Middle Harbor is a 350-acre coastal wetland located along Lake Erie on the Catawba Peninsula. This site is owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Parks and Recreation and managed as part of East Harbor State Park. This wetland basin is currently disconnected from tidal flow with Lake Erie, and over time has become almost completely devoid of vegetation. The basin has poor water quality, and offers limited benefits to fish, wildlife, and society. Due to the degraded nature of the wetland, its large size, and location along Lake Erie, Middle Harbor was identified by the DNR as a high priority for restoration.

Ducks Unlimited partnered with Ohio DNR's Parks and Recreation and Wildlife divisions to secure a $643,397 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to restore tidal flow between Middle Harbor and Lake Erie, which will significantly improve the productivity of this important wetland. DU's engineering staff has completed a topographic survey and designed a water-control structure that will provide water-level-management capability to DNR staff.

Once the design is implemented, the DNR will have the tools necessary to manipulate water levels and aquatic vegetation within the basin. After an initial drawdown of the wetland to stimulate the growth of beneficial vegetation, the water-control structure will remain open to allow for daily and seasonal fluctuations in lake levels and permit fish passage into and out of the wetland.