Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc. PO Box 229 Willoughby, Ohio 44096 (440) 975-3870 (Phone) (440) 975- 3865 (Fax) www.crwp.org Endorsed by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Department of Natural Resources on December 18, 2006 Revised December 2009 Updated September 2011 i List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. vii List of Appendices ..................................................................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... x Endorsement of Plan by Watershed Stakeholders ....................................................................................... xi List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................ xii 1 Chagrin River Watershed ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Administrative Boundaries .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 History of Chagrin River Watershed ........................................................................................... 3 1.3 Scenic River Designation ............................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Demographics and Economic Trends .......................................................................................... 3 1.5 Previous Planning, Protection, and Management Activities ....................................................... 4 2 Watershed Plan Development ...................................................................................................... 4 3 Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc. ....................................................................................... 5 3.1 History ......................................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Mission Statement ....................................................................................................................... 6 3.3 Structure and Organization of the Board of Trustees .................................................................. 6 3.4 CRWP Officers ............................................................................................................................ 6 3.5 Other Partners and Stakeholders ................................................................................................. 7 4 Geology & Soils ........................................................................................................................... 7 5 Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................................................ 9 5.1 Introduced, Invasive, and Nonnative Species ............................................................................ 12 6 Water Resources ......................................................................................................................... 13 6.1 Climate and Precipitation .......................................................................................................... 13 6.2 Lake Erie ................................................................................................................................... 14 6.3 Streams ...................................................................................................................................... 14 6.4 Subwatersheds ........................................................................................................................... 14 6.4.1 10 digit HUC Watersheds ................................................................................................. 14 6.4.2 12 Digit HUC Watersheds ................................................................................................ 15 6.5 Use Designations/Use Attainment Status .................................................................................. 15 6.6 Causes and Sources of Impairment from 305(b) and 303(d) ..................................................... 17 6.7 Sport Fish Consumption Advisory ............................................................................................ 18 6.8 Stream Flow and Flooding Characteristics ................................................................................ 18 6.9 Floodplains ................................................................................................................................ 22 6.10 Wetlands .................................................................................................................................... 22 6.11 Lakes and Reservoirs ................................................................................................................. 22 6.12 Ground Water ............................................................................................................................ 22 6.12.1 Ground Water Pollution Potential ..................................................................................... 24 7 Land Use ..................................................................................................................................... 25 7.1 Existing Land Use and Impervious Cover ................................................................................. 25 7.2 CRWP Impervious Cover Study ............................................................................................... 26 7.3 Current Land Use Plans and Predicted Trends .......................................................................... 31 7.3.1 208 Water Quality Management Plans ............................................................................. 31 7.4 Protected Lands ......................................................................................................................... 32 7.4.1 Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland/Ohio Department of Natural Resources............. 33 7.4.2 Cleveland Metroparks ....................................................................................................... 33 7.4.3 Cleveland Museum of Natural History ............................................................................. 33 7.4.4 County Soil and Water Conservation Districts ................................................................. 33 7.4.5 Gates Mills Land Conservancy ......................................................................................... 34 7.4.6 Geauga Park District ......................................................................................................... 34 7.4.7 Holden Arboretum ............................................................................................................ 34 7.4.8 Lake Metroparks ............................................................................................................... 34 ii 7.4.9 Portage Park District ......................................................................................................... 34 7.4.10 Western Reserve Land Conservancy ................................................................................ 34 8 Cultural Resources ...................................................................................................................... 34 8.1 Ohio Archaeological Inventory ................................................................................................. 35 8.2 National Register of Historic Places .......................................................................................... 35 8.3 Ohio Historic Inventory ............................................................................................................. 35 9 Point Source Pollution ................................................................................................................ 37 10 Nonpoint Source Pollution and Programs to Manage ................................................................ 46 10.1 Stormwater Management ........................................................................................................... 47 10.1.1 Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure ........................................................ 47 10.1.2 NPDES Phase II ................................................................................................................ 47 10.2 Lake County Stormwater Management Department ................................................................. 48 10.3 Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District ................................................................................... 49 10.4 Portage County Stormwater District.......................................................................................... 49 10.5 Cuyahoga County SWCD .......................................................................................................... 49 10.6 Lake County SWCD .................................................................................................................. 49 10.7 Geauga County SWCD.............................................................................................................