LORAIN, Ohio — The Black River is one step closer to shedding an unflattering label and environmentalists said it shows the progress from decades of clean-up efforts.
This summer, the U.S. EPA and the State of Ohio removed a beach closings Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) from the Lorain County waterway. The BUI was among a once-long list of environmental hazards needing to be addressed before the river could be declassified as a Great Lakes Area of Concern.
“It would make you worrisome about it. But over the years, from what I’ve learned, the EPA has come in and tried to work with companies to stem the effects of pollution from the last century,” said Chris Wiley, an Elyria resident who was boating with a friend on the Black River Friday afternoon.
He recalled the river always being a destination for boaters, anglers and others who enjoy water recreation.
Mike Tully, who was kayaking on the river Friday, said, “I enjoy the nature, the birds, [I] see some bald eagles now and then.”
“It’s a nice place to come and relax and catch fish. And I just hope things get better,” added Cheryl Fraher, who was fishing from the water’s edge Friday.
In addition to its recreational use, the Black River has been an economic driver for the region. A port for ships crossing Lake Erie, its banks have also been awash in industry over the past century. Years of steel production and looser regulation led to serious waterway pollution.
In the 1980s, the International Joint Commission designated the Black River as a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC). It labels parts of the Great Lakes basin where human activities have significantly degraded the environment.
“Lots of federal and state and local people have really worked hard to improve those areas where the actual industries were,” explained Kris Patterson, an Ohio Lake Erie Commission program administrator.
She said the collaboration has helped slowly chip away at a list of environmental concerns known as BUI.
In 1990, the Black River AOC Advisory Committee identified nine BUIs requiring attention. After successful bacterial containment, the beach closings BUI became the sixth BUI to be addressed and removed.
All six BUIs have been removed because restoration goals were met in the lower 15 miles of the Black River and various points in French Creek.
“We want to make sure for the Area of Concern that it’s healthy all the way – for the bugs who live in the sediment in the water, to the beaches that people enjoy and all the areas along it that the wildlife and habitat are going to,” Patterson said.
She said removal of the beach closings BUI means Black River beaches are generally safe for swimming and recreation. Bigger picture, she believes it’s a sign of successful conservation efforts.
Neighbors who use the river regularly also remarked about the progress of the past decades.
“I hope it continues to improve and I hope more people come out and enjoy it,” Tully said.
Wiley added, “It’s up to everybody to respect that and work to keep it clean.”
The final three BUIs requiring attention are all related to fish and wildlife populations and their habitats. Patterson said efforts have already begun on habitat restoration. If the pace of work continues, the Black River could be de-listed as an AOC within several more years.
You can read more about the ongoing Black River clean-up and other conservation efforts by visiting https://www.blackriveraoc.com/ and https://lakeerie.ohio.gov/.
