Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategy Plan for City of Akron-Little Cuyahoga River HUC-12 (04110002-03-04) Kelly Avenue Dam Restoration site (Little Cuyahoga River), City of Akron Created by: City of Akron Engineering Bureau Environmental Division 166 South High Street Akron, OH 44308 Environmental Design Group 450 Grant Street Akron, OH 44311 Version 1.0 Approved: March 13, 2020 Table of Contents Figures and Tables .............................................................................................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Report Background ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Watershed Profile & History ......................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Public Participation and Involvement ........................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Watershed Characterization and Assessment Summary ................................................................................ 10 2.1 Summary of Watershed Characterization .................................................................................................................. 10 Ecoregion ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Soils ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Wetlands ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species ................................................................................... 13 Land Cover ................................................................................................................................... 16 Land Use ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Land Protection ............................................................................................................................ 19 CSOs ............................................................................................................................................. 21 Low Head Dams and Stream Crossings .......................................................................................... 21 2.2 Summary of Biological Trends .................................................................................................................................... 22 2.2.1 Fish (Index of Biological Integrity and Modified Index of Well-Being) ..................................... 24 2.2.2 Macroinvertebrates (Invertebrate Community Index) ........................................................... 26 2.2.3 Habitat (Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) ............................................................ 28 2.3 Summary of Pollution Causes and Associated Sources............................................................................................... 31 2.4 Additional Information for Determining Critical Areas and Developing Implementation Strategies ......................... 32 Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan ........................................................................................... 32 Little Cuyahoga River Watershed Action Plan – Phase I (Draft, NEFCO 2010) ................................... 33 Little Cuyahoga River Restoration Design Summary Report ............................................................ 33 Chapter 3: Critical Area Conditions & Restoration Strategies .......................................................................................... 34 3.1 Overview of Critical Areas .......................................................................................................................................... 34 3.2 Critical Area: Conditions, Goals & Objectives ............................................................................................................. 35 3.2.1 Detailed Characterization ..................................................................................................... 35 3.2.2 Detailed Biological Conditions .............................................................................................. 38 3.2.3 Detailed Causes and Associated Sources ............................................................................... 39 3.2.4 Goals and Objectives for the Critical Area ............................................................................. 40 Chapter 4: Projects and Implementation Strategy ........................................................................................................... 42 4.1 Projects and Implementation Strategy Overview Table ............................................................................................. 42 4.2 Project Summary Sheet(s) .......................................................................................................................................... 43 Works Cited ...................................................................................................................................................................... 49 Figures and Tables Figure 1: Overall map of the subwatershed and upstream drainage ................................................................................. 5 Figure 2: Aerial map of the subwatershed ....................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 3: Ecoregions ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 4: Soil class and location ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 5: Wetlands within the watershed from the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) ................................................. 13 Figure 6: NLCD Land Cover in the watershed ................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 7: Percentage of land cover types (NLCD) ............................................................................................................. 17 Figure 8: Map of estimated impervious cover .................................................................................................................. 17 Figure 9: Zoning distribution ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 10: Protected land map ......................................................................................................................................... 19 2 | P a g e Figure 11: Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and their associated districts ................................................................... 21 Figure 12: Water quality data points from Ohio EPA ....................................................................................................... 23 Figure 13: Fish scores in the Little Cuyahoga River and selected tributaries, 1996. Highlighted RMs are in the City of Akron-Little Cuyahoga subwatershed. Modified from 1998 Little Cuyahoga TSD. .......................................................... 25 Figure 14: Macroinvertebrate scores in the Little Cuyahoga River and selected tributaries, 1996. Highlighted RMs are in the City of Akron-Little Cuyahoga subwatershed. Modified from 1998 Little Cuyahoga TSD. ......................................... 26 Figure 15: Longitudinal trend of the ICI in the Little Cuyahoga River, 1986, 1991, and 1996. Highlighted RMs are in the City of Akron-Little Cuyahoga subwatershed. Modified from 1998 Little Cuyahoga TSD. ............................................... 27 Figure 16: Critical area designation ................................................................................................................................. 34 Figure 17: Impervious cover in the critical area ............................................................................................................... 35 Figure 18: Land use in the critical area ............................................................................................................................ 36 Figure 19: Severe bank erosion at Lock 18 site ................................................................................................................. 36 Figure 20: Kelly Ave Dam Restoration .............................................................................................................................. 37 Figure 21: Priority projects ..............................................................................................................................................