River Restoration: Completed Projects

New river access construction at Station Road Bridge Trailhead.

NPS / Tim Fenner

River Access Improvements

The park is improving existing river access and planning new places for wildlife viewing, paddling, and fishing along the Cuyahoga River Water Trail.

In recent years, we've improved river access at the Lock 29 River Access, Station Road Bridge River Access, Boston Store River Access, and Lock 39 River Access.

 

Tree tubes work best to protect newly planted trees during their early growth.

NPS / Mallory Klein

Wetmore Habitat and Wetland Restoration

Reforestation of this site began in September 2019 and continued through the fall of 2020. Reforestation and restoration includes planting native tree species such as sycamore, red maple, and cottonwood. Most of the work was done by park staff and volunteers.

Projects in the Wetmore area included the following goals:

• Improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and decrease erosion through the removal of invasive species on over 110 acres of degraded habitat including fields, former wetlands, and previously forested land.
• Reforest approximately 29 acres of former pasture, and establish woody vegetation along about 700 linear feet of Dickerson Run.
• Create a small (less than half-acre) wetland to retain stormwater runoff and improve the condition of up to 1,000 linear feet of streams near the Wetmore Trailhead parking lot using a technique called regenerative stormwater conveyance. This is a technique for restoring streams with a series of steps and pools.

 

A wooden guardrail as been added for the safety of Towpath users. The new stream channel disappears into the cattails.

NPS / DJ Reiser

Stanford Run Restoration

Stanford Run has been modified over the years by agricultural activities, construction of the Ohio & Erie Canal, and regional development. The stream was cut off from the Cuyahoga River and a large wetland of invasive plants formed. As a result, Stanford Road regularly flooded. From winter 2019 to winter 2020, the US Army Corps of Engineers installed a larger culvert under the Towpath Trail and excavated a new meandering stream channel. Volunteers planted about 1,000 native trees. Construction has been completed, but habitat restoration continues.

For more information on restoration in the Stanford Run area, please visit our Stanford Run Restoration Photo Gallery.

 

Stream Restoration at Station Road

Left image
The condition of a stream near Station Road before it was improved as part of the road removal project.
Credit: NPS / Chris Davis

Right image
The newly improved stream near the same location.
Credit: NPS / Chris Davis

This recently completed project realigned a drainage pattern that was established with historic road construction. Stormwater runoff was redirected to an expanded wetland, eliminating discharge previously entering directly into the river.