Tinkers Creek Watershed Wetland Project

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health has received a grant from the USEPA to develop a comprehensive wetland inventory for the Tinkers Creek Watershed that addresses the need of obtaining the current “snapshot” of wetland acreage, classification, functionality and economic value within the Tinkers Creek basin.  This study will assist local governments and community residents in recognizing the need for prioritizing conservation practices that offer sustainable growth for the community while promoting environmental integrity by developing a wetland assessment and monitoring program. 

Goals and Objectives:

1. To quantify, categorize, and assess the remaining wetlands and potential mitigation sites within the Tinkers Creek Watershed by ground proofing methods.
2. To produce a monitoring and assessment program.
3. To present the program information to local communities for use within their decision making processes regarding development and community health. 

Wetlands provide needed buffers from pollutants that drain into waterways which contain toxins accumulated from urban run-off.  Tinkers Creek flows directly into the Cuyahoga River which flows into Lake Erie. The cumulative impact of untreated water flowing directly into the lake can cause elevated bacterial levels harmful for the people that depend upon the lake for clean drinking water.  The kidney effect that wetlands provide surface water has been diminished from “ overgrazing” the land for progression purposes.  Maintaining and restoring functioning wetland ecosystems will help alleviate future water quality problems and provide economic incentives for lowering property taxes in the future, based on increases in storm water costs and more stringent water quality expectations by the EPA. 

The “outsourcing” of wetland mitigation to other watersheds continues to be a problem for many waterways.  The wetland assessment and prioritization program will help determine locations which are suitable for increasing the amount of wetlands within the watershed.  This will provide options for development if lower quality wetlands will be impacted.  A priority of the program will be to promote the use of wetlands to create a balance between providing a service to the community and a residence for local biology. 

The Board of Health is working collaboratively with the Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners and the Ohio EPA on this project. For more information on this project, please contact Mike McNutt at 216-201-2001 ext 1224 or via email.

Useful information and Links

Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners
US EPA
Ohio EPA
Map of Watershed
Tinkers Creek Watershed Brochure