Glade Wetland to be Returned to Historical Conditions

Glade Wetland is located in the main channel of the ancient Teays River Valley
© Jessica Sharon/TNC

A massive, ancient river once coursed through the heart of Ohio. Here, strong waters carved channels as great as 500 feet deep and two miles wide, while a warm climate helped to nourish the banks of this prehistoric landscape. Some 2 to 4 million years ago, large mammals like mastodons and giant bears roamed the valley, feasting upon its lush plant growth. Enduring more than 3 million years, the Teays River finally met its match as glaciers moved southward, forever halting its course.

While herds of archaic animals flourishing alongside the mighty Teays River may be a distant geological memory, the great valley it left behind still marks the earth today, visible from the air. The abandoned Teays leaves behind still other remnants of its existence. Plant relics from these pre-glacial times can still be found in scattered places throughout the state, serving as a legacy to the river’s longevity and allowing us a glimpse into the past.

The Conservancy’s Glade Wetland, located within Pike and Jackson counties in southern Ohio, offers a unique example of the wetland plant communities that were left behind in the wake of this geological shift.

Here, the 292-acre preserve displays a rare portion of what was once an extensive wetland complex occurring throughout the emptied Teays River Valley. Flat terrain and poorly-drained soils within the preserve allow for a wide variety of plant communities, including sedge-grass meadow, prairie and shrub swamp, as well as pin- oak-red maple flatwoods and floodplain forest.

“This unique mosaic plant community works to create a full, functioning system,” said Dave Minney, the Conservancy’s southern Ohio land steward. “Wet meadows provide crucial bird habitat for such species as rails, while upland areas comprised of drier grasses will help sustain populations of sparrows, such as the Henslow and grasshopper.”

While the preserve already supports such rare plants as Wolf’s spikerush, a state-listed plant species that was once thought extirpated in Ohio, Conservancy scientists are focused on restoration efforts designed to enhance the sedge-meadow and drier grass habitat thought to be abundant before European settlers arrived.

The Conservancy, along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service through the USDA Wetland Reserve Program, has worked to restore pre-settlement water flow on the land by filling in man-made ditches and grading the land to its original contour.

“Since hydrology restoration began over a year ago, the area has already begun to see a growing population of the state-endangered spearwort,” said Minney. “While it’s difficult to predict what we’ll find developing during this first growing season, we hope to continue to see the expansion of targeted plant communities.”

In addition to hydrology restoration on the property, prescribed burns are also conducted at Glade Wetland.

“Burning is an important tool for expanding the native grassland community,” explained Minney. “By conducting these prescribed burns, we are able to provide important breeding habitat for grassland nesting birds as well as raptors and mammals.”

While restoration efforts are already working to return the preserve to its pre-settlement conditions, Conservancy scientists know that they may have to adjust their techniques over time.

"By systematically adapting our management techniques, we will be able to determine the most appropriate combination of practices necessary to restore and maintain this unique remnant of the past,” said Director of Conservation Science, Deni Porej.