Project Summary

West Creek’s conservation and restoration projects often require numerous funding sources and a diverse coalition of stakeholders to complete; the Talcott Creek Restoration project is a perfect example of the “funding spaghetti” needed to make these projects come to life.

This project involved the acquisition of a 114-acre property in Thompson Township, Geauga County, and restoration of a 47-acre farm field along 1,200 linear feet of Talcott Creek. Talcott Creek is an EPA-designated cold-water stream that supports diverse, high-quality aquatic biological communities, and is a tributary to the State Wild and Scenic Grand River. However, the ~0.25 mile stretch that runs through the Talcott Creek Restoration project area had been channelized and ditched to support the surrounding agricultural land use, resulting in the degradation of habitat and water quality.

In 2024, West Creek secured over $1.5M in funding through three funding sources – the Great Lakes Commission’s Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program; the Ohio EPA’s 319 program; and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ H2Ohio program – for the Talcott Creek Restoration project. Restoration efforts included reestablishing a more natural stream channel morphology within Talcott Creek, including stabilization of the streambank and installation of numerous in-stream grade and habitat structures. Additionally, the ~47 acres of agricultural fields on either side of the stream were restored to native wetland, meadow, and riparian forest habitat, and hydrologic connectivity and functionality were restored to the floodplain. The project was completed in June, 2025.