Visit Westerville’s Wetlands

Environmental stewardship has always been one of the City’s core values. This is accomplished through commitments to preserving the natural environment while actively integrating green practices into our physical footprint. The Parks and Recreation Department is dedicated to the protection of wetlands, floodplain, woodlots, ravines and other natural corridors to ensure the availability of wildlife habitats, water quality and public access for both enjoyment and education.

HIGHLANDS PARK WETLANDS AREA (245 S. SPRING RD.)

The design of this park allows for improved habitat quality and a greater buffering capacity for stormwater runoff and filtration. Scattered open water areas function as habitats for fish and waterfowl and act as a trap for suspended sediments. The wetlands area features an accessible dock that allows for up-close and personal interaction with a unique ecosystem.

HERITAGE PARK AND WETLANDS (60 N. CLEVELAND AVE.)

Heritage Park is a large, natural forested wetland located in Westerville’s 100-year floodplain, partially surrounded by Alum Creek. These wetlands were formed as the result of clay extraction from brickmaking in the late 1800s to early 1900s. This park houses a high-quality wetland with mature sycamore trees and swaths of buttonbush, a native wetland shrub. There are also three wetland areas on the east side of the rectangular athletic fields that help mitigate flooding in the surrounding neighborhoods..

MARINER’S COVE (VIA FISHERMAN’S DRIVE AND WAKE DRIVE)

Mariner’s Cove and Wetlands, developed in 2001, is a nineacre plot of land located along Fisherman’s Drive with the entrance to the wetlands boardwalk on Wake Drive.

BOYER NATURE PRESERVE (452 E. PARK ST.)

A nearly 11.5-acre nature preserve located at the end of Park Street and Orchard Lane, north of Walnut Street. The park’s main feature is a three-acre, stream-fed pond that was formed in a glacial kettle. During the last ice age, Westerville existed below approximately 1,000 feet of ice. As the climate warmed, a huge slab of ice fractured from this glacier and created the glacial kettle. In addition to the pond, wetland areas and vernal pools are included in the landscape.

HOFF WOODS PARK (556 MCCORKLE BLVD.)

In the second phase of Hoff Woods Park, there is a quarter-acre bioswale that was installed as part of the park development. Bioswales are channels with plantings designed to concentrate and convey stormwater runoff while removing debris and pollution and recharging groundwater. This bioswale is planted with pollinator-friendly wildflower/wetland plantings and has been supported by the Westerville Garden Club and Westerville Sunrise Rotary Club.

COLLEGE KNOLLS WETLANDS RESERVE (VIA COUNTY LINE RD.)

This 14.5-acre plot of land between College and County Line Road is maintained by the Public Service Department. The area provides stormwater retention during intense rainfalls, limiting the water that heads toward Boyer Nature Preserve and further downstream. A portion of this land is also used for wetland purposes to improve water quality.

“Wetlands create habitat and biodiversity, help to filter water, reduce stream erosion and create spaces for people to relax and enjoy nature. It is great to work for a community who values these natural assets as well as all of the other natural spaces.”

— Matthew Ulrey, Parks and Facilities Superintendent