News & Events . . . . . . . . . . . .
RiverSweep, Ohio Canal Corridor's 19th Annual Environmental
Cleanup
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Old Brooklyn/Lower Big Creek Location
Meet at Zeleznik's Tavern, 4002 Jennings Rd. at Harvard Ave., Cleveland
Registration 8:30 - 9:00 AM; Cleanup 9:00 - 11:45 AM.
Bags, gloves, and water provided. Complimentary pizza lunch and live
music provided from Noon - 1:00 PM at Nautica in the Flats. Call 216.459.1000
for more info. www.ohiocanal.org/riversweep.htm
Lower Big Creek Greenway Restoration and Redevelopment Plan
Final Public Review
Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 6:30 PM
Auditorium, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Administration Building
3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland 44109
The plan outlines an achievable all-purpose trail connection between
the current Towpath Trail terminus on Old Harvard Rd. and Brookside
Reservation via the Lower Big Creek Valley. It recommends specific long
term land use goals and best practices for ecological restoration along
the creek and flood plain. It is the result of suggestions made at the
Nov. 2007 public meeting and the work of the project advisory committee.
In presenting this final draft for public comment the committee will
consider all comments and make necessary revisions to the final document.
That plan will be adopted by the Old Brooklyn Community Development
Corp. and an implementation phase will commence.
A status report on the Cleveland Brownfield Assessment Project focusing
on the Lower Big Creek Valley will also be presented by the City of
Cleveland Planning Commission. Sponsored by the Old Brooklyn Community
Development Corp.
Steering Committee Meeting
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
6:45 - 8:45 PM
Brooklyn Branch Library CCPL
Treadway Creek Greenway & Trail Opening
Friday, May 16, 2008, 8:30 a.m.
Harmody Park, South Hills Dr. and Plymouth Rd., Cleveland, 44109
City and State officials will be present as we celebrate completion
of the $1.3 million project, promote use of the trail, and begin to
organize community support for maintenance and safety issues for this
new public amenity. Call the Ward 15 Office for more info at 216-459-8400.
Project Partners and Supporters: City of Cleveland; Cuyahoga County
Engineer; Councilman Brian Cummins, Ward 15; Councilman Kevin Kelley,
Ward 16; Cuyahoga County Natural Resources Assistance Council; F. Buddie
Contracting, Ltd.; Friends of Big Creek; OhioCanal Corridor; Old Brooklyn
Community Development Corp.; Rhodes High School Environmental Studies;
Schmidt Copeland Parker Stevens; State of Ohio Issue I - Clean Ohio
Green Space Conservation Program.
oldbrooklyn.com/specialevents.htm
oldbrooklyn.com/Treadway/treadway.html
RiverDay 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Big Creek Event: Where the Waters Meet
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Explore the hidden beauty of Big Creek at its confluence with the Cuyahoga
River. Learn about the planning underway to enhance the area and connect
it with all-purpose trails from the Towpath Trail to the Metroparks
Zoo and beyond. Lunch provided. Tour starts at 11 am.
Meet at Zeleznik's Tavern parking lot, 4002 Jennings Road at Harvard
Ave, Cleveland. Wear sturdy shoes. Children should be accompanied by
an adult. Call 216-269-6472 for more info. Be sure to check out other
fun RiverDay events too!
www.cuyahogariver.net/riverday.htm
www.cuyahogariver.net/RiverDay%20Brochure%202008.pdf
(printable flyer)
Big Creek Cleanup
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 (Rain date – June 4)
10 am – Noon
Fern Hill Picnic Area (off Big Creek Parkway, just south of Brookpark
Road)
Recommended attire: long sleeves, slacks, boots or work shoes. Bags
and gloves provided. Children under 18 must have adult supervision.
Flyer [pdf]
Sponsored by FOBC, City of Parma, City of Brooklyn, Parma Councilwoman
Mary Galinas, Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation
District
10th Annual Big Creek Watershed Cleanup
Big/Stickney Creek
Saturday, June 7, 2008 (Rain date – June 14)
9 am – Noon
- Archmere Park, Archmere Ave., west of State Rd.
- Brookfield Park, Brookfield Ave., between Bellaire & W. 130th
- NEW location in Brooklyn: Brookridge Elementary School, 4500 Ridge
Rd. (behind Brooklyn Branch of Cuyahoga County Library)
Recommended attire: long sleeves, slacks, boots or work shoes. Bags
and gloves provided. Children under 18 must have adult supervision.
Refreshments provided. Flyer
[pdf]
Sponsored by: Dona Brady, Councilwoman-Ward 19, Martin Sweeney, Council
President-Ward 20, Kevin Kelley, Councilman-Ward 16, Bellaire-Puritas
Development Corporation, City of Cleveland Depts. of Parks, Recreation
and Properties; Public Service; Public Utilities; Divs. of Water Pollution
Control; Water; Fiscal Control; Streets; Waste Collection; Cleveland
Public Power; Longmead-McGowan Connection; Cuyahoga River RAP; Old Brooklyn
Community Development Corp., Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District;
West Park Community Council; Brooklyn Acres; and Cuyahoga Soil and Water
Conservation District
Big Creek Watershed Management Plan
Meeting 3
June 24, 2008
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
August 10, 2007 - Trail Alignment Study - TLCI Grant awarded
FOBC and project partners were awarded funding for a feasibility study
to connect the Cleveland Metroparks Brookside and Big Creek Reservations
with a trail alignment through the City of Brooklyn. FOBC, Cleveland
Metroparks, and the cities of Cleveland and Parma join the City of Brooklyn
as co-sponsors for the $75,000 study ($60,000 grant with a $15,000 local
match) funded by the federal Transportation for Livable Communities
Initiative (TLCI) grant program.
The Big Creek Greenway Trail Alignment and Neighborhood Connector Plan
will examine potential linkages with surrounding neighborhoods as well
as Brooklyn municipal/office/retail areas. The all purpose trail network
will provide a safe alternative mode of transportation for its users
and identify opportunities for interpretive exhibits and ecological
restoration.
- Brooklyn Sun Journal
Aug. 23, 2007 [pdf]
- FOBC News release
[pdf]
May 7, 2007 - Watershed Management Plan - CMAG Grant awarded
Big Creek watershed communities of Brooklyn, Parma, Parma Heights, Brook
Park, and the southwest wards of Cleveland partner with FOBC and the
Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to develop a comprehensive
community plan for the Big Creek Watershed. The RAP was awarded a $20,000
(with 50% local match) Ohio Coastal Management Assistance Grant to develop
the first phase of a Watershed Management Plan—data collection
and analysis of information for Watershed Inventory, Assessment and
Problem Definition.
- Coastal Management Assistance Grants award news release:
www.ohiodnr.com/news/may07/0522coastalgrants.htm
- FOBC
news release [pdf]
Archive coverage in the Sun News:
Brooklyn Sun Journal
Dec. 8, 2005 "Towpath, park links eyed"
Brooklyn Sun Journal
Dec. 29, 2005 "City will not use eminent domain to create bike
trail"
Brooklyn Sun Journal
Apr. 27, 2006 "Group helps protect Big Creek"
Brooklyn Sun Journal
Jul. 20, 2006 "'Friends' explore city's 'Kingdom' for trail
links"
Conceptual plans for proposed trail alignments
Recent FOBC Events . . .
. . . . . . . .
Watershed Management Plan Meeting 2
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Parma Senior Center
Presentations: Dan Meaney, Cuyahoga Co. Planning Commission - Natural
Resources of the Watershed; Chuck Hambly, project coordinator, from
the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan - Big Creek characteristics
and water quality; Lester Stumpe, NEORSD, - the RIDE (Regional Intercommunity
Drainage Evaluation) Study. Representatives from the Big Creek watershed
communities broke into work groups to begin identifying key preservation/restoration
areas.
Meeting Dates
& Work Program [pdf]
Big Creek Watershed
Management Plan Fact Sheet for Communities [pdf]
Watershed
Management Plan Meeting 1
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Brooklyn Senior-Community Center
Big Creek Watershed Management Plan introductory meeting. Representatives
from Big Creek watershed communities listen as Jim White from the Cuyahoga
River RAP explains the important features of watersheds and the effects
of urbanization. Participants will meet every other month through October
of 2008.
Informal Opening of Treadway Creek Greenway
December 1, 2007
Harmody Park/Treadway Creek Greenway Entrance
1700 Mayview Ave
Cleveland, Ohio 44109
The Treadway
Creek Greenway Restoration Project restores and preserves 21 acres
of riparian corridor and open space, two-thirds of a mile long, through
conservation easements along Treadway Creek, a tributary to the Cuyahoga
River and part of the Lower Big Creek Valley watershed. See photos at
Flickr.
Public Meeting, Nov. 14, 2007
The Importance of Water Quality, Volunteer Monitoring Programs
& the Monitoring of Big Creek.
A joint presentation:
Steve Tuckerman, Ohio EPA Northeast District Office: "Monitoring
Big Creek and Ohio's Volunteer Monitoring Program"
Lindsey Barber, Kayla Giannetti, James Ford Rhodes High School: "Water
Quality Variations of Stickney Creek," results of a student investigation
of the water quality of Stickney Creek, a tributary of the Big Creek
Watershed. Students measured the temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity
and pH at several randomly selected sites along the creek. The project
was part of their Earth/Space science class with teacher James Gazda.
Public Meeting, Oct. 17, 2007
Presentation by Vern Hartenburg, Executive Director of Metroparks
The history of the Metroparks, its present and future in the community,
and opportunities working with its partners on the Big Creek trail expansion
studies.
Lower Big Creek Exploratory Hike, September 9,
2007
Metroparks/FOBC Zoo Clean-up, August 29, 2007
3rd Annual Summer Brooklyn Oxbow Hike, August 12, 2007
9th Annual Big Creek Clean-Up, June 9, 2007
This year volunteers "swept" through two areas: Chevy
Branch at Brookfield Park; Stickney Creek at Archmere Park.
17th Annual RiverDay, May 19, 2007
"Where the Waters Meet" - Confluence of Big Creek
and the Cuyahoga River
Again this year, participants toured the area of Big Creek
at its confluence with the Cuyahoga and learned about planning underway
to enhance the area and connect it with all-purpose trails from the
Towpath Trail to the MetroParks Zoo and beyond.
Ohio Canal Corridor Annual RiverSweep Cleanup,
May 12, 2007
Brookside Garlic Mustard Pull & Clean-up,
May 2007
EarthFest at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, April 22,
2007 - Earth Day
Joint
Public Meeting with West Creek Preservation Committee, March 20, 2007
Presentations and discussion by and about both Watershed groups.
Second Annual Winter Hike: Brooklyn Oxbow, February 18, 2007
General Meeting, February 7, 2007
Lower Big Creek Update
City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, and Old Brooklyn Community
Development Corporation representatives reported on the status of the
Lower Big Creek Greenway Redevelopment & Restoration project and
the EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant for the Lower Big Creek valley.
General
Meeting, November 29, 2006
Presentation by Elaine Marsh, Project Director, Ohio
Greenways
Open space projects are much more than aesthetically pleasing natural
areas where people can relax and exercise. Strategically selected and
properly designed, open space projects make up the green infrastructure
of a community. Green infrastructure is an interconnected network of
land and water that sustains air and water resources by maintaining
and enhancing natural ecological processes. These processes reduce flooding
and stormwater runoff, absorb air pollution, decrease erosion, and increased
the capacity of streams to take up toxins and other waste products.
Where public access has a role in the projects, green infrastructure
increases a community’s safety for pedestrians and bicyclists
and reduces the health risks of inactivity, a leading cause of premature
death. Elaine Marsh's presentation highlighted green infrastructure
benefits. It was packed with the latest research, illustrations, case
studies and stunning dollar values.
August 19, 2006
Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation Day and 57th Annual Meeting
Coe Lake Pavilion behind Berea City Hall
Friends of Big Creek information booth. FOBC Steering Committee members
Kim Swaggard-Svec and James Gazda, teachers in 2005-2006 at James Ford
Rhodes High School were awarded Educators of the Year Award and the
Roger Biemel Memorial Award.
Jan Rybka, District Administrator, presents awards.
July 15, 2006
2nd Annual Summer Brooklyn Oxbow Hike
May 31, 2006
Friends of Big Creek General Meeting
Brooklyn Senior/Community Center
FOBC presentation and discussion about related Big Creek Watershed and
expanded greenway issues.
June 3, 2006
8th Annual Big Creek Clean Up - Chevy Branch - pictures
at Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District
Brookfield Park - Brookfield Avenue (east off West 130th)
May 20, 2006
16th Annual RiverDay 2006
"Where the Waters Meet" - Confluence of Big Creek
and the Cuyahoga River
Tours started from Cudnik's Tavern parking, 3995 Jennings Road to explore
the hidden beauty of Big Creek at its confluence with the Cuyahoga.
Participants learned about planning underway to enhance the area and
connect it with all-purpose trails from the Towpath Trail to the MetroParks
Zoo and beyond.
Big Creek (left- looking upstream) at confluence with Cuyahoga River
(right - looking downstream)
More RiverDay information
at Friends of the Crooked River.
May
6, 2006
17th Annual RiverSweep
Treadway Creek Ravine/Big Creek clean-up
FOBC members, Rhodes High students and others met at Zeleznik's Tavern
on Jennings Road
FOBC's Greg Cznadel and Bob Gardin "sweep" Big Creek and remove
rubbish.
Earth Day - April 23, 2006
FOBC / Cuyahoga River RAP at EarthFest
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Winter
Valentine Hike - Brooklyn "Oxbow"
area
On
Sunday, Feb. 12, 2006 30 hikers met at Brooklyn Memorial Park to discover
the "Oxbow/Kingdom" greenspace area, part of the potential
greenway connection between Brookside Park and the Big Creek Memphis
Reservation. Hot cocoa, hot dogs and sweet treats at the pavilion followed
the walk.
Cleveland
Metroparks Winterrific
FOBC exhibit at the Brookside Reservation Event Site on
the Jan. 21-22, 2006weekend.
Water Quality Investigative Survey
Brookside Reservation area - Jan. 15, 2006; followup - Jan. 30, 2006.
After an initial survey of the area of concern by FOBC members, Bob
Gardin, Jim Gazda and Dennis Petro were joined by Steve Tuckerman of
the Ohio EPA for waterquality sampling and testing. The samples pictured
show green algae, Chlamydamonas. The possibility of a CSO, combined
sewer overflow, is under consideration.
FOBC General Meeting, November 16, 2005
Presentation on the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway and the
Corridor Management Plan by Tim Donovan, Director of the Ohio Canal
Corridor.
Hike-Treadway
Creek
On Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005, nearly twenty hikers explored Old Brooklyn
neighborhood's newly funded trail alignment through the Treadway Ravine.
Bob Gardin gave an introduction to the project. Further details of the
plan were explained by Mike Kannard, Landscape Architect at Schmidt
Copeland Parker Stevens. Mike and Terry Greathouse, Professor of Biology
at Cuyahoga Community College shared their expertise on beneficial vegetation
and invasive species.
See the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation's
information on the Treadway
Creek Greenway Restoration Project.
FOBC General Meeting, September 21, 2005
The meeting featured a Lower Big Creek Study Update led by NOACA's John
Beeker. Progress of the planning strategies outlined in the study were
discussed, including the funded USEPA brownfield land use study and
the Redevelopment and Restoration Plan assessing the feasibility of
a direct connection between the Towpath Trail's Harvard Avenue trailhead
and the Metropark Zoo through the Lower Big Creek Valley. Lower
Big Creek Planning Initiatives Summer 2005 Update (2.321MB pdf-14
pages)
Site Survey - Cascade Crossing Area
On Wednesday, Aug. 24th and Friday, Aug. 26th Steering and Advisory
Committee members (about 16 for both evenings) met at Cascade Crossing
at I-480 and Tiedeman Road. Led by Bob Gardin the following sites were
explored starting with Big Creek at Cascade Crossing: The I-480 entrance
ramp, Big Creek as it flows past Hampton Hotel, a vacant lot (Forest
City), the Railroad Bridge over Big Creek and the surrounding land,
Big Creek next to Sam's Club, Big Creek to Brookpark Road and the end
of the Big Creek Parkway. Detailed notes.
General Meeting, August 17, 2005
Paul Alsenas, Director of Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, gave
a presentation on the Cuyahoga County Greenspace Plan and how it relates
to the existing and potential Big Creek greenway. Visit the Cuyahoga
County Greenprint plan page for more information. Download an audio
version of this presentation: Pt. 1 (62MB)
MP3 - Pt. 2 (45MB) MP3 . These are
very large files and will take some time to download. Not recommeded
for dial-up connections.
Successful
hikes in Brooklyn
Cuyahoga County's Tim McCormack, City of Brooklyn public
officials, and County and Cleveland Metroparks planners joined Friends
of Big Creek on Sunday, July 10, 2005 for a hike to Big Creek north
of the Memphis Road area in the City of Brooklyn.
More than 30 hikers examined the existing "Oxbow"
greenspace area and viewed the potential greenway connection between
Brookside Park and the Big Creek Memphis Reservation.
A repeat hike on Wednesday evening, August 10th, drew
26 hikers.
