The Cuyahoga River Recovers

Ohio’s Cuyahoga River Water Trail passes through the national park. NPS / D.J. Reiser

Once famous for being polluted and catching fire, the Cuyahoga is making a comeback. Its first 25 miles are biologically rich, becoming a state scenic river in 1974. Several stretches between Akron and Cleveland—the most polluted section—have met some or all of the goals set by the Clean Water Act. Industries and cities discharge far fewer toxins into the river. Partners along the river, including Cuyahoga Valley National Park, are removing obsolete dams to improve oxygen levels and fish movement. Major regional sewer projects are reducing the overflows of untreated wastewater. People are enjoying the return of nesting bald eagles and other wildlife as well as new recreational opportunities along the Cuyahoga River Water Trail.

An Area of Concern

In signing the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 , the US and Canada agreed to cooperatively manage the Great Lakes. The two countries formed the International Joint Commission, in part, to improve water quality. The lower Cuyahoga River is considered an Area of Concern (AOC), one of the hotspots that must be cleaned up in order for the Great Lakes to be healthy again. For several decades, many partners have been working on a plan to get the Cuyahoga off this list. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is doing its part by by removing two historic dams in Brecksville (2020), reconnecting streams and improving riverbank habitat, and restoring toxic waste sites.

Return to the River (Cuyahoga Valley National Park) by Michael Marras was one of four sculptures dedicated during Xtinguish Torch Fest. It stands at Station Road Bridge Trailhead. NPS / Arrye Rosser

Cuyahoga 50

When it came time to mark 50 years since the notorious 1969 fire, people throughout Northeast Ohio and beyond rallied. Over 300 organizations, municipalities, agencies, and corporate partners came together to create Cuyahoga 50 and the Xtinguish Celebration. Throughout 2019 one memorable event was followed by another. Arts and science blended with culture, tourism, and recreation. A new awareness grew of how far the Cuyahoga has come in its recovery and of our river’s place in environmental history. The slogan “Xtinguish the Past, Ignite the Future” was a call to create a positive new vision for the communities along the Cuyahoga. In honor of these accomplishments, American Rivers named the Cuyahoga “River of the Year” for 2019.

Once a source of shame, the Cuyahoga is now an inspiration, demonstrating how people can heal a damaged river.

Biologist Meg Plona and longtime advocate Gary Whidden carry the Xtinguish torch through Cuyahoga Valley National Park during the 2019 river celebration. NPS / Ted Toth

• The Cuyahoga, a National Heritage River — The Cuyahoga River has kept itself on history’s pages. It has been a transportation route; a boundary; a birthplace for oil, rubber and modern steel industries; a power source; and a dumping place. The Cuyahoga’s role in the movement to protect America’s waterways was one reason for the establishment of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which now protects 26 miles of the river and thousands of acres of its watershed.
• How a National Park Helps the Cuyahoga Recover — In 2007, something remarkable happened in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. A young bald eagle took flight from its nest along the Cuyahoga River. It was the first successful nest ever recorded in Cuyahoga Valley. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is part of the ongoing story of renewal for the Cuyahoga River and the wildlife that depends on it.
• The 1969 Cuyahoga River Fire — Stories about the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire often combine fact and myth. People generally agree about what occurred on and immediately after June 22, 1969. Myth enters the stories when people describe the fire as a primary cause of major milestones in the environmental movement. Regardless, the Cuyahoga River fire has become a symbol of water pollution and the environmental movement. Today, we celebrate this symbolism, not just the facts of the story.
• Carl B. Stokes and the 1969 River Fire — In 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in Cleveland just a few miles north of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Carl B. Stokes was mayor of Cleveland. In 1967, he had become the first elected African American mayor of a major US city. Stokes is a hero in the river fire story. The fire is an icon of the environmental movement. Stokes’ response to the fire helped it gain this status.
• Steven Moss: Memories of Fish and Wildlife Changes — Read and listen to experienced fisherman Steven Moss, who grew up fishing in Cuyahoga River. He talks about his youth growing up around Cuyahoga Valley and explains how the health of the Cuyahoga River has changed over the past few decades.
• Can the Cuyahoga River Support Rare Wildlife? — Teams of scientists from several agencies are studying whether the Cuyahoga River is healthy enough to support freshwater mussels and lake sturgeon. These long-lived animals are rare in Ohio due to major changes in our waterways and lakes.

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