our near-term and long-term water management capabilities. It will allow us to maintain higher water levels over the southern ~145-acres of marsh, particularly at strategic times of the year. This has a direct impact on our ability to hamper the spread of invasive species like Phramites and purple loosestrife. It also allows us to promote habitats that enhance the attractiveness of the unit for targeted wildlife (could be fish, could be birds, etc.).

We now anticipate this project investment to be at or very close to $50,000 -- a bit more than we anticipated when we were budgeting last winter, but a fair price considering the current cost of locally quarried stone. We took a hard look at recycled materials (clean, crushed concrete), but in the end, local supply was limited (to meet the required spec), cost savings weren't a certainty, and the finished product with virgin rock is easier to control. At this total project price, we wouldn't have been able to do this work without an infusion of outside funds. For the second year in a row, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife's Private Lands Management program stepped up in a major way. They will end up covering somewhere around 60% of the overall project cost in exchange for our guarantee that the habitat will remain marsh for at least 15 years. Good news for everyone is: we plan to keep it that way a heck of a lot longer!

While Roy keeps this plate spinning, I am working on some other important strategic steps, most notably (1) the pending sale of ~38 acres on our east side to a neighbor (more on this soon, I hope) and, (2) a conservation easement application that we have been working on with the USDA for almost two years (again, I hope to have more detail to share on this in the weeks to come). On top of these major areas of focus, we have a duck season opening a week from Saturday. I'll start to give that topic some attention starting tomorrow.

Progress -- we figure they got close to 1,100 linear feet of the south slope protected in about a 1.5 days on the job;
if all goes well with equipment, weather, etc., they will be finished and on their way by mid-next week
(in time to give the marsh a couple days rest ahead of the teal opener)

Speaking of Visitors . . . More Tours, More Fun

Independent of weather, I literally always enjoy driving the dikes in the Mule; but when it's 74º F with low humidity and a breeze off the Bay . . . well in my world, it's hard to get much better

An unusually moderate August with afternoon highs in the 80s (or even 70s) rather than 90s with lower than typical humidity have lead to some good touring conditions. A handful of my older nieces were nice enough to make the trek out almost two weeks ago. Where does the time go? . . .  I'm just catching up with the photos.

The weather was ideal, and we had a really nice morning together. True to form, my niece Ellen is always behind the camera, so she isn't pictured. But I'm planning to share some of her really solid photos from our outing in a subsequent post. I've watermarked the photos above and below as ours, but truth be told, she should be credited. Thanks, El! And thanks again to all of you guys for spending a morning on the marsh!

Four of my oldest nieces taking in some of the finer points of marsh management; they really asked some good questions over the few hours we spent together -- raised right! (not that I'm biased)

We took advantage of more perfect late summer weather this past weekend, and finally checked off a "bucket list" bullet of our own (see previous post). Jenny and I were excited to host our neighbors and great friends for a driving/walking tour and maybe more importantly (for our respective 9-year olds) frog hunt. Our Anderson has been wanting to get his best friend out to the property for . . . well, since we took possession of it. With ten kids between the two families, timing has been a challenge to say the least. But we finally made it . . . with seven of the ten kids, at least!

The 4-wheeler got a workout at times, but the kids ended up really having fun chasing leopard frogs in the tall grass of the dike fringes. Sometimes the little guys marched ahead and other times they lagged behind, but either way, their hand nets were busy chasing leapers and fliers.

I always wish we could find a way to bug these conversations; it would be so fun to know what is being said between the distraction of a jumping frog, slithering snake, or buzzing dragonfly

Success can come in small packages

Eagles and waders were characteristically plentiful during our drive. Blackbird numbers continue to build. We got good looks at a handful of trumpeter swans and probably flushed 100-150 ducks (by far the most I've seen since spring). Most were in last year's millet to begin with, but we had fun watching them bounce back and forth between the Rest Pond and the main West Marsh. I would say 75% were wood ducks and most of the rest were mallards. I did see a few small groups (6-10) of green-winged teal. The fall migration is coming! More on that soon.

Sunday's stop at the marsh was bookended by a dip in Lake Erie (at the beach at East Harbor State Park) and dinner on Cold Creek. The kids slept well that night. The adults are still recovering. Fun stuff.