Resources

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
The NEORSD is responsible for wastewater treatment facilities and interceptor sewers in the greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area. Refer to the Educational Resources and the Understanding Watersheds sections. See also the map of the Big Creek Interceptor and Southwest Interceptor that convey flows to the Wastewater Treatment Center. Follow information about the future Big Creek Storage Tunnel (BCT) that that will control combined sewer overflows.

Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC)
The Cuyahoga River is one of the Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) – waters in the U.S. and Canada that have experienced environmental degradation, fail to meet the objectives of the U.S.- Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA,) and are impaired in their ability to support aquatic life or beneficial uses. OhioEPA and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission are the state agencies in charge of delisting Ohio's four AOCs (Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Black, and Maumee.) The Cuyahoga AOC Advisory Committee serves as our local stakeholder committee, involved with implementing a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to identify the Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) and their causes, develop criteria for restoration, implement remedial measures, monitor the effectiveness of such measures, and confirm that restoration is achieved.

NOACA (Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency)
This metropolitan planning body has responsibilities in regional water quality and watershed planning as well as air quality and transportation. Its governing board includes mayors, county commissioners and other officials; it serves the counties of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina.

Cuyahoga County Planning Commission
The Commission serves as a planning and decision-making resource for the County, municipalities, regional agencies and not-for-profit corporations in such areas as land use, zoning, transportation, conservation and development. It is a good source for demographic and economic data on the region. It also promotes administrative and regulatory measures. Check out the Environmental Projects.

Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District
Assists municipalities with conservation of land and water in developed environments through stewardship initiatives, education programs, and technical assistance with issues such as pollution, erosion, sediment control. Cuyahoga SWCD serves as the Facilitating Organization for the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern Advisory Committee listed above. For community members CSWCD is a terrific resource for rain barrel and garden, pollinators, native plants, soil quality and a whole lot more. BCC partners with CSWCD and others in the annual Big Creek Watershed Cleanup.

Cuyahoga County Board of Health
One service area is Environmental Health.

Cleveland Metroparks
Five miles of the main stem of Big Creek are managed by the Cleveland Metroparks. The lower Big Creek also runs through (and under) the Metroparks Zoo.

Canalway Partners
Began in 1985 as the North Cuyahoga Valley Corridor, Inc. This successful, ambitious group is involved with the historic preservation and recreational opportunities in the corridor of the historic Ohio Canal from Cleveland through Zoar to Dover/New Philadelphia. They led the development of the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga County, initiated the development of Canal Basin Park and programmed acclaimed Cleveland events including The Towpath Marathon, Cycle Canalway and RiverSweep. BCC spearheads the annual RiverSweep area in the lower Big Creek/Treadway ravine area at Harvard Ave. and Jennings Rd.

Great Lakes Regional Collaboration
Launched in December, 2004, the GLRC is a partnership of stakeholders from federal, state, and local governments, tribes and other key players to develop a strategic plan that builds upon regional efforts for the restoration, protection and sustainable use of the Great Lakes. Public comment on the plan is solicited.

West Creek Conservancy
Neighboring watershed and model organization for FoBC/BCC. West Creek is another tributary of the Cuyahoga running through the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs of Parma, Seven Hills, Brooklyn Heights, and Independence. Originally a watershed group, WCC is now a regional land conservancy. With their initial project they successfully created the West Creek Preserve and Greenway, a 500-acre natural park and regional recreational trail network, now a Cleveland Metroparks reservation. BCC works closely with and has an Alliance Agreement with WCC.

Rocky River Watershed Council

Friends of Euclid Creek

Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners

Friends of the Crooked River

Ohio Watershed Network

Ohio Environmental Council

OHIO EPA Northeast District Office

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society - Weeders in the Wild

Lake Erie Commission

Waterkeeper Alliance

Ohio Wetlands Association

Green Ribbon Coalition

American Rivers
Non-profit conservation organization with 40,000 members dedicated to protecting and restoring rivers nationwide.

Center for Watershed Protection
Provides local governments, activists, and watershed organizations around the country with technical tools for protecting streams, lakes and rivers. "The Center has developed and disseminated a multi-disciplinary strategy to watershed protection that encompasses watershed planning, watershed restoration, stormwater management, watershed research, better site design, education and outreach, and watershed training." Lots of information on this site. Think you know a lot about watersheds? Take the quiz.

River Network
Promotes understanding, protection and restoration of rivers and their watersheds. This national organization offers consulting, publications, trainings and small grants to help raise money, build organizations, and monitor and protect rivers and watersheds. Includes a directory of state, regional, and local groups working on issues related to watershed protection and the health of streams, rivers, and estuaries. Also includes an extensive resource library.

U.S. EPA Water Topics
General information on water science and water quality. Contains a section on Watersheds with the Watershed Academy and loads more information. Also home to the WATERS database (Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results) - designed to help various programs share information. Provides water-quality data, searchable by geographic region. Big Creek is in US EPA Region 5.

 

Good Reads

Watersheds: Processes, Assessment, and Management
by Paul A. DeBarry

The author of this textbook seeks to provide the comprehensive approach to watershed management from process to planning that he found lacking in the literature. He includes management of stormwater, floodplain, water quality, groundwater and landuse, as well as erosion & sediment pollution control and stream restoration. Attention is given to up-to-date modeling and GIS tools.

The Secret Knowledge of Water: Discovering the Essence of the American Desert
by Craig Leland Childs

You wouldn't expect a book on hydrology to be astonishing and stirring. River guide and naturalist Childs shares his treks through the Southwest and reveals the irony that the desert is all about water. His lyrical voice quietly swells with the awesome and profound beauty of the desert landscape. It's far removed from NE Ohio, but you will learn much and appreciate much about water. Echoes from his canyons will remain with you for a long time.

The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape
by James Howard Kunstler

Not the original voice—but a popular voice— on the topics of cities gone wrong, sprawl and soulless suburbia. This is an engaging read for the cause of a civic life. Kunstler looks back to the roots of the matter, presents case studies of rights and wrongs, and skewers a host of culprits. A broad overview of problems, their origins and potential solutions. Cheeky and provocative.

Watersheds: A Practical Handbook for Healthy Water
illustrations and original concept by Clive Dobson; text by Gregor Gilpin Beck

Good for students and general readers who want to increase their understanding of not only watersheds, but, all water courses, systems, cycles and their ultimate interconnectivity and interdependence. Very engaging and approachable.

Articles

"Technologies for urban stream restoration and watershed management," by J. Craig Fischenich, Ecosystem Management and Restoration, May 2001 [pdf]

While recognizing the social, economic and ecological value of restoring urbanized streams, the author points out the problems posed and approaches required for remediation, plus how they differ from rural stream management. A good introduction to the topic.

Stormwater Quality Benefits of Bioretention With Trees & Stormwater Quantity and Rate Control Benefits of Trees in Uncompacted Soil

Stormwater Journal

Directed to professionals, but the articles are pertinent to watershed stewardship and accessible to lay readers. Browse the issues.