Since 1998, the National Park Service and its partners have done extensive restoration work in the Great Marsh at Indiana Dunes National Park, and the results of that work was visible this week as sandhill cranes gathered in the thousands to use the marsh during migration.
Despite being a haven for migratory birds for thousands of years, during the 20th century, before it was integrated into the National Park System, much of the Great Marsh’s 4,000 acres were drained, dug up, or otherwise destroyed. For example, according to Save the Dunes, in the late 1800s, the eastern portion of the marsh was transformed into a cranberry farm, and in the 1930s, a golf course had replaced parts of the marsh that were once wet prairie.
The National Park Service, partners, and volunteers have since restored hydrology to recreate a wet environment in which native plants can thrive in the marsh. Thanks to these efforts, 1,100 acres of the Great Marsh wetland complex have been improved.
Apart from its restoration as a destination for migratory birds like the sandhill crane, it has become a filter for stormwater and melting snow, removing pollutants and potentially dangerous bacteria such as E. coli from water before it reaches Lake Michigan. Other wildlife has also returned to the marsh, including turtles, river otters, and 36 species of warblers.
The National Park Service and its partners continue to maintain and restore even more of the Great Marsh wetland complex so that visitors can experience healthier and more resilient ecosystems.
Visitors wishing to see the cranes can spot them in the Great Marsh near Cowles Bog along Mineral Springs Road. The cranes are relying on the marsh as a place to rest and refuel during their long journey, so visitors should give the birds plenty of space.
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