Brecksville Dam Removal
After more than a decade of studying and planning, funding was allocated for the removal of the Brecksville dam, one of the last two dams on the Cuyahoga River. According to Friends of the Crooked River, the original dam at the site was the Pinery Feeder Dam, constructed in 1827 to divert water from the Cuyahoga River into the Ohio & Erie Canal. This diversion not only created a hazard to paddlers, but also disrupted the natural ecosystem of the river. The removal, which also includes targeted restoration of the river habitat, is the result of efforts from multiple organizations including the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Army Corps of Engineers, National Parks Service and Friends of the Crooked River.
Jennifer Greiser, Cleveland Metroparks Director of Natural Resources and chair of the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern, provides an ecological perspective on the removal of the Brecksville dam.
Media Coverage of the Project
12/2/2019 $800,000 Grant Awarded for Cuyahoga River Dam Removal
05/21/2020 Removal Of Brecksville Dam Begins At Cuyahoga Valley National Park
05/21/2020 Brecksville Dam Removal Underway in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
05/22/2020 Brecksville Dam removal underway from the Cuyahoga River
05/22/2020 Demolition of Brecksville Dam Begins
06/10/2020 Historic Predecessor to Brecksville Dam Revealed as Removal Continues
06/25/2020 Pinery Dam removed from Cuyahoga River after standing 193 years
07/01/2020 Brecksville Dam removal begins, thanks to forward-thinking, healthy partnerships
08/06/2020 You can now paddle through CVNP to Cleveland on Cuyahoga River after Brecksville Dam removal
08/07/2020 Paddlers can now travel through CVNP and into Cleveland after removal of 2 dams
08/07/2020 Brecksville Dam removal completed; river open for recreation
08/20/2020 Brecksville Dam removal complete
Time-Lapse Video of Dam Removal, May-June 2020
Deputy Superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Lisa Petit, provides a summary of the demolition of the Brecksville Dam.