Martin's Run Wetland Complex

The Martin’s Run Wetland and Stream Restoration Project, funded by the City of Lorain and ODNR's H2Ohio Program, is located approximately 3 miles southeast of Lake Erie on an 18.5-acre site, south of Cooper Foster Park Road and east of Baldwin Boulevard. Martin’s Run is a creek within the City and is a direct tributary to Lake Erie. It's land use is currently a combination of agricultural and wooded area and is surrounded by residential and commercial development.

Large land parcels in highly developed areas that can be used for wetland restoration and creation are rare. This project provides a unique opportunity to showcase wetland and stream restoration within an urbanized area that is located just downstream of active agricultural areas.

The Martin’s Run Wetland and Stream Restoration Project will restore and enhance approximately 16.3 acres of wetland. Within the project site, approximately 1,000 linear feet of the channelized, incised, and severely eroding stream channel will be relocated and restored using natural channel design techniques to reduce erosion and sediment loss and reconnect the channel to the floodplain. Channel sinuosity will be restored to slow the flow and allow for deposition, which will improve the stream’s ability to assimilate nonpoint sources of pollutants from upstream agricultural operations. This project will restore Martin’s Run’s connectivity with its floodplain and restore riparian wetlands, lessening storm surge and flooding and passively treating nonpoint source pollution and stormwater. The project area currently contains approximately 5.8 acres of vernal pool wetland habitat that will be enhanced through additional vernal pool restoration and preservation and the removal of invasive, non-native vegetation.

Completion of this project will establish and preserve approximately 19 acre-feet of runoff retention, storage, and treatment. This work is currently under way and is anticipated to be completed in summer 2022.

Have questions or interested in more information? Please contact kathryn_golden@cityoflorain.org.