Brecksville Dam removal completed; river open for recreation
The Brecksville Diversion Dam and historic Pinery Feeder Dam have been removed, and the Cuyahoga River is free-flowing in Brecksville for the first time in over 190 years.
As a result, the river is open for recreational use. It had been closed above and below the dams during removal. Paddlers can now travel the river through Cuyahoga Valley National Park and into Cleveland.
The section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail closest to the river remains closed. A parallel section still allows through travel.
The next step in the project is to design and install a pump at the location where the Pinery Feeder Dam had provided water to the Ohio & Erie Canal. The canal section between Wilson Feed Mill and Rockside Road in Valley View is designated as a National Historic Landmark. This section includes the restored Lock 38 in front of Canal Exploration Center.
The canal will remain dry until the pump is installed in 2021, which will restore the water source to this historical resource. The park will take action to improve the condition of the canal during this time.
The National Park Service collaborated with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cleveland Metroparks and Friends of the Crooked River for 10 years to achieve the dam removal.
The project was funded in part through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Information about the process and a photo gallery are available on nps.gov.
“Organizations and individuals throughout the region have been working for decades to rewrite the narrative about the Cuyahoga River, from a source of shame and a symbol of environmental degradation to a source of pride and a symbol of renewal,” said CVNP Superintendent Craig Kenkel. “We made it a point to align our goals with the phenomenal work that has made the Cuyahoga River the success story that it is today.”
In 2016, CVNP began a five-year effort to restore the condition and reputation of the Cuyahoga River within the national park. Since then, the NPS has collaborated beyond park boundaries with numerous partners to create the Cuyahoga River Water Trail and embarked on major environmental restoration projects in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is exploring the possibility of designating the section of the river within CVNP under the Wild and Scenic Rivers program and is working alongside other stakeholders towards removal of the river from the USEPA list of Environmental Areas of Concern.
Removal of the dams is a major milestone in achieving Wild and Scenic Rivers designation and getting the river delisted as an area of concern. Removing the dams has also brought about significant improvements in water quality, wildlife habitat and recreational access.
The Brecksville Diversion Dam had been a major obstacle in the Cuyahoga River, requiring paddlers to portage around it. The Cuyahoga is a diverse river, with sections suitable for beginner, intermediate and expert paddling skill levels. Paddlers should assess river conditions and their own skills prior to a trip. For more information, visit cuyahogariverwatertrail.org.