Leading the Way in Wetland Research

By Donald L. Hey, Ph.D.
Director, Wetlands Research, Inc.

When Wetlands Research, Inc. was formed in 1983, we were in the vanguard of wetland research. We have maintained this leadership position over the last two decades. Our contribution has been to provide a greater understanding of aquatic ecosystems and wetlands: those landscape features critical to the achievement of a more sustainable environment.
        In 1979--the year in which the seed of the Des Plaines River Wetland Demonstration Project first sprouted--little local or national attention was being given to the important role that wetlands play in our environment. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act had been adopted, assigning to the Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency responsibility for protecting wetlands from further encroachment, but it was not being enforced. With a $5,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources, several interested scientists, along with the help of Judith Stockdale and Tony Dean of the Openlands Project, we set out to explore the feasibility of using wetlands for flood control, water quality improvement and wildlife habitat enhancement. This early work indicated that a demonstration project was necessary to test the idea that restoration of natural landscapes could effectively and efficiently solve many of our water resources-related problems. The publication Creation of Wetland Habitat in Northeastern Illinois was the product of this effort, documenting the scientific basis for the Des Plaines project.
        A nationally-recognized panel of experts was assembled to design the restoration activities and the research program. Intensive effort through 1984-85 produced the comprehensive two-volume base line survey and design and research plan, which has guided the project. Many of these experts have continued to work on specific research topics and have made substantial contributions to the success of the project. For example, Dr. J. Henry Sather, chair of our technical advisory committee, was advisor to the federal government on the development of the national wetland inventory and has continued to serve both federal and state governments in an advisory capacity. Other research scientists at the project, Drs. William Mitsch and Arnold van der Valk, have served on the technical committee of the National Research Council to review the federal definition of wetlands.
        We began construction in 1985 with a grant from the state of Illinois. Although we did not complete this first phase for three years, we were able to begin our research in 1985 with baseline surveys on the following topics: topography, hydrology, water quality, geology, soils, vegetation (both wetland and upland), microorganisms, aquatic macroinvertebrates, terrestrial insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, and prehistoric, historic and current uses.
        Our early research focused on the hydrologic and water quality functions of deep marshes. To support these research activities, we constructed 22 acres of marshes. Not only have we been able to manipulate and assess the hydrology of these complexes, but we also have been able to investigate the habitat structure of such systems.
        In 1991, we added shallow marshes--called sedge meadows--to our research focus. An additional 28 acres of these habitats were constructed and a vigorous research program begun.
        Because the experimental wetlands are designed to function as research laboratories, rather than as representatives of future restored or created wetlands, an irrigation system controls the flow of water. The irrigation system supplies water from the river so that experimentation can continue despite varying levels of precipitation and associated fluctuations in streamflow.
        Other research has focused on how to control the destructive feeding habits of carp, a common, but nuisance fish species throughout North America. Carp represent a major destructive force to aquatic ecosystems as they feed on river bottoms and disturb the growth of aquatic plants and animals. We have had success at installing plastic mesh on the river bottom to prevent the carp from bottom feeding in the river.
        Additionally, we have looked at the morphology of stream development along the Des Plaines River and the role that beaver played in its formation. If beaver were responsible for the formation of our streams, rather than the glaciers, this fact would lead to restoration and maintenance programs far different from those currently being pursued and funded by our federal and state agencies. We found evidence of prehistoric beaver dams in the floodplain of our site. These results could lead to far more efficient means of controlling floods; of purging our surface waters of suspended solids, nutrients and other contaminants; and of creating diverse wildlife habitats.
        The research results have been disseminated extensively throughout the scientific community. Numerous articles and news stories in the United States have documented our progress (See our Bibliography.) Interest in the project has produced invitations to speak, sit on panels and participate in seminars. We have produced a film documenting our construction efforts, Wetlands: The Forgotten Resource, and we publish our own research papers as technical monographs.
        Ecological Engineering, an international journal, devoted the entire December 1994 issue to the Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project. We have won three significant awards: from Engineering News Record, from the Society of Professional Engineers, and from the American Ecological Society. We provided the research materials for four Ph.D., ten Master's and three Bachelor's degree candidates. Also, the results of our work contributed to the writing of one of the most widely distributed and used publications of the National Research Council, The Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems.
        During the years in which we have been working, the interest in and concern for wetlands has increased dramatically. Although there are now other research and experimental wetlands, none compare in scale or complexity to the Des Plaines project. None, to my knowledge, maintain the degree of hydrologic connection between the supporting stream system and the riverine wetlands that are so important to the beneficial functions of our nation's rivers.
        While a great deal more interest is being expressed in the protection and restoration of wetlands, there is little understanding of how these programs should be implemented. Scale, location and hydrology are factors that are poorly understood and yet critical to wetland restoration and preservation. These subjects and related ones, such as sustainable development, biodiversity, and habitat for endangered species, need to be fully explored and linked to existing and future restoration programs. All of these subjects can be explored at the Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project. The results will provide the information necessary for implementation of an effective, nationwide restoration program.

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