Man-Made Wetlands Falling Short

"A 2,000-year-old American Indian ceremonial center is an unusual place for a lesson on replacing Ohio's wetlands that have been lost to development.

But for two Dayton-based Ohio Environmental Protection Agency scientists, a series of wetlands that host wildlife in the shadow of ancient embankments are a perfect illustration of how long it can take for a natural habitat to be created.

The process of creating a wetland is at the core of a brewing debate on man-made wetland construction projects undertaken in the past 15 years, largely funded by developers to compensate the state for bulldozing natural wetlands. The wetlands, OEPA scientists said, have performed poorly. The proposed remedy — tougher standards on the created wetlands — will likely hit Ohio developers of residential and commercial properties in the pocketbook."