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Cleveland WPC Green Infrastructure Project

East Branch Dam Removal

Euclid Creek Tunnel

Mayfield Hts Green Infrastructure Project

Wildwood Wetland  / Lacustrine Refuge Project

EUCLID CREEK WATERSHED PROGRAM

[Photo by John Cozzarin]

The Euclid Creek Watershed Program website is part of an ongoing effort to educate residents in the Euclid Creek watershed about ways to improve this important community resource.  The program is supported through the efforts of the Euclid Creek Watershed Council which includes municipal leaders within the communities of Beachwood, Cleveland, Euclid, Highland Heights, Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Richmond Heights and South Euclid, Ohio.

Your participation is essential to the future stewardship of this great watershed!

What is a watershed?

A watershed is simply the land that water flows across or under on its way to a stream, river, or lake.  Our landscape is made up of many interconnected basins or watersheds.  Within each watershed, all water runs to the lowest point - a stream, river, or lake.  On its way, water travels over the surface and across farm fields, forest land, suburban lawns, and city streets, or it seeps into the soil and travels as ground water.

Where is the Euclid Creek watershed?

The Euclid Creek Watershed is a tributary to Lake Erie and drains an area of approximately 23 square miles from 12 communities in Cuyahoga County and Lake County, Ohio.  The watershed is home to an estimated 60,000 people and has subsequently been greatly impacted by urbanization and the effects of urban runoff.

Click on the map below for a detailed map of the Euclid Creek Watershed. 

Click here for the Euclid Creek Watershed Fact Sheet and Community-Specific Fact Sheets.

And please explore the website to learn more about the watershed impairments and ways you can get involved to help the Euclid Creek.

Watershed Tips

10 ways you can help your neighborhood creek today:

1. Properly dispose of expired or unused medicine.   Do not flush medicine in the toilet or it will end up in our creeks/streams.  Securely place in trash or take to local medicine drop off event. For more advice click here.

2. Recycle used motor oil.

3. Check your vehicles regularly for leaks.  Clean up spilled fluids with kitty litter or sand and dispose of properly.

4. Use pesticides & fertilizers sparingly.  Use natural fertilizers such as compost for gardens.

5. Plant native plants which generally require less water, fertilizer & pesticides.

6. Vegetate bare spots in your yard to prevent soil erosion.

7. Use a commercial car wash or wash your car on your lawn.

8. Dispose of pet waste, a source of bacteria & nutrients in our streams, properly by throwing in garbage or burying.

9. Drain your swimming pool only when a test kit does not detect chlorine levels, ideally in a sanitary sewer.

10. Maintain your septic system by having it inspected at least every 3 years and pumped as necessary.

11. Protect your storm drains, which are directly linked to local streams and rivers.

12. Get involved!  Participate in stream cleanups, invasive plants pulls, and join your local watershed group like Friends of Euclid Creek.

Recycling Tip: Where to recycle old TV's during transition to digital TV (Click here for article)

Ohio EPA Recommends Leaf Management to Protect Water Quality: When raking fall leaves this season, Ohioans should be aware that leaves can cause water pollution if not managed properly. Ohio EPA recommends property owners consider the best way to manage them based on the types of leaf collection programs in the community. (Click here for full article)

EPA Water Conservation Tip: If every home in the United States installed WaterSense labeled faucets or faucet aerators in the bathrooms, it would save 60 billion gallons of water annually, saving households more than $350 million in water bills and about $600 million in energy costs to heat their water.  Additionally, water and waste water utilities would save 200 million kilowatt-hours of electricity normally used for supplying and treating that water. The WaterSense website has a complete list of WaterSense labeled products.

Leaky Pipes - Factoid: Did you know each day approximately six billion gallons of treated drinking water are "lost" primarily due to system leaks throughout the United States? This is approximately 14% of the nation's total daily water production. (Reported by American Society of Civil Engineers)

What is a Storm Water?

Storm water discharges are generated by runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops during rainfall and snow events that often contain pollutants in quantities that could adversely affect water quality. Most storm water discharges are considered point sources and require coverage by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The primary method to control storm water discharges is through the use of best management practices (BMPs). 

Learn more about the Cuyahoga SWCD Storm Water Public Involvement and Public Education Program - click here.

Volunteer Opportunities

Sign-up to Volunteer for upcoming events, water quality monitoring or committees
Contact Claire Posius, Euclid Creek Watershed Coordinator
(216) 524-6580 x16, cposius@cuyahogaswcd.org

 

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