Gorge Dam removal reaching important milestones - Spectrum News 1

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CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — The roughly $130 million project to take down the Gorge Dam is nearing important milestones, as work steadily progresses, officials said in the most recent community update.

Located in the Summit Metro Parks Gorge Park, the dam spans the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. With public interest in the project high, officials have tentatively scheduled the next community meeting for July.

What You Need To Know

The roughly $130 million project to take down the Gorge Dam is nearing important milestones

Built in 1913 to provide hydroelectric power, the 58-foot-high, 428-foot-wide dam has served no purpose for decades

Removing the structure is expected to help return the river to optimal health and boost economic development in the area

Design is nearing finalization for sediment removal, the costliest aspect of the project, slated to be completed in 2026

The dam, a 58-foot-high, 428-foot-wide hunk of concrete built in 1913 to provide hydroelectric power, has served no purpose since the 1950s and is considered the final impediment to the Cuyahoga River’s return to optimal health, officials have said.

Removing the giant obstruction — the last dam standing in a chain of dams from Kent to Akron — would allow the river to naturally begin to clean itself and migratory fish to move freely once again, according to conservationists.

In addition to Cuyahoga Falls, Akron, Summit Metro Parks, the Ohio and U.S. EPAs and FirstEnergy, more than 50 agencies, businesses and civic organizations are also considered stakeholders, working toward bringing down the dam.

In its latest update to the community on the project, Summit Metro Parks reports the work is progressing well, with several important milestones in sight.

A Class III drop for kayakers in the Cuyahoga River. (Photo courtesy of Summit Metro Parks)

Final design documents

Design documents for sediment remediation are nearing finalization. A U.S. EPA study from 2009 to 2011 found the sediment non-toxic in a 1.5-mile pool behind the dam, meaning it could be removed without requiring confined disposal. The design documents detail preparing the disposal site, a 30-acre area near the Chuckery area of the Cascade Valley Metro Park, and stabilizing the bank near the former FirstEnergy power plant in the Gorge Metro Park near the Front Street bridge.Project agreement

Stakeholders have estimated about $100 million of the project cost will be for sediment removal. Work is underway to craft an agreement with the U.S. EPA to fund sediment remediation through the Great Lakes Legacy Act, enabling the EPA to begin seeking bids for the remediation.

Trees have been cleared at the Chuckery Area of Cascade Valley Metro Park in preparation for sediment disposal.

Dam removal

Design work is underway for the dam's concrete structure removal, with details to come.

According to Summit Metro Parks, prior to the dam’s construction, the Gorge area and Big Falls, a multi-tiered waterfall beneath the dam, were the biggest attractions in the state.

Branding the project “Free the Falls,” in homage to Big Falls, stakeholders say allowing the river to flow freely again will boost economic development in the region.

Prior to the dam’s construction, the Gorge area and Big Falls, the waterfall beneath the dam, were among the biggest attractions in Ohio. (Courtesy of Summit Metro Parks)

Without the dam, the Cuyahoga River will likely draw kayaking enthusiasts and support water-recreation businesses, as the river will feature about 2.5 miles of continuous Class III to Class V whitewater, officials said. In addition, caves and other natural features could also be revealed.

When the Powerhouse and Sheraton dams were removed in Cuyahoga Falls, the river bordering the city’s downtown was opened to Class II to Class V rapids, the city said.

That prompted local paddling enthusiasts to launch the city's annual kayak race, which evolved into the Cuyahoga Falls Fest, drawing hundreds to the city’s riverfront each spring.

In 2022, President Joe Biden visited the shipyards in Lorain, Ohio to announce a $1 billion investment in the Great Lakes region as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

During his address, Biden called out the Gorge Dam as one of the projects considered vital to cleaning up the Great Lakes and their tributaries to boost job creation and the manufacturing industry in the Great Lakes region.

To learn more about the Free the Falls project and the Gorge Dam, visit the Summit Metro Parks website.