CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — The Gorge Dam has been a site to behold in Cuyahoga Falls since 1911, but many believe the time has come to remove the man-made structure from nature.
On Halloween evening, members of the public were invited to attend a community update on the process to remove the 420-foot-wide, 60-foot-tall structure within Gorge Metro Park. About 190 million gallons of water go over the dam around this time of year.
The dam is one of the largest unresolved impediments to restoring the water quality of the Cuyahoga River and its removal will improve river ecology, create recreational opportunities and drive economic benefits within the local community, according to a statement from Summit Metro Parks.
The dam was built more than 100 years ago to produce hydroelectricity to power trolleys and as a cooling water source for a coal-fired plant, but the dam no longer has any benefits, according to Mike Johnson, the chief conservation officer for Summit Metro Parks.
"Both the hydroelectric facility, as well as the coal-fired plant, are now gone, so the Gorge Dam serves no useful purpose," Johnson said.
Johnson said the dam prevents the free movement of fish upstream and downstream and has created other environmental concerns.
"Dams also impound water, and for lack of better word, the water behind the dam is stagnant," he said.
Talk of removing the dam dates back to the 90s, but discussions have heated up over the last six years.
Under the current plan, the estimated cost to remove one million cubic yards of sediment in the dam pool would be more than $100 million.
"Local taxpayers, you're not going to see a change in your taxes associated with this. The project will be largely federally funded," Johnson said.
Johnson estimated that 65% of the funding for the design and removal of the sediment has been secured. The removal could start in 2024 with a barge in the river dredging the sediment and pumping it into a big tube to Cascade Valley Metro Park.
Within the next few weeks, work will begin at Cascade Valley to clear about 30 acres of land in preparation to store the sediment.
Removal of the dam could take place in 2026 and would make the Cuyahoga River free-flowing from Kent to Lake Erie.
More money would be needed to turn the big plan into reality, but Johnson is confident that will happen.
"I would say we are working with federal, state and local entities to secure that. I do believe that it will be secured."
The dam project is managed by a group of partners that includes the city of Akron, the city of Cuyahoga Falls, FirstEnergy, the county of Summit, Summit County Council, Summit Metro Parks, the University of Akron, Ohio EPA, Ohio Lake Erie Commission and the U.S. EPA.
Currently, the U.S. EPA is designing the sediment management portion of the project and Akron is engineering the dam removal. Both design projects are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with matching funds from Ohio.
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