Fort Wayne City Utilities has created a wetland area on the City’s southeast side to store and treat stormwater runoff, located at 3615 Oxford Street. During World War II, a portion of the property that is now a wetland was home to an Army training facility and later to a prisoner of war camp that was named “Camp Scott.”
Now, stormwater from several neighborhoods around McMillen Park goes to a massive storage tank at the park and is then pumped to the wetlands. In developing Camp Scott, the City of Fort Wayne reclaimed a brownfield that had been used for dumping and created a nature preserve that also helps reduce flooding in surrounding neighborhoods.
Why is Camp Scott important?
Camp Scott is important for several reasons.
- Camp Scott receives stormwater from the area in red on this map. Stormwater is rain or melting snow that does not soak into the ground. Stormwater can often have pollutants from trash, nutrients from leaves, grass, pet waste, fertilizer, or chemicals that spilled on the ground or leaked from vehicles. The plants in the wetlands filter out the pollutants, and the water slows down, allowing sediment to settle out before the water goes through storm pipes to the Maumee River.
- In addition to treating stormwater before it reaches the Maumee River, Camp Scott also promotes a healthy habitat for many species of birds, plants, trees, and other animals.
- Fort Wayne’s three rivers are a part of the Maumee River Watershed that flows to Lake Erie. There are many other communities along the Maumee River that will receive the stormwater from Fort Wayne. By reducing pollutants entering our watershed with wetlands like Camp Scott we help maintain a healthy ecosystem all the way to the Great Lakes.
The stormwater is received from the neighborhoods’ storm drains (the red lines). It flows through storm sewers to the McMillen Park Structure where the stormwater is screened for trash and then is pumped to the Camp Scott Influent Pond.
How does Camp Scott work?
Click on the image below to see how water flows through and gets treated at Camp Scott.
Camp Scott Tours
The best way for the City to be sure the wetlands are operated as required is to control access to the facility. That means that the area is opened to the public on limited occasions and when City staff members are present.
Fort Wayne provides tours of the wetlands by appointment. Contact the site manager to arrange a tour for your group by calling 311.
Learn More
Download a brochure about the Camp Scott Wetlands.
Want to learn more about wetlands? The Environmental Protection Agency has many fact sheets that provide information.