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Rocky River Watershed Council |
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The Rocky River Watershed Council is recognized as a Public Charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Rocky River Watershed Council, Inc. 6100 West Canal Rd. Valley View, OH 44125 |
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Current Projects and Programs:
Rocky River Stream Crossing Signage Sponsorship Program Initiated in 2009, the goal of this program is to install stream crossing sign throughout the Cuyahoga County portion of the watershed (Medina SWCD runs a similar program in Medina County). Signs have the name of the stream or river, the RRWC logo and web address, and the sponsor’s name. For just $1000, two signs per crossing will be installed in participating cities. Thank you to the City of Berea for sponsoring our first stream crossing! The sign will be installed along South Rocky River Drive at Baldwin Creek in spring 2010.
Abram and Baldwin Creeks Storm Water Retrofit Opportunities Inventory Cuyahoga SWCD has been conducting a storm water retrofit opportunities inventory in the Rocky River’s Abram and Baldwin Creek Watersheds, including all of Middleburg Heights and portions of the communities of Berea, Brook Park, North Royalton, Parma and Strongsville, and in the Euclid Creek Watershed. The goal of the inventory is to identify opportunities to improve storm water treatment on Commercial, Industrial, Institutional and Public Properties. This could include enhancing current storm water treatment or storage practices, as well as installing new treatment and/or storage practices at these sites. This project is funded through a grant from the national Fish & Wildlife Foundation’s Save Our Great Lakes grant program, which includes the financial support of ArcelorMittal and the USEPA.
Upper Abram Creek Residential Storm Water BMP Incentive Program Also funded through the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Sustain Our Great Lakes grant program, this program will provide financial incentives to residents in the Uppermost 750-acre catchment of Abram Creek (along Big Creek Parkway and Pearl Road in Middleburg Heights) to install rain barrels and rain gardens, and to perform soil fertility analyses.
Rain Barrel Workshops The RRWC is teaming up with the Cuyahoga SWCD again in 2010 to offer a series of Rain Barrel Workshops. Workshop participants construct a rain barrel to install at home. Cost is $60 (just $45 for RRWC members!), and includes all barrel parts—including a downspout diverter—and instruction. The following workshops have been scheduled so far. New dates will be posted as they are scheduled, so be sure to check back often!
Ž 4/17/2010—at the Medina County Earth Day at Medina County Park District’s Buffalo Creek Retreat near Seville. Workshops will be conducted throughout the day. Contact Medina County SWCD at 330-722-2628 x3 for available times and to sign up.
Ž 4/29/2010—6:30-8:00 PM at the Broadview Heights City Hall Arts & Crafts Room located at 9543 Broadview Rd. Contact Rocky River Watershed Coordinator Jared Bartley to sign up (jbartley@cuyahogaswcd.org, 216-524-6580 x14).
Ž 6/8/2010—6:30PM-8:00PM at the Coe Lake Pavilion located behind Berea City Hall. Contact Rocky River Watershed Coordinator Jared Bartley to sign up (jbartley@cuyahogaswcd.org, 216-524-6580 x14).
Ž 6/9/2010—6:30PM-8:00PM at the Middleburg Heights Recreation Center. Contact Rocky River Watershed Coordinator Jared Bartley to sign up (jbartley@cuyahogaswcd.org, 216-524-6580 x14).
East Branch Conservation Easement Acquisition Western Reserve Land Conservancy, in partnership with Cleveland Metroparks, received a grant to fund land acquisition and restoration projects within the East Branch of the Rocky River watershed from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s 319 Program. The project will:
River Cleanups: Berea-Middleburg Heights Streamside Cleanup—5/22/2010, 9-11AM Main Stem Rocky River—6/5/2010, 9AM-Noon Champion Creek Cleanup in Medina—6/5/2010, details TBD
Projects and Programs in the Planning Phase:
Baldwin Creek Dam Removal The project will restore fish passage by removing 3 dams and enhancing habitat along the lower 1 mile of Baldwin Creek in Berea. Cuyahoga SWCD has applied for funding through the US Fish & Wildlife Service and Ohio EPA Surface Water Improvement Fund. Click here to view a complete project profile.
South Branch Baldwin Creek Streambank Stabilization Project will utilize “soft” engineering techniques to stabilize 150 linear feet of severely eroding streambank along the South Branch of Baldwin Creek in Strongsville. Commons Oval HOA has applied for funding through the Ohio EPA Surface Water Improvement Fund.
Healey Creek—Venus Park Stream Restoration Project will restore ~1500 linear feet of incised creek channel in Brunswick’s Venus Park and install upstream volume controls.
Baldwin Creek Volunteer Monitoring A Level 2 Credible Data Project Study Plan for Baldwin Creek is being developed in conjunction with Cuyahoga SWCD and a CWRU Senior Capstone student.
Rain Garden Plant Kit Sales Interested in rain gardens, but don’t know where to find the right native plants? Cuyahoga SWCD is partnering with Ohio Prairie Nursery to sell Rain Garden Plant Kits in spring/summer 2010. Both Sun and Shade plant kits are available. Visit the Cuyahoga SWCD web site for details.
North Olmsted-Windsor Drive Streambank Stabilization and Source Control Channel straightening and upstream development have contributed to streambank erosion along Windsor Dr. in North Olmsted. The goals of this project are to stabilize the streambanks and to implement upstream source controls.
Prioritization of Sites for Permanent Protection Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Cleveland Metroparks are actively seeking to acquire both land and conservation easements in the Rocky River Watershed. While the RRWC strongly supports these efforts, there are certain categories of sites that are a high RRWC priority that do not fit the priorities established by these organizations. These sites are usually smaller, address headwater stream systems, and/or are located in urban areas. The objective is to identify and prioritize intact riparian and wetland habitats for preservation via conservation easement.
Completed Projects and Programs:
Rocky River Backyard Buffers Program Funded by a Lake Erie Protection Fund grant to Cuyahoga SWCD, the Rocky River Backyard Buffers Program provided over 20,000 tree and shrub seedlings to over 180 riparian landowners throughout the Rocky River Watershed. Click here for a complete project summary.
East Branch Home Sewage Treatment System (HSTS) Replacement and Conservation Easement Acquisition Project An Ohio EPA Section 319 grant to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health provided for the acquisition of 230 acres of conservation easement and the replacement of 42 failing HSTS’s, leading to load reductions of 2023 lbs/yr nitrogen, 766 lbs/yr phosphorus and 16,800 gallons/day of untreated sewage. Click here to view a project profile. This project starts on page 4. |