HYDROLOGIC MONITORING OF A WET PRAIRIE RESTORATION IN THE MAUMEE AOC

The hydrologic characteristics of the Oak Openings Region in northwest Ohio are not well understood. This is partly due to lack of hydrologic research in the area, and partly due to the complexity of the system. The system is intersected by 3 main ditches which have altered the natural flow making it an unusually variable and artificial system. This study is a first approach to understand the hydrologic system of the region as it monitors the shallow groundwater level at six wet prairie restoration sites and correlates it to rainfall records from a nearby weather station. These sites are being restored by removing the invasive glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) plant, which is particularly abundant in this region. Six monitoring locations were installed along Wiregrass Ditch, a ditch that runs southwest to northeast through the region. Each location consists of a clustered set of five piezometers positioned on a transect perpendicular to the ditch. Within each ditch reach, a surface water monitoring location was also installed. The data being collected on surface and ground water levels is being used to determine the interaction between these two sources of water, as well as the impact of the removal of buckthorn on the whole hydrologic system. The large amount of buckthorn in the area likely increases the local evapotranspiration and therefore depresses the shallow groundwater level in the region. So, this study is also being used to determine the impact of the glossy buckthorn on the water levels.