View of an Unstable Streambank in Brecksville Reservation

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

Monitoring and Addressing Erosion

The rainy season is here and for those of us in the Northeast Ohio watershed business it means in addition to celebrating Earth Day and Arbor Day by planting native trees, we also need to check in on our green infrastructure, restoration projects, and streams to monitor for and address the impacts of urban runoff. One of those impacts is excess erosion. Erosion is the loss of soil, rock or vegetation from the land. While the land and our streams naturally experience the loss of sediment, our intense rain events combined with upstream development or loss of native vegetation can cause accelerated erosion that negatively impacts aquatic life and threatens nearby amenities.

In the fall of 2023 I had the honor of working with Watershed Volunteers and our Park Operations and Natural Resources staff to address an eroding streambank along our bridle trail in Brecksville Reservation. Our hydrology seasonals helped to assess the stream using survey equipment and the Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI) assessment over the summer. I then used that data to create a plan to address the erosion. Our park operations staff met with us to review and successfully moved our trail away from the stream and laid back the stream banks to encourage floodplain interaction while minimizing erosion. Then our natural resources team harvested live shrub stakes for a group work day to plant the harvested material in the streambank. Watershed Steward Michael Romito rode his bike to the event and helped with the very physical labor of digging trenches and placing fascines and live stakes. We topped the site off with biodegradable coconut fiber matting to help with initial stabilization until the plantings can really take root. This spring I was then joined by watershed steward Vicki Straus to add native seed collected by our volunteers and staff to the project site. This project was certainly one of my favorite 2023 highlights because of the many wonderful staff and volunteers who made it happen. Check out more photos of our stabilization work event here .

Next week watershed stewards will have the opportunity to both address and monitor erosion in our watersheds.

Join us Tuesday April 23rd from 10 am to Noon in Brecksville Reservation to help address erosion at a recent wetland creation project by planting live stakes that will take root to hold soil in place and help the site recover from the necessary disturbance caused by restoration activities.

Thursday April 25th from 10 am to noon we will host a Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI) training at the Watershed Stewardship Center where you can learn about the various characteristics that make a streambank more likely to erode. After initial classroom review, we will join our new hydrology staff in the stream to practice the BEHI assessment in preparation for field season. It is our hope that trained stewards will join our seasonal hydrology crew this summer to perform BEHI assessments throughout the park so we can better inform future restoration efforts. A second BEHI training will be offered Monday May 20th from 6-8 pm at the Watershed Stewardship Center.

I look forward to addressing and monitoring erosion with you this year!

Fondly,

Elizabeth Hiser

Stream Restoration Ecologist

Happenings

WVP Opportunities

View of Stabilized Streambank in Brecksville Reservation

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

Key

(L)earning: These events include talks, workshops, and training sessions.
(M)onitoring: These events include water quality testing through chemistry and macroinvertebrate monitoring.
(R)estoration: These events include bioretention clean-ups, tree plantings, invasive plant removal, etc.
(O)utreach: These events are used to spread awareness of the Watershed Volunteer Program and general watershed health.

(L) Workshop: Crayfish with Roger Thoma

Wed, Apr 17 National Crayfish Day!, 6 - 7:30 p.m. @ West Creek Reservation

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(R) Work Session: Live Stake Planting

Tue, Apr 23, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ Brecksville Reservation

(R) Work Session: Earth Day & Arbor Day Tree Planting

Wed, Apr 24, 6 -8 p.m. @ Big Creek Reservation

(M) Training Session: Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI)

Thu, Apr 25, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ West Creek Reservation

(M) Work Session: City Nature Challenge

Sat, Apr 27, 10 a.m. - Noon @ Brecksville Reservation

(R) Work Session: Tree Planting

Wed, May 1, 6 -8 p.m. @ South Chagrin Reservation

(R) Work Session: Tree Planting

Fri, May 3, 10:30 -12:30 p.m. @ Big Creek Reservation

(R) Work Session: Garlic Mustard Removal

Tue, May 7, 10 a.m. -12 p.m. @ South Chagrin Reservation

(M) Work Session: Scenic Rivers Macro Monitoring

Tue, May 14 (Rain Date: Fri May 17), 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. @ North Chagrin Reservation

(R) Volunteer Led Work Session: Garlic Mustard Removal

Wed, May 15, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. @ Mill Stream Run Reservation

(M) Training Session: Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI)

Mon, May 20, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. @ West Creek Reservation

(M) Lecture: Stream Studies and Ecological Response Following the February 2023 Train Derailment in East Palestine with the EPA's Bill Zawiski

Wed, May 22, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. @ West Creek reservation

WVP volunteers, please log into Volgistics to register for primary events.

*Open to the public. Click Here or Email us for the registration link.

View Event Details

WVP Garlic Mustard Pull at Engle Rd Sled Riding Hill

April 11, 2024, Big Creek Reservation

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

Opportunities With Our Partners

(S) Rain Barrel Workshop - Shaker Heights

Wed, Apr 24, 6 - 7.30 p.m. @ Shaker Heights Service Yard, 15600 Chagrin Blvd Shaker Heights, OH 44120

This is a barrel and diverter kit pick up only. When you register, you will be sent a confirmation with instructions about how to make your barrel at home. All you need is your own drill! Pre-payment is required.

More Details and Registration Here Cost $60

(S) Homegrown Conservation: Creating Climate and Wildlife-Friendly Yards

Wed, May 15, 5:30 - 8 p.m. @ Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works

Climate change and biodiversity loss are creating existential threats to people and nature. But we can help. In this presentation, you’ll learn about how traditional landscape management is contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss and discover small steps we can all take in our own backyards and communities to steward our landscapes for nature and wildlife.

More Details and Registration Here

(S) Westlake Rain Barrel Workshop

Wed, May 22, 6 - 8 p.m. @ Market Square at Crocker Park , 239 Market Street Westlake, OH 44145

Participants will learn how to assemble and install their rain barrels at this event. Alternatively, participants can pick up their rain barrel and construct at home with provided online instructional video. The $60 fee includes instruction and all materials, including a 60-gallon barrel, drill bits, and a downspout diverter. If you would like to create a two-barrel system, a second barrel and connector kit is available for an additional $40. Register before May 15.

More Details and Registration Here Fee: $60 for kit and barrel

(S) Guided Walk through Acacia Reservation, Transforming a Golf Course into a Natural Area

Thu, May 30, 6:30 - 8 p.m. @ Cedar Road parking lot, 26899 Cedar Rd, Beachwood, OH 44122W

Join Chris Vild, Environmental Manager for Beachwood, and Jennifer Grieser, Director of Natural Resources for Cleveland Metroparks on a walk through Metropark's Acacia Reservation. The guided walk will cover the history of the space since the Cleveland Metroparks took ownership of the property and what it takes to transform a golf course back into a natural area.

More Details and Registration Here

Cleveland Metroparks | Digital Emerald Necklace*

More (S)upplemental events can be found on our website here.

*WVP volunteers can submit supplemental hours in Volgistics under (S) Watershed Partner Event Contact us if you need assistance reporting any hours.

Recording Hours with WVP

Extras

News

Citizen Science May Help Uncover Mysteries of the Great Lakes Jellyfish Invasion | Read on

Garfield Heights Recycling Facility to Pay $1.5 Million Settlement for Operating an Illegal Landfill | Read on

Starting a Watershed Organization: Pennsylvania's Little Lehigh Watershed Stewards Tell Their Story | Read on

Overdevelopment and Poaching Poses a Threat to Venus Flytraps in the Carolinas | Read on or watch video here

A Million Mice Are Eating Seabirds Alive on a Remote Island. | Read on and watch videos here

Pictured here is an injured Grey-Headed Albatross on Marion Island in the Indian Ocean. It was attacked by invasive mice, which have been doing this to large seabirds across the landscape. In fact, the rodents are literally eating the seabirds alive! Why? Is anything being done about the situation? And how did everything come about? The article directly above answers those questions as it delves into many details on this bizarre, sad occurrence.

[Photo Credit: Tom Peschak/Mouse-Free Marion Project]