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Lake Erie Public Access Sites - Erie County

Old Woman Creek State Nature Preserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve - an Ohio Lake Erie Public Access site in Erie County managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife

Location: U.S. Route 6 (Cleveland Road E), west of state Route 61 2514 Cleveland Road Berlin Township , OH Latitude: N 41° 23.00’ Longitude: W 082° 30.89’ Waterbody: Lake Erie Old Woman Creek Access Site Type: Educational Natural Environments: Riparian/River Estuarine Sandy Beach Wetland Monitoring: Centralized Data Management - Real Time Meteorological Station Research: See OWC Webpage Grants: CMAG 2008 Watershed: Old Woman Creek Firelands Coastal Tributaries	Located 3 miles east of Huron, Old Woman Creek (OWC) National Estuarine Research Reserve is one of 27 coastal reserves connected nationally through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to address state and regional coastal management needs through research, education and stewardship. The majority of the 574-acre preserve is located south of U.S. Route 6 (Cleveland Road) and surrounds the estuary. OWC is one of the state’s few remaining examples of a natural Lake Erie estuary. Estuaries are transition zones where freshwater from an inland river is mixed with water from a Great Lake or ocean. Estuaries represent one of the most sensitive and ecologically important habitats on earth providing sanctuary for many plant and animal species. OWC’s habitats include wetlands, upland forests, open water, tributary streams, barrier beach and near shore Lake Erie. The preserve’s 8 acres north of Cleveland Road provide coastal access and include a 760-foot beach and the creek mouth, which is sometimes separated from the open lake water by a naturally occurring sand bar. The Mike DeWine Center for Coastal Wetland Studies is at the preserve; the center is a green building demonstration site. The Center provides ecological research laboratories and interpretative exhibits in the Visitors Center. This preserve, located near the most southerly point on the Great Lakes, is managed as a cooperative partnership between NOAA and the ODNR Division of Wildlife. OWC is also an Ohio State Nature Preserve.	Location Map: Select for interactive map viewer of *Ohio's Lake Erie Public Access sites* Amenities and Services:

Learn more: Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (419) 433-4601 www.oldwomancreek.org		Print this page 854 KB PDF
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