Location

Brecksville, Ohio

IMPACT

The Cuyahoga River river-bank stabilization designs and constructions will result in preservation of extremely important assets within Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The innovations of design and construction were significant when considering the short-term and long-term goals of each stabilization project location.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park River Bank Restorations

These restoration projects were in Section 10 waters (the Cuyahoga River). We received nationwide permits which authorized work in these waters, in addition to providing wetland and stream delineation, 401/404 (i.e., Clean Water Act) permitting, wetland and stream restoration design, construction support, and as-built drawing completion for this project.

Environmental Design Group, as part of a design/build team with SAF, Inc., completed river bank restorations along the Cuyahoga River at multiple locations. Each location was selected based upon the potential for river bank erosion to jeopardize a CVNP resource, such as the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad or the Ohio and Erie Canalway Towpath Trail. Each location was assessed, designed, and permitted through both the USACE and Ohio EPA. The design schedule was biased toward locations in high risk of failure, and design criteria included prioritizing protection of the park resource and natural and native materials. Each restoration was constructed by the team’s contracting partner, SAF, Inc. Most locations were remote and without traditional vehicular access. Utilization of small equipment, innovative construction techniques, and managing CVNP visitors and access to resources quickly became additional, critical components of the designs.