2019 Map of Metzger Marsh

About this map

Howard Farms Beach sits at the edge of a complex wetland ecosystem where the western basin of Lake Erie meets the shoreline of northern Ohio. This landscape is defined by its extensive coastal marshes, including Metzger Marsh and Willow Point Marsh, which represent the surviving fragments of a once-vast Great Lakes estuary system. The hydrology of the area is further marked by Crane Creek and secluded basins such as Searles Marsh and Douglas Marsh. Settlement is concentrated in the small grid of streets near the shoreline, where Lafontaine Dr and Lagoon Dr indicate a residential community built around the unique access to both the open lake and the protected wetlands. The boundary between Lucas and Ottawa Counties cuts through the open water and marshland, highlighting the jurisdictional divisions in this environmentally sensitive region.