CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Community members are invited to attend an update meeting about the removal of the Gorge Metro Park dam on Monday, Oct. 31 from 6-8 p.m. at the Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium 2345 4th St., Cuyahoga Falls.
Summit Metro Parks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other stakeholders will lead the meeting.
In its sixth year, the project calls for removing the 420-foot-wide by 60-foot-tall dam on the Cuyahoga River located in Gorge Metro Park. The dam, which was built in 1913 by Northern Traction & Light (later Ohio Edison), was used as a hydroelectric power plant until 1958, according to Great Lakes Mud, an Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant initiative. The reservoir behind the dam was used to cool power plant water until 1992. Though the plant was razed, the dam is still in place, according to the organization.
The dam has created an obstacle to restoring the river’s water quality, according to Summit Metro Parks. Contaminated sediment is trapped behind the dam, which negatively impacts the river’s ecology. Removing the dam and site remediation will improve the river’s water quality and facilitate the movement of fish and other species.
Removing the dam and remediating the reservoir can also spur outdoor recreation, such as kayaking, in the area. The surrounding area is geologically unique in that the Cuyahoga River’s elevation drops by 200 feet in less than two miles, according to Great Lakes Mud. This elevation change means the dam blocks what would be more than two miles of Class III and Class V rapids, according to the organization.
The dam removal project is managed by the following organizations: city of Akron, city of Cuyahoga Falls, FirstEnergy, County of Summit, Summit County Council, Summit Metro Parks, The University of Akron, Ohio EPA, Ohio Lake Erie Commission and U.S. EPA.
The U.S. EPA is designing the sediment-management portion of the project and the city of Akron is engineering the dam removal, according to a project news release. Both projects are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, with matching funds from the State of Ohio.
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October 18, 2022 at 03:45AM
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Summit Metro Parks to share Gorge Metro Park dam removal project update Oct. 31 - cleveland.com
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