Contract awarded to remove Brecksville dam on the Cuyahoga River

BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — The Friends of the Crooked River have awarded a contract to remove the the 8-foot-tall, 183-foot-long Brecksville dam from the Cuyahoga, to free a path for fish to swim and kayakers to paddle.

Kokosing Industrial Inc.’s demolition of the dam in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park this year should improve water quality and water flow, allowing walleye, Northern pike, steelhead trout and other fish species not seen upriver in decades to travel south.

The removal leaves only one dam left on the 100-mile river, which begins in Geauga County: the 60-foot-tall Gorge Dam in Cuyahoga Falls.

“The story of the Canal Diversion Dam and its eventual removal is a symbol of the rebirth of the Cuyahoga River itself,” said Elaine Marsh, president of Friends of the Crooked River, a Cuyahoga River advocacy group.

The removal, in the works since 2003, is estimated to cost about $1.5 million, including the cost of a new canal pump station to feed the Ohio and Erie Canal, a National Historic Site and the cost of preparatory studies and engineering work. The city of Akron’s sewer overflow program is contributing $900,000, and the United States EPA is paying $750,000 for the project.

Officially named the Canal Diversion Dam, the structure was originally built in 1952 to move water into the Ohio and Erie Canal for Cleveland steel mills to use for cooling. It’s no longer needed, and it’s created an unhealthy habitat for the fish and bugs native to the river, according to the Ohio EPA.

The dam slows water flow, and creates a lake-like environment called a dam pool, which isn’t ideal for bugs and fish, like small-mouth bass that like free flowing water and hiding out in crevasses and rocks. The dam also blocks fish from moving upstream to their breeding grounds, which over time, causes population decline.

“By putting a dam in you’ve effectively shut the door on their ability to get to spawning grounds upstream,” said Bill Zawiski, Ohio EPA water quality group environmental supervisor.

The dam also creates an unsafe environment for people who like to kayak, paddle or canoe on the river. When water falls over the dam, it creates a deadly undertow.

Currently, the dam pool does not meet EPA standards for fish. Once the dam is removed, the Ohio EPA anticipates it should reach standards in six months. The national park will continue work to restore the habitat with Ohio EPA money.

_{Source: cleveland.com}