The Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve was established in 2005, a wetland southwest of Fort Wayne in a valley near the St. Lawrence Divide that drains into the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin. The Miami Indians called the area “the Glorious Gate,” and Indiana pioneers called it “the Great Marsh.” It was the portage between two water systems, the Wabash and Maumee rivers, both vital to transportation and trade. In 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built an earthern berm 80 feet wide and 8 to 10 feet high to prevent mixing the river waters from a 100 year flood that might allow invasive Asian carp, that grow to 100 pounds, from crossing the marsh into the Maumee River that will allow their entry into Lake Erie and the Great Lakes. Read more in Eagle Marsh project proving complicated by Brian Francisco published September 28, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
Exciting research in action! Yesterday and today, Purdue Fort Wayne students are out at Eagle Marsh, gathering and identifying insects. Our preserves, like Eagle Marsh, provide an invaluable resource for universities to conduct hands-on research and enhance learning. These collaborative programs not only support academic studies but also give us greater insight into the biodiversity and activity happening in the marsh, helping us continue our mission to protect and restore these vital ecosystems.
6801 Engle Road, Fort Wayne, 46804. Eagle Marsh Preservation on Facebook. Bald eagles and sandhill cranes are the stars among a variety of wildlife returning to this restored marsh in the portage area of southwest Allen County maintained by the Little River Wetlands Project. The portage area of southwest Allen County connects the 3 Fort Wayne rivers with the Wabash River that flows southwest to the Ohio River then the Mississippi River. Fort Wayne is called the "Summit City" because it was the highest point on the Wabash & Erie Canal and also near a continental divide so the Maumee River Flows northeast to Lake Erie (one of the Great Lakes) in the opposite direction as the Wabash River. The Fort Wayne Community School Portage Middle School is near and named for this area. Fort Wayne sits along a continental divide discussed in Options narrowed for Eagle Marsh carp plan August 15, 2013 no longer online, Carp-control report released for Eagle Marsh August 15, 2013 statement issued by the Corps of Engineers on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, and Officials to research 2 options for halting carp August 16, 2013 no longer online all by Dan Stockman of the The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Here's something a little different. I was watching this osprey cruising high over one of the big ponds at the marsh this morning. Suddenly it banked into a steep dive and disappeared behind some trees. When it reappeared I was really surprised to see that it was carrying a large goldfish! Not a great photo because it was a very long way off, but you can see what was going on. There's always something cool to see at Eagle Marsh.
The berm project at Eagle Marsh continues to attract national attention. Betsy Yankowiak, our director of preserves and...
The berm project at Eagle Marsh continues to attract national attention. Betsy Yankowiak, our director of preserves and programs, was recently interviewed by Voice of America, essentially the official media outlet for the federal government. Here's the report:US State Builds Wall to Fend Off Asian Carp Invasion
Ed Powers has been the compiler for Eagle Marsh birds for the past 15 years. In September, Jon Jenkins noted an...
Ed Powers has been the compiler for Eagle Marsh birds for the past 15 years. In September, Jon Jenkins noted an olive-sided flycatcher at the marsh. This was bird species #250! Pictured is the floating dock on the east side of the the marsh.
PrimeTime - Age of Nature - October 9, 2020 Season 2020 Episode 32 | 27m 33s Age of Nature. Guests - Bob Dispenza and Betsy Yankowiack. This area’s only in-depth, live, weekly news, analysis and cultural update forum, PrimeTime 39 airs Fridays at 7:30pm. This program is hosted by PBS39’s President/General Manager Bruce Haines.
Eagle Marsh is honored to be apart of the Indiana Wetlands Challenge! @protectindianaland and other partners have compiled a guide of places who are protecting wetlands.
This selfie/photo station is intended to educate the community on the importance of wetlands. Use the hashtag #IndianaWetlands to help spread the word. Starting the end of next week, postcards are available through this challenge. You can send your selfie to the state and share that you care about wetlands.
More information and guide available at: Indiana Wetlands Challenge Discover Indiana Wetlands. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to visit and learn about these special ecosystems.
Wetlands are some of the most complex and productive ecosystems in the world. An 831-acre area located in Fort Wayne, IN known as Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve provides food and shelter for at least 243 species of birds, according to eBird [ Eagle Marsh ]. From Osprey to Eastern Meadowlarks, Eastern Screech-Owls to Caspian Terns, warblers and sparrows and hawks and more, think about how much biodiversity is represented in this food web!
Little River Wetlands Project protects more than 1,300 acres of wetlands in the Little River watershed, including Eagle Marsh, where you can explore over 14 miles of trails. When you check this property off your list, you will have seen the result of one of the largest #indianawetlands restoration projects. We think it's quite spectacular!
Join the Indiana Wetlands Challenge! Download your guide here:
Here is my latest blog post. It covers two years of turtle research at Eagle Marsh. This is a citizen science project coordinated by Purdue University Fort Wayne. Please watch the video, it may get you interested in participating in some turtle research this summer. The research is fun, beautiful, and useful. Contact Little Rivers Wetlands Project if you are thinking of helping out this summer. You can volunteer for a morning, an afternoon, the whole day, or the entire two weeks. And don't worry, if you don't have your own waders Eagle Marsh will have a pair you can borrow for the day.
Living Green On A Blue Planet Turtle Research at Eagle Marsh April 17, 2024 Living Green on a Blue Planet on YouTube
Eagle Marsh, part of Little River Wetlands Project, participates in numerous citizen science projects. One of the more dynamic (read fluid) projects is Turtle Research. The research is desgined and coordinated by Purdue University Fort Wayne's Department of Biology. Dr. Mark Jordan directs the project. During the summers of 2022 and 2023 biology student Autumn Straessle corrdinated the project on site at Eagle Marsh. The project gathered data on air and water temperature, species identification, the size, weight, and sex of each turtle caught, and focused on four different species of freshwater turtles.
Forest & Grassland Biology students collecting native seeds at Eagle Marsh. These seeds will be cleaned over the winter and sown in the spring. Eagle Marsh distributes the native seedlings to community members, local organizations, and back into the marsh.
Yesterday and today, Purdue Fort Wayne students are out at Eagle Marsh, gathering and identifying insects. Our preserves, like Eagle Marsh, provide an invaluable resource for universities to conduct hands-on research and enhance learning. These collaborative programs not only support academic studies but also give us greater insight into the biodiversity and activity happening in the marsh, helping us continue our mission to protect and restore these vital ecosystems.