Nahant Marsh

One of the last remaining urban wetlands of its size in the Midwest

The Nahant Marsh Educational Center Nahant Marsh is one of the last remaining urban wetlands of its size on the Upper Mississippi River.

From the 1960s to 1996, this land was used for skeet and trap shooting leaving Nahant Marsh contaminated with lead shot. In 1996, Nahant Marsh was listed as an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site.

In 1999, the EPA removed over 143 tons of lead-contaminated soil from 13 acres at a cost of $2 million.

The Nahant Marsh Educational Center, managed by the Putnam Museum, offers hands-on activities to further the understanding of water quality, wetlands, and their importance to both wildlife and humans.

A full-time naturalist provides educational programming on wetland ecosystems, water quality, and biodiversity at the Marsh.

There are species, such as the Northern Leopard Frog and the Blanding’s Turtle, that are studied as indicators of the health of the environment at Nahant Marsh. A stroll around the dock, boardwalk and trails within the ecological area allows a firsthand look into the diverse habitats of a wetland.

The concept drawing for the future of the marsh, taken from the 1998 Nahant Marsh Master Plan, was adopted by the City of Davenport in October, 1998, and encompasses a large study area surrounding Nahant’s 513 acres called Nahant Marsh Ecological Area.

The Nahant Marsh mission is the preservation, protection and enhancement of the marsh and its neighboring areas.

The EPA collected sediment samples from the marsh before and after the cleanup to determine the levels of lead per square foot. Vegetation was burned in order to reduce the volume of lead contaminated sediment to be excavated. An excavator loaded lead contaminated soil from the soil surrounding the marsh into a dump truck to be sent to Scott County Landfill for proper processing and disposal. The heavy equipment used to excavate the marsh required temporary roads called mud mats made from large wooden planks.