Donate Now Call 800.590.9755 Upcoming Events Rates & Hours Home> About> Conservation Efforts> Wetlands and Naturalized Areas Mission History of Sauder Village Our Founder Board of Directors Leadership Greenburg Gallery Conservation Efforts Wetlands and Naturalized Areas News Newsletters Archived Newsletter Awards Contact Us 45th Anniversary Wetlands and Naturalized Areas Project Wetlands-Walkways-Info-Map Sauder Village has partnered with Fulton Soil and Water Conservation District, The Nature Conservancy, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, and Ducks Unlimited to convert approximately 30 acres of agricultural ﬁelds into a publicly accessible wetlands area. Thanks to these partners and funding support from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act, excavation work was completed in Fall of 2018. Why were the Wetlands developed? Sauder Village has constructed two wetlands and vegetative buﬀers in order to capture, store, and treat nutrient loads and runoﬀ to the Tiﬃn River and ultimately the Maumee River and Lake Erie. These wetlands establish a natural habitat, minimize ﬂooding, and provide pathways that serve as a public demonstration and education facility for ecological restoration and recreation. What are Wetlands? A wetland is an area where the land is covered by water, either salt, fresh or somewhere in between. Marshes and ponds, the edge of a lake or ocean, the delta at the mouth of a river, low-lying areas that frequently ﬂood—all of these are wetlands. The destruction of wetlands is a concern because they are some of the most productive habitats on the planet. They often support high concentrations of wildlife — including mammals, birds, ﬁsh and invertebrates — and serve as nurseries for many of these species. Wetlands provide a range of ecosystem services that beneﬁt humanity including water ﬁltration, storm protection, ﬂood control and recreation. What walking paths are at Sauder Village? Approximately two miles of walking paths around the wetland dikes connect with existing walking paths through an oak savannah and natural areas, and around “Little Lake Erie”. Other agricultural best management practices implemented at Sauder Village include ﬁlter strips, riparian buﬀers, grassed waterways, and windbreaks. The wetlands & expanded naturalized areas include native warm season grasses and wild ﬂowers as well as Oak Savanna trees. About the Project - Fun Facts: Constructed Wetlands 11 acres of wetland to store and capture upstream agricultural drainage 15 acre-ft of storage volume at high water elevation Emergency overflow routing to a grassed waterway and small lake Naturalized Areas 5 acres of native warm season grasses & wildflowers 3 acres of Oak Savanna tree plantings Vegetative Buffer/Recreation/Education Areas 30 acres of cropland converted to natural cover 2,332 linear feet of walking trail This project financed in part through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. Support Support Our Mission As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Sauder Village relies on support from admissions, retail sales and donations to sustain the mission, as well as the attendance and involvement of our members and volunteers. Make a Donation Become a Member Visit Come Visit Sauder Village 22611 State Route 2, Archbold, Ohio 43502 1-800-590-9755 Get Directions Connect Stay Connected Subscribe to our email newsletter. Donate Now | Contact Us | Our Mission | Sitemap | Privacy Policy © 2021 Copyright Sauder Village. All right reserved.