Project Name: Cedar Meadow Preserve Trail Improvement Project

Project Location: Catawba Island Township

The Cedar Meadow Nature Preserve was purchased in 2005 by Catawba Island Township with assistance from the Clean Ohio Fund and the Black Swamp Conservancy. By the spring of 2022 trails in some areas of the preserve had become impassible or difficult to maneuver due to normal use over time, poor drainage, and wet weather conditions. The Catawba Island Parks Board and Township Trustees applied for assistance through the Parks and Trails Improvement Grant Program offered by the Park District of Ottawa County and the township was awarded a grant for $20,000 to repair and enhance the trails located in Cedar Meadow Nature Preserve.

A limestone path spanning nearly 1,300 feet of the main north-south trail was laid ten feet wide and another 150 feet of limestone now spans the east-west trail ending near the pond observation deck. Crossover drainage pipes were installed near the Buttonbush wetland to allow the free flow of water from one side to the other and not affect hydrologic flow. The sixty-two acres of mixed meadows, walking trails, and forested wetlands is a conservation legacy for the community and Catawba Island Township is grateful for the financial support from the Park District of Ottawa County.