Toledo Botanical Garden Dam Removal & Stream Restoration

LOCATION: Toledo, OH

Funded by an Ohio EPA Section 319 grant, this dam removal and urban stream restoration for the Toledo Botanical Garden reduced flooding, improved water quality and aquatic habitat, and reduced sedimentation in the Garden’s display pond.

Collaboration with engineers, biologists, the owner, and the USACE resulted in a concept plan that fulfilled the Ohio EPA’s design criteria and successfully removed two low-head dams, reduced phosphorus loading, allowed visitors direct interaction with the water, and provided examples of both native plant and cultivar use for riparian restoration.