Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan

 

Watershed Planning

A watershed action plan is a comprehensive plan for protecting and improving the watershed. A watershed action plan includes an inventory of the watershed resources and identifies and evaluates problems within the watershed. The plan then details goals to protect the high-quality resources and to address identified problem areas. Through funding from Ohio EPA and member communities, CRWP developed the Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan in 1999.

 

Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan:

In December 2006, CRWP revised the Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan. CRWP received the notice of full endorsement from the Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water and ODNR, Division of Soil and Water Conservation on December 18, 2006.

 

The Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan (pdf 6MB) was revised on January 15, 2010 to incorporate data from Ohio EPA sampling activities, Chagrin TMDL Study, the Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan, and input from Plan stakeholders.

 

We make ongoing revisions to the Plan based on comments from Ohio EPA, ODNR, and Plan stakeholders, as well as information gained through implementation of the Plan. Contact us at contact@crwp.org or (440) 975-3870 with any questions or comments on this Plan.

Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan:

The Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan incorporates the Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan which was endorsed by the Ohio Lake Erie Commission on September 28, 2009. CRWP and Chagrin River watershed communities collaborated to develop the Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan (pdf 15MB) to advance the  implementation of best local land use practices.

 

CRWP and watershed communities worked to ensure that designated PDAs throughout the Chagrin River watershed linked to transportation, water, and sewer infrastructure and planning. The PCA designations promote the protection of existing green space and preservation of additional critical areas to minimize loss of habitat, farmland, forest, and open space. In addition, the designations of both PCAs and PDAs balance local economic development goals while planning ahead to efficiently use infrastructure and protect the Chagrin River and Lake Erie for future generations. CRWP continues to work with watershed communities to implement the recommendations from this Plan including the use of best local land use practices, incorporation of concepts into local comprehensive land use plans, coordination of mitigation activities for stream and wetland impacts to further implement PCAs and PDAs, continued open space acquisition, and economic development initiatives.

 

For additional information on the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and the Balanced Growth Program, please see http://balancedgrowth.ohio.gov/.

Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategy (NPS-IS):

An NPS-IS is a living strategic watershed planning document that summarizes causes and sources of impairment, establishes critical areas, identifies quantifiable objectives to address causes and sources of impairment, and describes projects designed to meet those objectives. An NPS-IS is updated as projects are developed and completed. Every updated version (containing new projects and/or new data) must be reviewed and approved by Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA. Projects must be included in an approved NPS-IS in order to be eligible for State and Federal funding.

 

CRWP developed and updates an NPS-IS for each of the Chagrin River's 7 subwatersheds:
  1. Aurora Branch Headwaters
  2. McFarland Creek - Aurora Branch
  3. Beaver Creek - Chagrin River
  4. Silver Creek - Chagrin River
  5. Griswold Creek - Chagrin River
  6. East Branch - Chagrin River
  7. Town of Willoughby - Chagrin River

 

CRWP assisted our Central Lake Erie Basin Collaborative partners in developing NPS-IS plans for other subwatersheds in Northeast Ohio.

  1. Cahoon Creek-Porter Creek/Frontal Lake Erie
  2. Lake Erie Tributaries: Euclid Creek to Chagrin River

 

A list of approved Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategies is on Ohio EPA's website.

The Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan was prepared by Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc. in part under award NA10NOS4190182  from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management.  The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, or the Office of Coastal Management. The Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan was developed under a grant from the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, Ohio Water Development Authority, and with the support of our Members.