Restoring The Riverbank

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Restoring The Riverbank

An Evolving Riverbank

Healthy rivers and streams need healthy banks, with mostly gently sloping banks, low-lying floodplains and wetlands, trees and shrubs. The banks of the Cuyahoga will adjust to the new level of the river through natural processes, but some areas need active restoration.

Photo Courtesy Joe Prekop, Jr

DOES received Section 319 water quality grants to monitor changes and restore the riverbank as needed 3 miles upstream of the dam site, assisted by a team from local, regional, and state agencies. Along most of the river, the team noted that the river banks were recovering naturally.


Along much of the river, healthy vegetated banks and floodplains developed naturally.			Some areas remained unstable or began to erode, like the "Mill Race" tributary near the dam site.

Restoring Tributaries

Some areas, especially near the dam site, needed active restoration. Removing the dam lowered the level of the river, exposing banks of dam pool sediment and causing some tributaries to erode down to the new level of the river. Some areas near the dam did not stabilize. Using grant funds, DOES hired a contractor to stabilize eroding stream channels and unconsolidated banks. Volunteers seeded and planted banks near the dam, and later on, a contractor seeded exposed areas the volunteers could not reach.

Banks and tributaries were reshaped to more stable, gentle slopes with floodplain access. Trees were planted for additional stability.

Stabilized bank

Eroding "Mill Race" channel (shown above) after stabilization, summer 2008


Earth Day (April 22, 2006). Volunteers seeding and planting exposed banks		Seeded and planted banks (Spring 2008). Note the Willows and Dogwoods waving above the grasses. In the Summer the grasses grow to 6 feet tall. This dense vegetation helps prevent erosion of the bank.

Cleaning Up Decades of Debris

Lowering the river exposed decades of debris.

In September, 2007 the river restoration team, partners from Stow and Kent, and volunteers from the surrounding communities and Kent State University removed 134 tires, more than two dump trucks full of small appliances, bicycles, boat sections, concrete and other materials.

Now we need to protect the river from further damage. You can learn more by visiting the Protecting Resources page of this website.

Step Carefully Along The River!
Watch for uneven ground, steep unstable banks and soft sediment.