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This is a quick Park n Grab if you know what you’re looking for. This cache is not available during the winter when there is much snow on the ground.
Fast ‘Facts’ about the Cuyahoga River aka the ‘Crooked River’
· The Cuyahoga River drains 813 square miles of Geauga, Portage, Summit and Cuyahoga counties.
· The U-shaped river flows both south and north (and every other direction) over its 100 mile course which ends at Lake Erie just 30 miles from its headwaters.
· 37 tributaries travel a total of 286 miles into the Cuyahoga.
· A 25 mile stretch of the Upper Cuyahoga is designated as a state scenic river by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
· The name "Cuyahoga" is a blend of several native peoples' names for the River. This combination of names is usually translated to "crooked river."
· The Lower Cuyahoga was part of the first known inland road on the continent.
· The first Christian church on the river was built by the Delaware Indians and two Moravian missionaries in the mid 1700's.
· The Cuyahoga River was the western boundary of the United States from 1795 to 1803.
· Around 1790, Captain Samuel Brady jumped 22 feet across the Cuyahoga just north of downtown Kent escaping a band of Sandusky Indians. Brady Lake in Kent bears his name.
· The first bridge across the Cuyahoga was built in 1803 at Brady's Leap.
· "Standing Rock," just north of Brady's Leap in Kent, was an important Native American landmark on the river. It was a meeting place used by various tribes.
· Slowdowns at the many locks in the Akron area of the Ohio and Erie Canal were a major factor in the commercial development of the region during the 19th century. Water from the Cuyahoga was diverted to become part of the canal system.
· The falls for which Cuyahoga Falls is named are currently under water upstream of the Ohio Edison dam at Gorge Metro Park.
· During the summer, upwards of two-thirds of the Cuyahoga River's flow is diverted through Akron's water supply.
· Moses Cleaveland, who founded the township of Euclid at the Cuyahoga's mouth in 1796, left the area in 1797.
· The first development on Whiskey Island was a liquor still operated by Lorenzo Carter in the early 19th century. Hence, the name Whiskey Island.
· The Cuyahoga River became infamous in 1969 when its surface caught fire. This was not the river's only incendiary experience. The first occurred in 1868, followed by others in 1883, 1887, 1912, 1922, 1936, 1941, 1948 and one in 1952 in which damage to boats and buildings along the river was estimated to be 1.5 million dollars. The fire June 22, 1969 lasted only 30 minutes but helped spur the Environmental movement and led to the U.S. Congress passing the Clean Water Act in 1972 and establishment of the US EPA.
· The navigation channel of the River extends from Lake Erie upriver 4.5 miles to the turning basin.
· A permit from the Ohio EPA is required to discharge anything into the Cuyahoga River. Currently, there are 200 permit holders whose discharge is regulated by the agency's standards.
· Drinking water for the City of Akron comes from Lake Rockwell, an impoundment of the Cuyahoga 2 miles northeast of Kent.
· The City of Cleveland gets drinking water from Lake Erie. The four intakes of this system are located within a nine mile radius of the Cuyahoga River’s mouth.
· The treated waste water of millions of residents of Northeast Ohio enters the Cuyahoga.
· During the century following 1850, the River and its tributaries contributed to the economic growth of Northeastern Ohio by providing industry with water for manufacturing, a means of waste disposal, and an avenue for shipping. During this period, the natural quality of the River was sacrificed.
· In 1974, Congress authorized the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. Currently the park occupies a 32,000 acre tract along 22 miles of the River between Akron and Cleveland.
· In 1985, the International Joint Commission named the lower Cuyahoga River and near shore areas of Lake Erie as one of 42 areas of concern on the Great lakes. The Ohio EPA became responsible for developing a Remedial Action Plan.
· In the last 20 years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent by industry and government cleaning up the Cuyahoga.
· Over 90% of Ohio wetlands have been destroyed, primarily by development and agriculture. Wetlands provide habitat and food for many species of animals. The natural dikes and settling ponds of the watershed provide no-cost erosion control. Less than 4% of the Cuyahoga's land area is currently in wetland, mostly in the Upper River region. Originally rich with marshes and bogs, the Lower River in Cuyahoga County now has less than 1% of its land area in wetlands.
· The Ohio Department of Natural Resources preserves 1,361 acres of wetlands in the Upper Cuyahoga River Basin.
· By 1900, after three centuries of thoughtless, unrestricted hunting, beaver were thought to be completely exterminated from the valley. Now they flourish in many areas. Their industrious projects are helping us to replace our valuable wetlands.
And more …………….
Look now at the river level ! Later this summer (2013) both the ‘Power House’ dam at Le Fever Restaurant, ~one mile downstream of the cache, and the dam near the Sheraton Inn will be removed. The river level will most probably be 2 - 4 feet lower at this point because of the Power House dam removal. The Cuyahoga Cruiser and Front Runner pontoon boats used to ply these waters with customers hearing local stories and traveling back in history. But, after the dams have been removed there will not be enough depth to navigate motor boats……canoes, kayaks, rafts, or inner tubes are going to be the preferred method of travel - pretty much going with the flow…. Unless you like paddling upstream through riffles and small rapids. In this 2 mile stretch the river’s personality, will go from Class I - II (down to the location of the Power House Dam and from there Class III, IV, V (expert paddlers only !) from Power House to the Edison dam pool.
(The Powerhouse and Sheraton dams were removed in Summer of 2013 - dramatically changing the dynamics and flow of the River from Waterworks Park to the Sheraton.)
With the removal of the Kent and Munroe Falls dams in the past several years the entire upper section of river is free flowing except for the dams at East Branch Reservoir and Lake Rockwell. And, the big dam near the old Ohio Edison plant - slated to be removed in the next 5 - 10 years - leaving the dam at Rt 82 in Brecksville as the only dam on the lower section of river. And, I am sure that will eventually come down also. The removal of these dams has not changed the volume of the river flowing past these points - only the river's dynamics.
(The Brecksville and Pinery dams were removed during the summer of 2020 making the river free flowing from the Big Dam, Gorge Metropark, to the Flats in Cleveland... and Lake Erie.)
Over the past 20 - 40 years major point sources of pollution have been eliminated by sewage package plants upstream where resident’s septic tanks or toilets drained directly into the river, and treating the water runoff from large commercial parking lots. Non-point sources of pollution, such as drainage and run off laden with fertilizers and pesticides from farm fields, golf courses and residential areas are still major problems.
You can help reduce the impact of pollution in the river by not dumping used motor oil, gas, solvents and detergents down drains like this or your local street drains - many of them lead directly to the river and its tributaries. Today the Cuyahoga is much cleaner than it was 20 - 60 years ago because of people’s concerns and thoughtfulness. The removal of the two dams will allow increased speed in the river’s flow, creating more available oxygen by tumbling and aerating the water in its riffles and rapids.
OOOPPPSSS !!! I guess these were not Fast Facts but Important facts we wanted to share!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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