Meeting scheduled to engage the public on the Chagrin River restoration project in Willoughby

Marah Morrison, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
·3 min read

Dec. 11—Willoughby, Chagrin River Watershed Partners, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources are inviting the public to learn about the Chagrin River restoration work planned at Daniels Park.

A public informational meeting is scheduled for Dec. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the David E. Anderson Senior Center, located at 36939 Ridge Road. The river restoration project, funded through a $2.2 million grant, is part of a larger project to protect and restore the Chagrin River corridor at Daniels Park, and adjacent lands. The grant was awarded to Chagrin River Watershed Partners from the ODNR through the state's H2Ohio initiative.

H2Ohio is a comprehensive water quality initiative, launched by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2019, that is working to strategically address serious water issues that have been building in Ohio for decades.

"This project represents an important collaboration of public, non-profit and private entities with a focus on conservation, and riparian corridor protection," said Willoughby Mayor Robert Fiala.

The project's selected design-build restoration team, Biohabitats, Inc., is also hosting the meeting, which is intended to engage the public during the design phase of the project, according to Chagrin River Watershed.

Local residents, park users, anglers, outdoor clubs, agency partners and other community members will have the opportunity to ask questions, as well as provide input. The meeting will include roughly an hour of presentations, which will be followed by an hour for questions and sharing input.

Topics presented at the meeting will include an overview of the H2Ohio program and specific project goals; project benefits for water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and the community; a description of the proposed restoration approach; and updates about the use of Daniels Park during project construction.

Before it flows five miles northward to Lake Erie, the East Branch joins the Chagrin River at Daniels Park, according to Chagrin River Watershed.

Although the East Branch is a state-designed scenic river and the Chagrin River is relatively healthy in this area, the rivers' health is threatened. Sediment and nutrient pollution caused by riverbank destabilization, and habitat alterations are threats to aquatic animals.

The pollution is also a concern for the health of Lake Erie, which supplies drinking water for more than 11 million people. The H2Ohio project is intended to stabilize eroding stream banks, realign the East Branch and create an oxbow wetland within a portion of the old East Branch channel. The project is also intended to remove dam remnants within the Chagrin River to improve stream hydraulics and aquatic habitat, and remove invasive plant species.

The project is expected to be complete in the summer of 2023. It is one of more than 80 H2Ohio wetland projects complete or underway across Ohio, according to ODNR. Through this project, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy has protected 78 acres of land within the Chagrin River and East Branch corridors, including high quality wetlands.

"We are thrilled to work with great partners and expand the reach of the H2Ohio initiative," said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. "Each project, no matter how big or small, contributes to a better future for Ohioans and ensures future generations will have access to clean water."

Chagrin River Watershed is a nonprofit organization that uses a regional watershed approach to enhance quality of life by preserving rivers, planning for better development and solving natural resource management problems. For more information about the meeting, contact Deputy Director Kimberly Brewster Shefelton at kbrewster@crwp.org or 440-975-3870, ext. 1006.