Restoration work at Hillman Marsh to protect region from erosion, maintain wildlife

Two years after erosion at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area was considered "gravely concerning," the coastal wetland in Ontario is nowundergoing restoration work to better protect it.

In 2019, theEssex Region Conservation Authority(ERCA) told CBC News that erosion along the coastline specifically along Wheatley Provincial Park, Hillman Marsh and Point Pelee National Park was "active and significant."

Record-high water levels and severe storms on Lake Erie in the last few years havecreated ongoing erosion issues withthe marsh.Last year, Ducks Unlimited Canada said its staff began to notice the lake was overflowing the area's protective system of earthen dikes.

According to Ducks Unlimited Canada, these dikes keep water levels in the marsh at manageable levels, ones that are appropriate for the habitat.

"In the southern part of Ontario, we've lost at least 70 per cent of our wetlands and coastal wetlands along the shorelines of our Great Lakes... and Hillman Marsh is one of those remaining coastal wetlands," said Owen Steele, head of the conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited Canada for Ontario.

"It's a rare commodity."

In the last month, Steele said, the dikes have been rebuilt to be "more resilient to high water levels in the future."

More than 100 species of birds use the marsh during migration, so it's an "extremely important" part of the region's geography, Steele said.

If the dikes get breached, he said, the marsh "could see degradation" of its habitats andvegetation.

"We hear about all kinds of different weather calamities that are taking place not only in our province, but across our nation.

"Wetlands provide a huge benefit in terms of carbon storage that help make our communities more resilient in the face of a changing climate."

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In particular, he said these lands improve surface water quality by taking the nutrients out of runoff water, so that it comes outwith "less pollution" in it. Additionally, he said, wetlands have deep layers of organicsoils that "act as a sponge" during large rain events. This means they can trap water and release it slowly to reduce flooding impacts downstream.

The restoration work was funded through a $30-million, five-year Ontario Wetlands Conservation Partner Program. The program is focused on improving wetlands in the Great Lake watersheds, supporting storm-water management in cities and developing resiliency against climate change.