Public input sought on Euclid Creek Watershed

Public input is needed to help update a watershed plan for the Euclid Creek Watershed.

The Euclid Creek Watershed encompasses 23.3 square miles in northeastern Cuyahoga County and a part of Lake County, according to a news release. It covers portions of 12 communities: Beachwood, Cleveland, Euclid, Highland Heights, Lyndhurst, Mayfield, Mayfield Heights, Pepper Pike, Richmond Heights, Shaker Heights, South Euclid, and Willoughby Hills.

The watershed includes 40-plus miles of stream, 30 miles of which is open channel and 10 of which is culverted or buried, as far as 8 miles away from the Creek’s confluence with Lake Erie at Wildwood Park in Cleveland.

Updates to this plan are led by Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District with funding from Euclid Creek Watershed Council and Friends of Euclid Creek through a Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District grant, the release stated.

Officials are seeking input on the following:

• Eroding sections of streams

• Areas for improved management of stormwater and flooding

• Areas to protect for public greenspace and wildlife habitat

Anyone can provide feedback by attending an open house or emailing input to ehiser@cuyahogaswcd.org.

Open houses are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with a short presentation at 7. The first will be Dec. 6 at the Mayfield Library, 500 SOM Center Road; while the second will be Dec. 10 at the Beachwood Community Center, 25325 Fairmount Blvd.

RSVP by calling Elizabeth Hiser at 216-5246580, ext. 1002, or emailing ehiser@cuyahogaswcd.org

As part of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s nonpoint source pollution control program, plans are being developed at the subwatershed level, the release stated.

These plans are called nine-element nonpoint source implementation strategy plans. Projects addressing erosion and water quality concerns need to be included in these plans to be eligible for some sources of federal funding.

More info about the Ohio EPA’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program is available at https://epa. ohio.gov/dsw/nps/index.