Two floating wetlands - rafts made up of cedar, old pop bottles, burlap, soil and plants - have been launched in the Old Ausable Channel in the hopes they will help reduce excess nutrients in the water.
The pilot project by Ausable Bayfield Conservation was built thanks to the support of the Grand Bend Community Foundation and launched from Southcott Pines area.
The hope is that the wetlands will improve water quality, Kari Jean, an aquatic biologist with Ausable Bayfield Conservation, said in a statement.
“These two floating wetlands should help to reduce nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, that can lead to the dense growth of aquatic plants...If we are able to lower the amount of decomposing plant matter, then this may result in higher dissolved oxygen in the water.”
The raft-like structures consist of cedar frames with two-litre pop bottles to help keep them afloat, then burlap and soil where wetland-friendly plants like marsh marigold, monkey flower, sedges and bulrush were added.
The conservation group hopes that as the plants grow, their roots will reach into the water to take up excess nutrients as well as providing a habitat for microorganisms that help filter water and also provide food and shelter for fish and other aquatic life.
Staff are monitoring nutrient concentrations to see if there are any changes.
