Swan Creek
Subwatersheds: Swan Creek, Ai Creek, Gale Run, Fewless Creek, Wolf Creek, Heilman Ditch, Blue Creek
Area: 205 square miles. Swan Creek is about 40 miles long, and is fed by over 200 miles of creeks and ditches.
Overview: Swan Creek’s headwaters are in Fulton County, northwest of Swanton, Ohio. Its tributaries take winding routes through rural towns and agricultural fields, past nature preserves showcasing rare Oak Openings habitats, and into the southwest portion of the City of Toledo, where it drains into the Maumee River at a confluence of rivers downtown called the Middlegrounds. This watershed is mostly rural and surrounded by row crops in its headwaters, and flows into developed land with increasing density as it runs toward the Maumee River.
One major challenge biggest challenges facing Swan Creek and many of its tributaries is streambank erosion. Banks erode more quickly due to channelization (artificially straightening streams) and lack of vegetation to hold sediment in place, and excess eroded sediment is a major source of stream pollution in this waterway. Restoration efforts in this watershed focus on protecting and restoring wetlands that filter agricultural runoff and trap sediment.
PCS Program Spotlight: Although our volunteers undertake storm drain marking, spreading the message that storm drains are only for rain, across multiple watersheds, our longstanding partnerships with Lucas County Engineers and the City of Toledo have given our volunteers many opportunities to educate neighborhoods in in the Swan Creek watershed.
Restoration Project Spotlight: Sandhill Crane Wetlands
Explore the Watershed: Swan Creek Preserve Metropark, Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, Maumee State Forest
