The Maumee River is a big part of what makes Toledo, Toledo. But there’s a lot happening along its shores that most of us probably don’t think about.

From restoring islands and rebuilding wildlife habitats to removing decades-old contamination from the river, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is helping lead some pretty significant environmental projects right here in our backyard. And some of these projects involve millions of dollars in investment.

This week, we’re kicking off a four-part partnership with the Port Authority to take a closer look at the work they do and how it impacts Northwest Ohio. We’re starting with the environmental side of things, including the effort to restore more than 83 acres of island habitat and clean up 121,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Maumee River.

A special thank-you to the entire team at the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority for partnering with us on this series, especially Joe Cappel and Holly Kemler for helping bring this story to life. We appreciate the opportunity to shine a light on the work happening behind the scenes to make our region a better place to live, work, and invest.

Let's get into what's happening across Northwest Ohio.

A shout-out to J. Christian Piazza, a Bowling Green State University football alumnus who has taken his experience beyond the field, launching his own wealth management practice and authoring a book to help football coaches plan for their financial futures.

This past week, Christian opened his door and shared something equally valuable: his time and perspective. What started as a conversation turned into a thoughtful discussion about intentionality, leadership, and clarity.

Christian, thank you for your generosity, candor, and willingness to invest in others. It's people like you who make our Northwest Ohio community special.

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From rebuilding eroded islands to removing contaminated sediment and preserving maritime history, the Port Authority is helping turn environmental funding into projects that improve the region's waterways, wildlife habitats, and quality of life.

When people think about the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, they might picture cargo moving through the Port of Toledo, industrial development, or infrastructure investments. But some of its most consequential work happens beneath the surface, literally.

For decades, the Port has partnered with state and federal agencies on brownfield remediation and dredged material management. That experience has created opportunities to take on a broader role in environmental restoration, helping agencies move projects from planning and funding to construction.

The approach shares similarities with the Port's traditional economic development work. Both require funding coordination, careful project administration, and partnerships with specialized engineering, design, and construction firms. The difference is in the benefits delivered. While preparing an industrial site for development can create opportunities for new employment, environmental projects improve existing conditions through better water quality, healthier wildlife habitats, and more recreational opportunities.

The Port's environmental work has grown through relationships with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). Three initiatives demonstrate how those partnerships are making an impact across Northwest Ohio.

One of the Port's H2Ohio restoration projects focused on Duck Creek, near Cleveland-Cliffs' direct reduced iron plant on Front Street in Toledo.

Before restoration, the creek had been heavily channelized, while its surrounding floodplains were dominated by invasive phragmites and narrowleaf cattail. The creek drains a heavily urbanized area with significant industrial influence, conditions that may contribute to elevated nutrient loads entering Maumee Bay.

Through Ohio's H2Ohio program, the Port partnered with ODNR, Cleveland-Cliffs, and EnviroScience, Inc. on a $1.8 million project funded entirely through H2Ohio.

The restoration addressed approximately 2,055 linear feet of stream channel, restored 8.29 acres of wetlands, expanded wetland areas by another 2.27 acres, and restored 10.37 acres to pollinator prairie habitat.

The project changed how water moves through the landscape. A meandering stream channel and deep-water wetland areas were constructed to slow water flow and encourage sediment to settle before continuing toward Lake Erie. A weir was also installed to retain water in the wetlands during low-water conditions.

Thousands of native plants, trees, and shrubs were added along the streambanks and throughout the floodplains and wetlands. These improvements are intended to reduce nutrient transportation downstream while providing better habitat for wildlife.

The project received a 2023 Lighthouse Beacon Award of Excellence in Environmental Improvement/Mitigation from the American Association of Port Authorities.

Duck Creek demonstrates how environmental restoration can address water quality and habitat together, rather than treating the waterway as an isolated channel.

The Port has also helped coordinate a major restoration effort across Delaware, Clark, and Horseshoe Islands along the Maumee River.

Decades of erosion had reduced portions of the islands' original footprints, affecting habitat and the surrounding waterfront. The restoration combines shoreline protection, wetland improvements, invasive-species management, and habitat reconstruction across more than 83 acres.

The project represents an approximately $13.5 million investment in habitat restoration, supported by state and federal funding through two major environmental programs: Ohio's H2Ohio initiative and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

The two programs support different portions of the restoration.

The H2Ohio-funded work covers approximately 13.6 acres, including 6.9 acres of wetlands, at the downstream portion of Delaware and Horseshoe Islands and across Clark Island.

The GLRI-funded work covers approximately 73 acres at Delaware and Horseshoe Islands. It includes roughly 12 acres of regraded and enhanced wetlands and invasive-species management across more than 30 acres where phragmites had become established.

Contractors restored portions of the islands' original footprints and installed rock revetments and barriers to protect against river currents, boat wakes, and ice. Protected open-water areas, small islands, and stone and wood structures were incorporated to slow water movement, encourage sediment settlement, and improve habitat for fish and other wildlife.

Coves were reshaped to provide varying water depths, while additional rock, wood, gravel, and other bottom materials created more suitable habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates. Vegetation also helps absorb nutrients, supporting the project's water-quality objectives.

The work required extensive coordination among project managers, consultants, contractors, and environmental specialists. The Port provided project management, a local consulting firm helped oversee the work, and Mark Haynes Construction supplied equipment needed for the in-water construction. Contractors also treated the islands for invasive species.

The project incorporated recycled materials as well. Stone recovered from the Interstate 75 bridge over the Maumee River was used to construct temporary access bridges at Delaware and Clark Islands, allowing equipment to reach the work sites.

The restoration's benefits extend beyond wildlife habitat. The islands also help protect nearby waterfront properties, including the Toledo Yacht Club and Toledo Sailing Club, which have experienced erosion along their shorelines.

According to the Port Authority, this represents the largest known habitat restoration investment in the Maumee River.

While restoring creeks and islands improves natural habitat, another environmental challenge lies in contaminated sediment at the bottom of the Maumee River.

The Port is helping advance the Lower Maumee River Sediment Remediation Project, which targets legacy contaminants at sites within the Maumee Area of Concern.

The project addresses three main categories of chemicals: heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). According to the Port, these contaminants have been found in sediment at the project sites at concentrations above levels determined to be safe for people and aquatic organisms.

The effort is moving forward in stages. In 2024, the Port received $4.8 million from the U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office to design remediation plans for the Railroad Swing Bridge and Wastewater Treatment Plant sites. That funding supported site investigations, field sampling, quality assurance planning, public outreach, and the development of remediation plans and specifications.

In 2026, the Port received an additional $32.343 million from the U.S. EPA and $1.747 million from the Ohio EPA for remediation at the Swing Bridge site. The combined design and remediation awards total approximately $38.9 million. The initial design funding covers both sites, while the 2026 remediation funding is specifically for the Swing Bridge site.

The Swing Bridge cleanup is expected to remove approximately 121,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and debris. The work includes dredging and disposal at the Port's Confined Disposal Facility, installation of a subaqueous cover and permanent sheet-pile wall, and monitoring of contractor performance and nearby waterfront structures.

The approximately 500-acre, man-made facility at the mouth of the Maumee River is a key part of the region's dredged material management infrastructure.

The remediation is intended to address three environmental impairments: degraded fish populations, degraded benthic communities, and loss of fish habitat. Resolving these issues contributes to the broader effort to restore the Maumee Area of Concern.

A separate remediation project at the Wastewater Treatment Plant site remains in development, with its total funding and the volume of sediment to be removed still to be determined.

The sediment remediation project has another dimension: the historical wreckage found along the river.

Old shipwrecks and other debris are expected to require removal and appropriate disposal as part of the cleanup. Their presence creates an opportunity to connect environmental remediation with the maritime history that helped shape Toledo.

The Port Authority is working with the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) to explore ways to preserve the cultural legacy of the wreckage and educate the public about the relationship between environmental cleanup and historical preservation.

The museum has proposed several potential initiatives, including a small museum exhibit, an online exhibit and digital archive, an article in Inland Seas magazine, public programs and lectures, and a social media campaign.

Other proposals include an outdoor commemorative interpretive marker, an educational program focused on Maumee River shipwrecks, and additions to the museum's permanent exhibit.

These ideas remain under consideration by the project management team and funding agency. They have not yet been confirmed as final project deliverables.

The collaboration could allow the remediation effort to tell two stories at once: how the region is addressing contamination left behind by the past and how that same past can help people better understand the history of their waterfront.

The Port has identified six environmental projects spanning 2021–2028, including the Duck Creek restoration, island restoration, Lower Maumee River remediation, and planned work at the Crane Creek lacustuary.

The portfolio reflects a role built over decades of partnerships with environmental agencies, specialized contractors, and funding organizations.

For the Port Authority, the work aligns with its broader mission of making Toledo an attractive place to live, work, and invest. Healthy waterways, restored habitats, and properly managed industrial legacies contribute to that goal.

Much of this work happens out of public view. But cleaner waterways, restored wildlife habitats, and the removal of legacy contamination are investments in the region's future.

Sometimes, the Port Authority's most important work isn't what moves through the river. It's what gets restored, protected, and preserved along the way.

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