Tinkers Creek Watershed

Tinkers Creek is located in eastern Cuyahoga County, Summit County, Portage and Geauga Counties and is the largest tributary watershed of the Cuyahoga river basin.  The total drainage area is 96.4 square miles and contains portions of 24 different communities. Like many other watersheds, Tinkers Creek contains both a rural and urban setting and, therefore, faces a broad spectrum of water related challenges. 

The Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners was formed by an alliance between the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and the Tinkers Creek Land Conservancy.  The Conservancy donated seed money to provide start-up funds for the creation of the Partners. The Board of Health has also committed to nurture the organization for the future.  The Watershed Partners was officially established in September of 2006 and has begun working with communities within the watershed to educate and provide technical assistance for NPDES and development decisions.

Several water quality issues face Tinkers Creek and the communities within the watershed.  Several studies have been performed on the creek and virtually all conclude that Tinkers Creek does not meet the minimum standards set forth by the Ohio EPA water quality standards.  Pollutants such as organic/nutrient enrichment, low in-stream dissolved oxygen, toxicity, sedimentation and habitat degradation are all results of land use activities, poor zoning regulations and a lack of education regarding the importance of health streams. 

Recently, the Board of Health was awarded grant by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to create a Watershed Action Plan which will designate the problems facing the creek and become a template to follow to correct those problems.  Additionally, a U.S. EPA grant has also been awarded to the Board of Health to study the remaining wetlands within the watershed and prioritize them according their sensitivity and function.  This will allow the Watershed Partners to seek additional funding opportunities to protect these wetlands from destruction.

Because Cuyahoga County lies within the Lake Erie drainage basin, the impacts of human progression have negatively affected the streams, rivers and wetlands that drain into our Lake.  According to the U.S. EPA, the Great Lakes hold 84% of all fresh water in the United States and 21% of all fresh water on the planet.  In order to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our important natural resource, the County Board of Health views water quality protective efforts, such as watershed management, a priority for the future health of the natural environment and to the health of the communities.  Progress is an inevitable product of an increasing global population and it is the responsibility of the people and the agencies working for the people to make the appropriate adjustments and decisions to provide a bright and clean future for generations to come.

To learn more about the Tinkers Creek Watershed, please contact Mike McNutt, Watershed Coordinator, at 216-201-2001 ext 1224 or via email.

Useful Information and Links

Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners
Tinkers Creek Map
Tinkers Creek Brochure
Rain Garden Brochure
TMDL Report