© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Buckeye Beat: Visiting the Headwaters of the Cuyahoga River

Read the script:

[Mark] Here is where it all starts, right here in Geauga County in Montville just a little northeast of Chardon, mile 100 of the Cuyahoga River. It actually starts like this, just little trickles and rivulets that slowly form and join together through woods and farmlands and wetlands into what we know as the Cuyahoga River.

- We're in the snow bell here and so that means not only more snow but more rain, higher amount of precipitation, I think anywhere else in the state of Ohio. So that kinda works its way through the soil and peculates down because it's being, the sandstone has a lot of connected little spaces between sand grains.

[Mark] Akron officials recognized this a century ago when they set up their first city water system. They looked to the Cuyahoga River for fresh clean water. So they began buying up land along the river to protect it. In the process, they ended up saving much more than just the river.

- There's thousands and thousands endangered species that live there, it's an unbelievable resource, it's probably the best example of intact ecosystem in North East Ohio.

 

- You'll see large trees growing along the banks and these trees extend back very deeply, several hundred feet and you won't see very many homes through those sections. Also the stream as it flows downstream, it will come into vast wetland complexes where you'll have all kinds of wetland plants that are emerging out of the water.

- We believe this is the jewel of North East Ohio, this river, and it's a fantastic asset to our community and our area to have this so close to Cleveland and as the upper hand of the Cuyahoga, it's a great example of what was and what could come back.

[Mark] But there are threats to the upper Cuyahoga, companies along the river like this petroleum facility in Mantua could have mishaps that end up polluting the water. A similar concern comes with waste water wells near the river.

- If things broke, there'd be problems but they've been well-maintained, they've been put in correctly, there aren't systemic problems with leaking and anything else so it's a threat, it certainly didn't improve anything in those areas but the point that people try to make that this is going to ruin the water quality of these counties, it hasn't yet and as long as they're maintained properly and installed properly, then it shouldn't.

[Mark] A more difficult to stop impact on the river is development, people and businesses in the western parts of Geauga and Portage Counties are spreading out and laying down concrete.

- What happens is that rain comes and hits those hard surfaces and it accumulates any debris that's on there and it runs directly off into a storm water pipe down into the stream so it could carry trash, it could carry debris, it could carry maybe if cars are dripping oil, things like that directly down into the water.

[Mark] Stopping people from building homes and businesses along the water is impossible but both public and private organizations have been working to protect the river for a long time. Yes, there may be threats to the river but as long as these folks and even people like you and me do our part, we can continue to protect it for future generations too.