Yellow Creek Action Plan Text

NORTHEAST OHIO FOUR COUNTY REGIONAL

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

YELLOW CREEK

WATERSHED ACTION PLAN

Final Report

March 2004

The preparation of this report was financed in part through a water quality management planning grant provided through the Lake Erie Protection Fund and with matching funds provided by the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization (CRCPO).

Preface

The Yellow Creek is one of only two remaining high water quality tributaries of the Cuyahoga River. The Yellow Creek Watershed is also among the fastest growing and developing subbasins of the Cuyahoga River Watershed. The development and growth of the region have created various environmental concerns. The health and vitality of the watershed are being challenged by numerous outside forces. These pressures have brought about the need for a plan of action.

The Yellow Creek Watershed Action Plan defines strategies that communities within the watershed could adopt to improve water quality and storm water management. The Plan includes nine goals and numerous objectives that, if achieved, should lead to a higher level of environmental quality and a preservation of important natural resources. The actions in the Plan are methods by which to achieve the objectives. Each action includes corresponding columns for involved stakeholders, TMDL recommendations and actions, potential funding sources, expected results, and evaluation indices. The Action Plan prescribes alternative options of varying expense and complexity.

The Action Plan provides a framework for future protection and remediation activities. The Plan promulgates the principles endorsed by the Yellow Creek Watershed Storm Water Management Consortium. The Plan advocates goals consistent with those of the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II regulations, the Section 319 program, and the Lower Cuyahoga River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).

The Action Plan targets specific locations within the watershed. The highlighted priority areas represent locations of prime concern in the watershed. Priority area numbers are included merely for map reference. The numbers do not denote any type of ranking or concern level.

The goal of the Action Plan is to provide for the communities and citizens a detailed and organized blueprint of strategies to improve the Yellow Creek Watershed. The Plan pinpoints specific areas of concern and defines possible remedies.

Yellow Creek Watershed Action Plan Goals

Goal 1: Restore riparian corridors

Goal 2: Educate watershed stakeholders about best management practices to protect water quality

Goal 3: Maintain and protect potential groundwater recharge areas

Goal 4: Recognize and address areas that have highly erodible soils

Goal 5: Reduce imperviousness

Goal 6: Protect current forested areas and promote additional tree planting

Goal 7: Adopt conservation development practices

Goal 8: Increase the understanding, awareness, participation, and cooperation among all stakeholders regarding watershed and water quality issues

Goal 9: Establish a storm water utility for the communities within the watershed

Sources

Census 2000 TIGER data, ESRI
Map and Geographic Information Collection (MAGIC) geospatial data, 2000
Medina County Soil Survey, 1974
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Surface Water, Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Lower Cuyahoga River, Final Report, 2003
OhioView Consortium satellite data
Scientific Outreach and Applications using Remote Sensing (SOARS) geospatial data, 2003
Summit County Department of Community and Economic Development, Summit County orthophotos, 2000
Summit County Soil Survey, 1974
U.S. Geological Survey geospatial data
Yellow Creek Watershed Action Plan, Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization, 2001

Possible Funding Sources

CWSRF - Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Five-Star Grant - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star Restoration Matching Grant
GLPF - Great Lakes Protection Fund
LEPF - Lake Erie Protection Fund
Ohio EPA - CWA Section 319 NPS
PL-566- Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act
RCA - Rural Community Assistance Program
Tree Planting - Ohio Bicentennial Legacy Tree Planting Initiative
WAWA - Watershed Awareness to Watershed Action Grant
WPCLF - Water Pollution Control Loan Fund
WRRSP - Wetlands and Water Resources and Restoration

Yellow Creek Watershed Action Plan
Action	TMDL Action(s)/ Management Measure(s)	Stakeholder(s)	Possible Funding Source(s) (see page 4 for complete title)		Expected Improvement(s)	Evaluation
Goal 1: Restore riparian corridors
Objective 1.1: Educate riparian landowners to avoid mowing/landscaping directly to stream bank to allow reestablishment of natural vegetation
Priority Areas: § Entire Watershed
a. Distribute brochures explaining riparian corridors, explaining their importance and the benefits of their preservation	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § SWCD § NEFCO § All communities in watershed	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Riparian landowners informed about the consequences and volatility of under-vegetated and exposed stream banks	§ Number of brochures distributed
b. Hold public meeting to discuss alternative methods of lawn management in riparian areas	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § SWCD § NEFCO § All communities in watershed	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Riparian landowners informed of appropriate lawn care practices and riparian vegetation restoration	§ Meeting attendance § Participation, comments, questions, and suggestions generated at meeting
c. Organize field trip of watershed to visit examples of good and poor areas of riparian corridor management	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § SWCD § NEFCO § All communities in watershed	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Riparian landowners learn appropriate lawn care practices and riparian vegetation restoration § Watershed residents able to see examples of healthy and unhealthy riparian habitats	§ Field trip attendance § Number of sites visited § Participation, comments, questions, and suggestions generated during field trip
d. Create a Yellow Creek Watershed educational web site including riparian corridor information	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § Watershed residents § SWCD § NEFCO § All communities in watershed	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Increased understanding of riparian habitats § Riparian landowners informed of appropriate lawn care practices and riparian vegetation restoration methods	§ Number of visits to web site § Comments, questions, suggestions, and other feedback sent to web site
Goal 1: Restore riparian corridors
Objective 1.2: Restore Stream Channel
Priority Areas: Subwatershed 36 § West Fork, west of State Rd. [6] § West Fork tributary, west of State Rd. [7] § West Fork, east of Dunsha Rd. [8] § South Fork at Swan Lake Rd. [9] § South Fork at State Route 18 [13] § West Fork at Heatherleigh Dr. [19] § West Fork, Shaw Rd. to Crystal Lake Rd. [23] Subwatershed 37 § Bath Creek, south of Bath Rd. [27] § Bath Creek, Ira Rd. south to Derrwood Dr. [30]				§ Bath Creek, north of Everett Rd. [34] Subwatershed 38 § North Fork, near Cleveland-Massillon Rd./R.B. Stout Property [38] § North Fork tributary, west of Cleveland-Massillon Rd. [40] § North Fork, south of Ira Rd. [41] § North Fork, south of Hawkins Rd., east of Roberts Dr. [49] § North Fork, confluence with Yellow Creek [61] Subwatershed 39 § Sourek Run, adjacent to Lake of the Woods Dr. [52] § Yellow Creek, east of I-77 [58] § Yellow Creek, at Yellow Creek Rd. [63] § Yellow Creek, north of Bath Rd. [67]
a. Reconstruct stream segments to original meandering course	§ Action #9: riparian protection of the Cuyahoga River and tributaries	§ Riparian landowners § Affected communities § SWCD	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Restoration of natural course of channelized stream § Restoration of natural wetlands adjacent to meandering stream	§ Linear feet of restoration
b. Distribute brochures detailing what individual riparian landowners can do to restore natural stream channel	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § Affected communities § SWCD § NEFCO	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Riparian landowners informed of ways to rehabilitate riparian corridors	§ Number of brochures distributed
c. Encourage landowners to donate conservation easements to protect the future integrity of their land	§ Action #9: riparian protection of the Cuyahoga River and tributaries	§ Riparian landowners § Affected communities § Medina Summit Land Conservancy § SWCD § NEFCO			§ Donated property ensures future protection of land from development and deforestation	§ Total number of acres donated as conservation easement
§ Conduct workshop emphasizing specific methods of stream and riparian restoration	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § Affected communities § SWCD § NEFCO	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Riparian landowners provided with hands-on training on restoring riparian stream corridors	§ Workshop attendance § Comments, questions, suggestions, and other feedback generated at workshop
d. Organize field trip of watershed to visit examples of good and poor areas of riparian corridor management	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § Affected communities § SWCD § NEFCO	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Field trip attendees see examples of both healthy and unhealthy riparian stream corridors § Field trip attendees learn ways to restore riparian stream corridors	§ Field trip attendance § Number of sites visited § Comments, questions, suggestions, and other feedback generated at workshop
e. Create a Yellow Creek Watershed educational web site including riparian corridor information and illustrating stream restoration projects	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § Watershed residents § All communities in watershed § SWCD § NEFCO	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Increased understanding of the benefits, functions, and importance of riparian habitats § Explanation and illustrations of stream restoration projects	§ Number of visits to web site § Comments, questions, suggestions, and other feedback sent to web site
f. Organize a stream clean-up/stream planting event	§ Action #9: riparian protection of the Cuyahoga River and tributaries	§ Riparian landowners § Watershed residents § Affected communities § SWCD § NEFCO	§ Ohio EPA § WRRSP § WPCLF § CWSRF § GLPF § LEPF § PL-566 § Five-Star Grant		§ Opportunity for participants to actively contribute to restoring a stream corridor § Illustration of how a community can work cooperatively to protect and restore a stream and benefit the entire watershed	§ Event attendance § Number of plants planted
Goal 1: Restore riparian corridors
Objective 1.3: Plant additional vegetation along riparian corridors
Priority Areas: Subwatershed 36 § West Fork, west of State Rd. [6] § West Fork tributary, west of State Rd. [7] § West Fork, east of Dunsha Rd. [8] § South Fork at Swan Lake Rd. [9] § South Fork at State Route 18 [13] § West Fork at Heatherleigh Dr. [19] § West Fork, Shaw Rd. to Crystal Lake Rd. [23] Subwatershed 37 § Bath Creek, south of Bath Rd. [27] § Bath Creek, Ira Rd. south to Derrwood Dr. [30]				§ Bath Creek, north of Everett Rd. [34] Subwatershed 38 § North Fork, near Cleveland-Massillon Rd./R.B. Stout Property [38] § North Fork tributary, west of Cleveland-Massillon Rd. [40] § North Fork, south of Ira Rd. [41] § North Fork, south of Hawkins Rd., east of Roberts Dr. [49] § North Fork, confluence with Yellow Creek [61] Subwatershed 39 § Sourek Run, adjacent to Lake of the Woods Dr. [52] § Yellow Creek, east of I-77 [58] § Yellow Creek, at Yellow Creek Rd. [63] § Yellow Creek, north of Bath Rd. [67]
a. Distribute brochures to riparian landowners, listing appropriate trees and shrubs for stream bank re-vegetation	§ Action #3: educational programs of the entire Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area	§ Riparian landowners § Affected communities