As one offsetting measure to enhance LEWS habitat, artificial hibernacula may be constructed, such as this one on the Miller Ferry property on South Bass Island. - Photo by Kristin Stanford, Northern Illinois University

Ohio Edison sought section 10 and 404 permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, to run a replacement electric power line from the Ohio mainland to South Bass Island. The request came because existing cable was deteriorated and causing numerous faults. 

The cable would be buried under several miles of Lake Erie bottom, and was initially proposed to impact several hundred linear feet of island shoreline, internationally significant habitat for migratory birds, state-listed plants, the Federally threatened Lake Erie Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon insularum, LEWS), and quality fish spawning habitat. 

Through several months of coordination between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Reynoldsburg, Ecological Services Field Office, Ohoi, the Army Corps, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Edison, local land conservancy districts, and local property owners, a number of measures to protect significant habitat and fish and wildlife resources were added to the project. 

These included minimization of the footprint of excavation along the island shoreline to only 100 linear feet, protecting some 300 linear feet of island shoreline; preservation of all trees along the shoreline to ensure protection of significant migratory bird stopover habitat and potential LEWS hibernation sites; in-water work limited to only the non-fish spawning period (July 1-April 14); creation of an artificial hibernaculum to benefit the LEWS; and donation of $10,000 to the Lake Erie Islands Chapter of the Black Swamp Conservancy to protect island shoreline habitat important for migratory birds, state-listed plants, interjurisdictional fish, and the LEWS. 

Formal consultation on this project was concluded on June 13, 2006, and work began shortly thereafter.  The LEWS hibernacula was constructed in August 2006, and the donation was provided in September 2006.  Though some trust resources may be temporarily affected, due to Ohio Edison’s dedication to minimizing impacts, all affected resources should benefit from this action in the long run.