Doan Brook: Understanding and Protecting an Urban Watershed

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DOAN BROOK WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP
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(WORKING) MISSION STATEMENT The Doan Brook
Watershed Partnershipprotecting, restoring and
enhancing Doan Brook and its watershed for the
benefit of future generations.
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The Doan Brook Partners

• The Cities -- Cleveland, Cleveland Heights,
  Shaker Heights
• Doan Brook Watershed Partnership
• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
• The Non-Profits -- Nature Center at Shaker Lakes,
  Holden Parks Trust, Shaker Historical Society,
  University Circle, Inc.
• The Agencies -- Ohio EPA, ODNR, NRCS/SWCD
• The Institutions -- CWRU, JCU, CSU, Cleveland
  Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Botanical
  Gardens, etc.
• Citizens

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• FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM
• The three (3) watershed cities
• Cleveland Heights
• Shaker Heights
• Cleveland
• Other non-profits (Sewer District, Nature Center,
  University Circle Inc.)
• Family foundations
• Individuals/families
• Ohio EPA (Sec. 319 nonpoint source grant)
• George Gund Foundation

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The Doan Brook and Its Watershed

• Doan Brook is 8.4 miles long.
• The watershed area is about 11.7 square miles
  (7,500 acres).

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The Parks...
Site 14 Dredge Spoil Area
Gordon Park/ Lake Front State Park
Donated and developed 1882 to 1900
Rockefeller Park/Cultural Gardens
Wade Park
Shaker Lakes Parks
Ambler Park
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes
Doan Brook Gorge
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Problems of the Urban Doan Brook

• Flooding
• Water Quality
• Habitat Degradation

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Nonpoint source water quality problems typical of
urban areas

• Bacteria (animal waste and sewage overflows
  frequent violations of EPA standards)
• Excessive nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus,
  causing accelerated weed/algae growth)
• Oil, grease, solvents, trash
• Soil from eroded banks, bare lawn and
  construction areas
• Metals from vehicle rusting, brake pads, etc.

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Lower Doan Brook IssuesRockefeller Park

• Degraded banks, soil erosion, flow confined
  between walls

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Lower Doan Brook IssuesRockefeller Park
Debris clogging, need for maintenance, concrete
check dams impeding fish migration.
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The Doan Brook Sewershed

• Sends sanitary or combined sewage to the Doan
  Valley Interceptor.
• 20.1 square miles (12,900 acres).
• Upper sewershed has mostly separated sewers, but
  they empty into the lower sewersheds combined
  system.

Doan Valley Interceptor
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Heights/Hilltop Interceptor (HHI)(NEORSD)

• Reduces DVI sewershed to 9.8 square miles, less
  than 1/2 of current area
• Reduces CSOs by about 50
• Still 400 mg/yr CSOs
• Still frequent water quality violations.

Doan Valley Interceptor
Heights/Hilltop Interceptor
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Smaller fixes in the works

• DBWP Ohio EPA 319 Grant (255,388)
• Natural stream restoration pilot project
• Stormwater detention/treatment pilot projects,
  Green/Marshall lakes subwatershed
• Survey of Shaker Heights management practices
  (e.g. catch basin cleaning, street sweeping, turf
  area management)
• Watershed education
• Green/Marshall lakes subwatershed management plan
  and scoping of goals for lake management

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Larger fixes in the works

• NEORSD Heights Hilltop Interceptor sewer project
  nearing completion
• Improved municipal stormwater management and
  compliance under EPA Phase II regulation
• 5.5 million Rockefeller Park Doan Brook
  Restoration Project moving toward Spring 2005
  construction start

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The Bottom Line

• No single technical fix will restore Doan Brook.
• Ongoing large projects are both required by law
  and necessary to the health of the brook.
• Smaller fixes for Doan Brook are beginning to be
  implemented.
• More complete brook restoration will require a
  combination of many large and small fixes.
• Brook restoration will require a sustained effort
  by many people and organizations over an extended
  period of time.

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Watershed Education through The Nature Center at
Shaker Lakes Tori Mills, Watershed Educator
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Doan Brook Watershed PartnershipAccomplishments
and work over the past year
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Rockefeller Park Doan Brook
Restoration Project - City of Cleveland

• Biorestoration of the channel of Doan Brook
  between the outlet of the University Circle
  Culvert and the CSX Railroad tracks
• Intended to improve stream habitat
• Side benefits will be a reduction in flooding and
  perhaps a slight improvement in water quality
• Scheduled for 2003.

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Project Goals

• Reduce flow velocity
• Improve water quality
• Reduce flood elevation
• Create stable riparian vegetation
• Enhance aquatic life
• Improve educational uses

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Future restoration project in cooperation with
Woodbury PTO/Shaker Schools - South Branch Doan
Brook
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