Brecksville Dam removal begins, thanks to forward-thinking, healthy partnerships

Sun Star Courier, 6/1/2020
“Removal of the Brecksville Dam — variously known as the Station Road Dam, the Route 82 Dam and the Canal Diversion Dam — began with an initial feasibility study in 2006. The combination of environmental concerns, historic preservation issues and a tangled web of stakeholders required a deliberate approach.”

AMERICAN RIVERS NAMES CLEVELAND’S CUYAHOGA “RIVER OF THE YEAR”

American Rivers, 4/2019
“Celebrating the progress that has been made to clean up Cleveland, Ohio’s Cuyahoga River, and marking the 50th anniversary of the river’s fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement, American Rivers today named the Cuyahoga “River of the Year” for 2019.”

Fish in river that famously caught fire now OK’d for dinner

The Associated Press, 3/19/2019
“The U.S. EPA agreed with Ohio EPA’s recommendation that restrictions on fish consumption be eased from Gorge Dam near Akron to Lake Erie in Cleveland. State regulators proposed the change last year judging by improvements observed through fish tissue sampling.”

The Cuyahoga’s cleaner, but there’s still work to do

Great Lakes Today, 5/7/2018

“The Cuyahoga River has come a long way from that infamous 1969 fire – and it’s getting better every day. Along with three other rivers in Ohio, the Cuyahoga is on the U.S. EPA’s Area of Concern List, which includes places hurt by industry and development. The river has 10 problem areas or impairments – loss of fish habitat and fish population, among others.”

Burning river reborn: How Cleveland saved the Cuyahoga – and itself

The Christian Science Monitor, 8/8/2017
Forty miles upriver, at the town of Cuyahoga Falls, Elaine Marsh is a watershed specialist for Summit Metro Parks, a regional agency that is slowly accumulating preserved land on the swift whitewater of the Cuyahoga’s upper 94 miles. … “The fire is now part of the myth of the river. And by myth, I mean something that inspires,” she says. “We like to think of the Cuyahoga as a phoenix rising out of the ashes of the fire. Could that have happened without the fire? It’s like asking if slavery would have ended without the Civil War. Probably, but not for a long time.”

Protect Lake Erie from devastating Trump administration cuts, Sen. Portman: editorial

The Plain Dealer, 3/8/2017

Never has the threat been more grave. To help pay for tens of billions in increased defense spending, President Donald Trump’s administration reportedly is considering eviscerating the Great Lakes initiative with a 97 percent cut.

  

Animus in Army Corps’ emails toward Cleveland requires judicial rebuke: editorial

The Plain Dealer, 1/27/2017

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has long been accused of being arrogant, closed-minded and high-handed toward Cleveland and the state of Ohio and not a bit concerned about finding a solution to a years-long dispute over Cuyahoga River dredge disposal.

Special Metro Parks series focused on the famed Gorge dam

Akron Beacon Journal, 1/22/2017

With the push to remove a 105-year-old dam from Gorge Metro Park — a move that would uncover the long-hidden falls under the Cuyahoga River that gave Cuyahoga Falls its name — Summit County Metro Parks has planned a series of special programs about the well-known but obsolete feature

Brecksville Dam targeted for demolition; fishing, Cuyahoga River water quality expected to improve

The Plain Dealer, 8/6/2016

An environmental assessment of the Brecksville Dam is expected to be completed by the end of this month, followed by a public comment period in September, with a possible demolition date in 2017 or 2018.

Lake Erie Dredging

The Sound of Ideas, 5/10/2016

Lake Erie.  It’s one of the region’s most valued natural assets–supplying drinking water to more than 70 communities in Northeast Ohio.  The lake also supports jobs and recreation.  Lake Erie is at the center of ongoing discussions between both the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Design work for Gorge Dam removal may start this year

Cuyahoga Falls News-Press, 3/27/2016

While work may begin this year on the design phase for the removal of the Gorge Dam, other steps must be taken for the $70 million-plus project to move forward, according to an Ohio EPA official.

“There are several pieces that need to be lined up for the whole puzzle to be complete,” said Lindey Amer, public information officer for the Ohio EPA’s Northeast District Office. …

Gorge Dam removal on Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls is moving forward with federal blessing

Beacon Journal, 3/8/2016

According to an article in the Akron Beacon Journal, the federal government has agreed to cover 65% of the costs associated with the Gorge Dam removal. This amounts to 45.5 million in federal Great Lakes cleanup funds. For the first time in many years, the removal of the Gorge Dam is feasible.

Akron ready to begin three sewer projects including green projects in Northwest Akron, North Hill

Akron Beacon Journal, 2/17/16

The city of Akron is poised to begin three sewer projects including two green sewer overflow projects recently approved by a federal agency.

Photographer Tracks 40-Year Recovery of American Bald Eagle

USA Today, 2/17/16

“John Chaney was a college student in the 1970s when he decided to document the few remaining American bald eagles before their seemingly inevitable extinction. The lower 48 had fewer than 450 mating pairs of bald eagles then. He wondered what a United States of America would be like with no bald eagles.”

Familiar Battle Surfaces Over What To Do With River Muck

Ideastream, 2/4/16

“The Port of Cleveland and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have dredged up old arguments…namely over how to dispose of sediment gathered twice a year from the Cuyahoga River. ”

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rejects Port of Cleveland request to stop open-lake dumping

Crain’s Cleveland Business, 2/3/16

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has rejected the Port of Cleveland’s “effort to protect Lake Erie water quality” by giving the port’s plans for dredge disposal a thumb’s down and electing to continue dumping waste in the lake, the port announced on Wednesday, Feb. 3.”

Removing Gorge Dam on Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls could cost about $70 million

Akron Beacon Journal, 9/24/15

“Removing the dam that was built in 1911-1912 would provide a major boost to water quality in the Cuyahoga River”

State agencies teach Akron’s Asian immigrants about health threat from eating fish, rules for catching species

Akron Beacon Journal, 11/2/14

“Eating too many Ohio-caught fish can be harmful to one’s health, according to guidelines from the Ohio EPA. Cast nets cannot be used to catch certain sport fish, like bass, bluegills and sunfish.”

Cuyahoga Valley seeking public input on mountain biking proposal

Akron Beacon Journal, 10/18/14

Asking for input. No word lately on plans for fostering public access to paddling the river.

Ohio EPA says Cuyahoga River sediment must go in disposal facility this year, not Lake Erie

Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/14/14

Not so fast, ACoE! “Ohio EPA, whose permission is required for open lake dumping, worried the sediment could increase PCB levels in Lake Erie fish.”

Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation Seeking Grant For New Boat Launch Facility

City of Cuyahoga Falls, 3/25/14

FOCR has joined MetroParks and others in supporting the city’s plan to build a launch to make safe access for paddlers.

Friends of the Crooked River has lost an advocate and friend

Akron Beacon Journal, 2/4/14

Obituary for river advocate and longtime FOCR member Marna Lilliedale Becker.

After two years, federal judge approves consent decree in Akron sewer case

Akron Beacon Journal, 1/22/14

The Consent Decree between the City of Akron and the US EPA has finally been approved. The $1.4-billion project to end discharge of raw sewage into the river during heavy rain events is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Army Corps of Engineers says Cuyahoga River sediment clean enough to dump into Lake Erie; OEPA disagrees

Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/8/14

The river’s cleaner now, so let’s sludge-up a Great Lake!

Articles Archive (2008 – 2013)