Native Habitat Waterway

Upper Wabash River Basin 

From 2002 to 2009, the City of Bluffton reforested 150 acres of floodplain with species of this area's former Oak-Hickory and Maple-Beech forest habitats. This acreage is located on the north side of the Wabash River west of the White Bridge and represents another addition to the City of Bluffton's ongoing efforts to restore the Wabash River floodplain to its native habitat waterway.

A system of looping trails allows people to walk among the emerging native bushes and trees and enjoy the tranquility of the young woods and the delight of hearing and seeing birds and animals who are calling the area home.

Purpose and Benefits

A native habitat waterway utilizes local floodplains to manage flooding and inhibit and prevent erosion. Restoring the floodplain of the Wabash River to a native habitat waterway provides effective flood control measures.

The stewardship of a native habitat waterway is far less costly than the constant maintenance and care required by ditches, levies, and other man-made flood control mechanisms and drainage devices. It also requires less taxpayer money, less government, and more community involvement.

Benefits of the City of Bluffton's ongoing efforts to restore the Wabash River floodplain to its native habitat waterway include:

• superior flood control by utilizing the river's natural floodplain
• better drainage for tributaries and farm field tiles
• better water quality by diminishing runoff laden with sediment and chemicals from farm and lawn applications
• enhanced quality of life and property values for citizens of Bluffton and the surrounding area
• a renewable resource that can be sustained to benefit and pass on to each new generation