State of Ohio Ecological Assessment Unit Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water

Biological and Water Quality Study of the Little Cuyahoga River and Tributaries

Summit and Portage Counties

Creek Chub (Semotilis atromaculatus)

Hydrospychid Caddisfly (Hydropsyche sp.)

April 14, 1998 P.O. Box 1049, 1800 WaterMark Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049 MAS/1997-12-9 Little Cuyahoga River TSD April 14, 1998

Biological and Water Quality Study of the Little Cuyahoga River, 1996

Summit County

April 14, 1998

OEPA Technical Report Number MAS/1997-12-9

prepared by

State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water Ecological Assessment Unit 1685 Westbelt Drive Columbus, Ohio 43228 and Water Quality Section Northeast District Office 2110 East Aurora Road Twinsburg, Ohio 44087 MAS/1997-12-9 Little Cuyahoga River TSD April 14, 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NOTICE TO USERS ...... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...... vi FORWARD ...... vii INTRODUCTION ...... 1 SUMMARY ...... 1 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 2 Little Cuyahoga River Status of Aquatic Life Uses ...... 2 Status of Non-aquatic Life Uses ...... 3 Other Recommendations ...... 3 Future Monitoring Concerns ...... 3 Union Oil Tributary Status of Aquatic Life Uses ...... 3 Status of Non-aquatic Life Uses ...... 3 Other Recommendations ...... 4 Future Monitoring Concerns ...... 4 Wingfoot Lake Outlet Status of Aquatic Life Uses ...... 4 Status of Non-aquatic Life Uses ...... 4 Other Recommendations and Future Monitoring Concerns ...... 4 Roosevelt Ditch Status of Aquatic Life Uses ...... 4 Status of Non-aquatic Life Uses ...... 4 Other Recommendations and Future Monitoring Concerns ...... 5 Springfield Lake Outlet Status of Aquatic Life Uses ...... 5 Status of Non-aquatic Life Uses ...... 5 Other Recommendations and Future Monitoring Concerns ...... 5 Camp Brook Status of Aquatic Life Uses ...... 5 Status of Non-aquatic Life Uses ...... 5 Other Recommendations and Future Monitoring Concerns ...... 5 Ohio Canal Status of Aquatic Life Uses ...... 5 Status of Non-aquatic Life Uses ...... 5 Other Recommendations and Future Monitoring Concerns ...... 6 PUBLIC LAKES AND RESERVIORS...... 10 Summary ...... 10 Recommendations ...... 11

ii MAS/1997-12-9 Little Cuyahoga River TSD April 14, 1998

STUDY AREA ...... 12 City of Akron Combined Sewer System ...... 12 METHODS ...... 17 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...... 22 CSO Discharge Assessment ...... 22 Spills ...... 28 Fish Kills ...... 28 1996 Lakes and Reserviors Assessed in the Little Cuyahoga River Basin ...... 29 Nesmith Lake ...... 29 Summit Lake ...... 30 Mogadore Reservior ...... 31 Surface Water Quality ...... 37 Little Cuyahoga River ...... 37 Tributaries ...... 43 Surface Water Quality Trends ...... 48 Sediment Quality ...... 48 Physical Habitat for Aquatic Life ...... 58 Biological Assessment: Macroinvertebrate Community (1986 -1996) ...... 61 Little Cuyahoga River ...... 61 Union Oil Tributary ...... 70 Wingfoot Lake Outlet ...... 70 Roosevelt Ditch ...... 71 Springfield Lake Outlet ...... 71 Camp Brook ...... 73 Ohio Canal ...... 73 Biological Assessment: Fish Community (1986 - 1996) ...... 75 Little Cuyahoga River ...... 75 Union Oil Tributary ...... 81 Wingfoot Lake Outlet ...... 82 Springfield Lake Outlet ...... 82 Camp Brook ...... 82 Fish and Macroinvertebrate Community Summary ...... 83 References ...... 85

Appendix tables containing results from chemical grab samples and biological sampling are available electronically on the internet at http://chagrin.epa.ohio.gov/.

iii MAS/1997-12-9 Little Cuyahoga River TSD April 14, 1998

NOTICE TO USERS

Ohio EPA incorporated biological criteria into the Ohio Water Quality Standards (WQS; Ohio Administrative Code 3745-1) regulations in February 1990 (effective May 1990). These criteria consist of numeric values for the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) and Modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb)