Historically, the inland boundaries of Lake Erie marshes moved in and out with the cycling of lake water levels. Coastal wetlands were created and destroyed by the hydrologic regime of the ecosystem. Starting in the late 1800's, however, most of the marshes along the western basin of Lake Erie were drained and converted for agricultural and urban development. Dikes were built along the shore to protect against high lake levels, siltation and wave action. As a result, the lake was no longer able to maintain dynamic, vegetated marshes.
Dikes now protect wetlands from erosion, control the water levels, and stabilize the vegetation.
Without research about the long-term, governmental mechanisms such as zoning, land use planning, economic incentives, etc., cannot be developed. This is particularly significant at the State level because, under provisions of the Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act, Ohio EPA is responsible for managing wetlands in coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service, and county and township governments. Nutrient retention by wetland soils is regulated by several physical, chemical, and biological processes. Factors include litter, sediments, anaerobic conditions and phosphorus. Vegetation, however, serves only as a seasonal sink unless the biomass is harvested.