COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will shift administrative responsibility of Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve to its Division of Wildlife later this fall in an effort to consolidate its coastal wetlands and aquatic research programs. Located east of Huron in Erie County, the Old Woman Creek reserve is considered one of the finest natural estuaries in the Great Lakes and an important center for the study of coastal habitats.
ODNR, which owns and oversees the reserve, will shift management duties from its Division of Natural Areas & Preserves to the Division of Wildlife on October 1. The Division of Wildlife currently manages coastal wetlands and research operations at Magee Marsh, Metzger's Marsh and Pickerel Creek state wildlife areas along Lake Erie, and conducts fisheries research at Sandusky and Fairport Harbor. Administrator Frank Lopez and two other full-time ODNR employees who currently staff the Old Woman Creek facility will remain in their positions and the estuary's protection as a dedicated state nature preserve will be maintained.
Old Woman Creek Reserve is owned by ODNR and operated in partnership with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which provides much of the funding for reserve operations.
Old Woman Creek lies near the southernmost point on the Great Lakes and is one of 26 federally designated sites established by NOAA as representative of the estuaries within various regions of the U.S. The Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve is the only such facility on the Great Lakes.
As a unique freshwater habitat for plant and wildlife species, the Old Woman Creek estuary serves as a field laboratory where scientists conduct coastal wetlands research and where students can learn about the critical role of estuarine habitats in coastal ecosystems. The reserve and its visitor center are also popular destinations for birding and nature enthusiasts who come to observe the many species found in the 573-acre wetland.
The reserve and its nature trail are open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday.