Introduction: A New Living Laboratory on Lake Decatur
After more than a year of planning, a dedicated research team is launching a new phase of study focused on floating wetlands. Two compact, self-contained “islands” built from steel frames and natural coir logs will ride the surface of Lake Decatur. These living laboratories are designed to reveal how floating wetlands influence nutrient levels, sediment dynamics, and aquatic habitats across lake systems nationwide.
The Structure: How the Wetlands Are Built
The rafts are composed of sturdy steel cages wrapped with thick coils of coconut fiber, or coir, to cradle and protect the native plants. The design is intentionally simple: a frame to support growth, no elevated platform for walking, and buoyant safety features to keep the experiment stable. Bright orange buoys mark the edges for boaters, and a small fence around each raft guards against grazing by curious wildlife, especially geese.
The Planting Plan: A Deliberate, Data-Informed Layout
Planting at the dock begins with rows of nine native species arranged in a carefully planned order rather than at random. Last September, researchers harvested plants from nearby wetlands and tested them in the Ecohydraulics and Ecomorphodynamics Laboratory at the University of Illinois. Those lab assessments evaluated root resilience under water flow and projected how different roots might interact with lake bottom sediments.
Today’s field setup uses those lab insights to optimize the planting pattern. Species are organized to maximize root protection in higher-flow conditions and arranged in row plots that make it easier to track each plant’s performance in future measurements. The goal is to observe how individual species contribute to the overall dynamics of the floating wetland and how their roots interact with currents and sediments.
The Launch: From Dock to Lake
With teamwork and precision, the crew places the plant-filled coir logs into the steel frames and then attaches the flotation system. The moment of lift is met with satisfaction as the rafts float at the exact depth planned to keep roots submerged and active. The design is straightforward by intent: the frames support growth and structure, not a walking surface, allowing the living laboratory to expand naturally through plant roots and water interactions.
Next, the team retrieves the rafts by boat, towing them to their anchoring sites. The first voyage is slower than expected as the raft, buoyed by multiple buoys, remains anything but streamlined. The slow journey across the lake is a reminder of nature’s complexity, even in controlled experiments. Upon reaching the target location, researchers assess anchorage and orientation, conduct a quick bathymetric survey to confirm depth, and secure the raft in place before returning to the dock to repeat the procedure with the second floating wetland.
What Comes Next: Measuring Impacts on the Lake
Over the coming weeks, the plants will grow, and the root systems will gradually extend through the coir logs and into the water column. This root development is essential for testing the core hypotheses: how roots interact with water currents and suspended sediments, whether floating wetlands alter erosion and deposition patterns, and what kinds of aquatic habitats emerge around these structures. By comparing data across the two rafts, researchers hope to identify which species combinations are most effective at stabilizing sediments, reducing nutrient loads, and fostering biodiversity.
Why This Matters: A National Perspective on Lake Health
Floating wetlands have the potential to inform lake restoration efforts nationwide. If these experiments demonstrate meaningful reductions in nutrient levels or changes in sediment transport, they could guide management strategies for watersheds facing eutrophication, sediment buildup, or habitat loss. The Lake Decatur project serves as a controlled, replicable model to understand the ecological and hydrodynamic processes at play in real-world lake systems.
Conclusion: A Step Toward Cleaner, More Resilient Lakes
The new phase of the floating wetland project embodies a forward-looking approach to lake science: building a living laboratory that blends careful design, lab-backed planting choices, and methodical field deployment. As roots take hold and interactions unfold, researchers will gain valuable insights into how floating wetlands can shape the flow of nutrients and sediments—and the habitats that depend on them—across lakes beyond Lake Decatur.
