In 2012, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and Chagrin River Watershed Partners assisted the City of Aurora with the acquisition of the former Aurora Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course located within the City limits. About 1.8 miles of the Aurora Branch to the Chagrin River flows through this property. A water quality study by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency indicated water quality impairments as a result of habitat alteration, nutrient enrichment from fertilizers, and stream sedimentation.

The City of Aurora received $4.7 million through Ohio EPA’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program (WRRSP) in cooperation with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to permanently preserve the 194-acre property and restore over 26 acres from a manicured golf course to a natural state. Restoration efforts led by an ecological consulting firm included planting trees along the streams to provide shade for fish and prevent soil erosion, using a natural design to reconnect the river to its floodplain, and treating non-native, invasive species. The City of Aurora will continue to manage the property as natural park with opportunities for hiking, birding, and fishing.