Turning Back Time

At Rialto Marsh, pioneering grasses and saplings are just starting to take root. But with eyes closed, one can imagine how it may have once been: abundant sedges, the trill of birds and insects, a ceiling of sycamores and elms, and the rich scent of wet earth wafting through the trees. This is how the Rialto Marsh property may have looked 200 years ago. This land once acted as a floodplain for the Mill Creek. Frequent flooding created ideal habitat for amphibians and waterfowl but after decades of intensive farming, the landscape has changed entirely. Penned in on one side by a railroad and a power transmission station on the other, Rialto Marsh is indubitably urban.

Like much of Ohio, the Rialto Marsh property was once covered in wetlands. Being right on the banks of the Mill Creek, the property is part of the creek’s natural floodplain and would likely have been a forested wetland that provided habitat and improved water quality for hundreds of plants and animals.

When the greater Cincinnati area was taken by settlers, large swaths of land were cleared for agriculture, and farmers built up berms around the Mill Creek to prevent it from flooding their fields. The Rialto Marsh property was no exception, and every tree was logged until only one sycamore remained. The wetlands were then drained and separated from the Mill Creek with a berm. Unfortunately, this has been the fate of many of Ohio’s wetlands. In fact, over 90% of Ohio’s original wetlands have been destroyed through logging, agriculture, and development. This has severely impacted the freshwater system upon which plants, animals, and humans depend. The sidecar below takes a closer look at the history of the area.

Wetlands and streams are crucial to life on this planet. Wetlands are often referred to as nature's kidneys because they filter pollutants from the water that flows through them. In addition to filtering water, wetlands play a key role in mitigating floods and provide essential habitat for plants and animals.

If wetlands are nature's kidney's, then streams are nature's veins. They fulfill the essential role of transporting nutrients, sediments, and other materials throughout the watershed. Streams also support a huge amount of biodiversity by providing habitat and sustenance for thousands of plants and animals.

Recognizing the detrimental impact that stream and wetland loss is having on the environment, the government has put laws in place that require developers to avoid, minimize, and offset harm to streams and wetlands.

The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Ohio Stream and Wetland In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program (OMP) restores and protects streams and wetlands by offsetting unavoidable environmental impacts from economic development. The OMP consolidates money from many small, permitted impacts to streams and wetlands and uses these resources to design and implement high quality restoration projects. Through the OMP, TNC and its conservation partners conduct restoration and preservation activities in the same watersheds where wetland and stream disturbances have occurred.

The Rialto Marsh property was chosen as a restoration site by TNC in 2019 because of its potential to provide a significant ecological lift in an urban setting. West Chester Township owns the 40-acre site and is TNC's conservation partner in this restoration project. Together we share a vision of renewing the land and protecting it for generations to come.

Restoration is the scientific process of returning damaged ecosystems and habitats back to their natural state.

TNC employed Stantec, an engineering consultant, to design and construct the Rialto Marsh Restoration Project. When TNC first saw the site, it was a large field of invasive plants, divided by a narrow drainage ditch that emptied into the Mill Creek. Working around powerline easements, utility lines, and the railroad tracks, TNC and Stantec took the following steps to restore Rialto Marsh.

The 40-acre Rialto stream and wetland restoration is part of The Nature Conservancy's larger goals to halt catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss. What is done between now and 2030 will determine whether warming is slowed to 1.5 degrees Celsius—the level scientists agree will avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Worldwide action will also determine whether enough land and water is conserved to slow the rapid acceleration of species loss. Doing both will safeguard people from the disastrous effects of these crises.

The Nature Conservancy's 2030 goals support climate, oceans, lands, freshwater, and people. The Rialto restoration is a small piece of the following three big goals to support freshwater and people.

1. Benefit 100 million people: Help 100 million people at severe risk of climate-related emergencies by protecting and restoring the health of natural habitats—from mangroves and reefs to floodplains and forests—that help protect communities from storm surge, extreme rainfall, severe wildfires and sea level rise.
2. Conserve more than 620,000 miles of rivers: Conserve 1 million kilometers (621,000 miles) of river systems and 30 million hectares (74 million acres) of lakes and wetlands by engaging in collaborative partnerships, promoting innovative solutions, and supporting policies that improve the quality and amount of water available in freshwater ecosystems and to communities.
3. Support 45 million local stewards: Support 45 million people whose well-being and livelihoods depend on healthy oceans, freshwater, and lands. Partner with Indigenous People and other local communities to learn from and support their leadership in stewarding their environment, securing rights to resources, improving economic opportunities, and shaping their future.

While initial construction is complete, TNC will continue to maintain and monitor the Rialto Marsh property. TNC holds its restoration projects to a high standard. For the next 10 years TNC will monitor Rialto's streams, wetlands, and plant diversity to insure those standards are being met. The site is now open to the public and is permanently protected from development by an environmental covenant.

Over the course of its life, the Rialto Marsh property has been home to a paper mill, monoculture crops, and many invasive species. Together with the support of West Chester Township and Stantec, TNC has made it possible for Rialto Marsh to once again welcome home the native flora and fauna that thrive in Ohio's wetlands.

While we celebrate the restoration of Rialto Marsh, it is important to note that restoration is not a substitute for protecting existing high-quality lands and waters. Across the state many of Ohio's essential aquatic habitats have been compromised through development, agriculture, and industry. TNC prioritizes protection of the lands and waters upon which all life depends. However, mitigation and other restoration work are essential tools to compensate for unavoidable habitat destruction.