Before: Eroding bank.
After: Bendway weirs direct the force of water
away from the formerly eroding bank.
Chagrin River Bendway Weir
With assistance from Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc., the City of Willoughby stabilized over 200 feet of eroding streambank along the Chagrin River at Todd Field during the summer of 2015. Three bendway weirs, rock structures that direct flow into the center of the channel, were installed to stop the severe erosion that had been occurring since 2006. Bendway weirs have been successfully used on other rivers, including the Mississippi River.
This project also involved regrading the bank to a gentler, more stable slope, and planting native vegetation along the river in the project area. The deep roots of the native woody vegetation will help to hold the soil in place along the streambank.
This project reduces sediment loading to the Chagrin River. Excessive sediment degrades habitat for fish, decreases water clarity, increases dredging costs for navigational channels, and can increase the cost of drinking water treatment.
This product or publication was financed in part or totally through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.