The Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve and State Nature Preserve is a drowned stream mouth coastal wetland that is a meeting/mixing zone between Old Woman Creek and Lake Erie.  As one of the few natural Lake Erie coastal wetland ecosystems, the Old Woman Creek Reserve and Preserve has federal and state protected area designations.  Old Woman Creek is part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, a national network of 28 estuarine ecosystems that promote the stewardship of coastal resources using integrated research and education programs.  The State of Ohio has designated Old Woman Creek as a State Nature Preserve.  The Ohio state nature preserve system protects remnants of Ohio’s natural heritage. 

Located 3 miles east of Huron near the southernmost point of the Great Lakes coastline, the majority of the 573-acre area is located south of U.S. Route 6 (Cleveland Road) and surrounds the coastal wetland.

The DeWine Center for Coastal Wetland Studies hosts the Reserve’s visitor center, laboratories, classroom facilities, and administrative offices.  Since its designation as a Research Reserve in 1980, there have been 250+ published works based on research and sampling conducted at the area.

This Ohio reserve was the first Great Lakes-type estuary included within the reserve system. The site features freshwater marshes, swamp forests, a barrier beach, upland forests, and a riparian stream (Old Woman Creek). The reserve is a critical spawning and nursery ground.