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Becoming a River Again |
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The middle
Cuyahoga, which once was a stagnant, algae covered dam pool low
in oxygen, is a healthy, freely flowing river! The river is
lower, narrower, and faster. Fish populations are recovering and
are expected to meet water quality standards in a couple of
years, indicating good water quality and habitat. |
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Dam pool,
August 15, 2005.
Note algae at edges. |
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River,
11/4/05-after dam
was removed from the south side. |
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View upstream of north abutment June 2008. The sign was at about
where the arrow is pointing (see pictures above and left). The
dam pool extended as high and as wide as the base of the trees. |
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Changing River Banks |
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These photos taken upstream of the dam site in
June and July, 2006 show the new vegetation growing along
the mud banks that were formerly under water.
Removal of the dam dropped the level of the
river by nearly 12 feet at the dam site,
exposing new banks of the dam pool sediment. Tree stumps that were underwater for over 100
years are again along the river banks! Some areas of the mud bank are still
unstable or treacherously
soft or contain deep mud cracks under dense
vegetation. |
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South
bank upstream of dam site, June 2006, where volunteers
had planted seeds and tree stakes on 4/22/06. Note relic
tree stumps which were once along the shoreline. |
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View
upstream, 7/06. Relic tree stumps were photographed on
right-hand (south) bank in mid-June. New vegetation,
covering areas formerly under water, is now 3-5 feet
tall, completely covering the tree stumps and deep mud
cracks. It makes walking very difficult, but it is an
important part of river restoration. |
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Step
Carefully Along The River!
Watch
for uneven ground, steep unstable banks and soft sediment. |
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(c) Copyright County of Summit 2008. All Rights Reserved. |
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