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)