Ottawa County lies within the Maumee Lake Plains area of the Huron-Erie Lake Plains ecoregion, which was the location of the now mostly-drained and channelized Black Swamp. The county also includes North Bass, Middle Bass and South Bass islands. Located on Lake Erie, the county includes the Portage River and the Toussaint River (see Ottawa County Watershed Map). The county is bordered on the SE by Sandusky Bay. The county is entirely within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map).

Places to Visit

• Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge consists of 8,000 acres of wetlands, grasslands and forests. Is is associated with a further 2,000 acres of non-federal protected land. 41 odonata species have been identified

• Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area is located along the shore of Lake Erie, contiguous with Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. 27 species have been identified

• Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is located along the shore of Lake Erie, contiguous with Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. 30 species have been identified

• Portage River Water Trail. Map shows parkland, river access points, and facilities.

County Observation Activity

This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in blue, with the average for all Ohio counties in orange. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.