I Smell Something Fishy

Park officials in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park seem to be caught between a rock and a wet spot these days. For a long time, the Cuyahoga River dam at Station Road, with Ohio 82 rumbling overhead, has been a bone of contention for environmentalists, fishers and historians. The river is approximately 100 miles long; with 22 of those miles falling within the boundaries of the national park. The stream has been designated as an “area of concern,” one of 43 such areas in the U.S. It has also been designated as American Heritage River.
The back story (Reader’s Digest version) is, the dam, originally erected about 200 years ago, serves as a way of feeding water into the Ohio & Erie Canal—a National Historic Landmark—that parallels the river. Well, not exactly. The current dam was really built in 1951 at approximately the site of the original wooden structure. Historians think, if there’s anything left of the original dam, it’s probably further up stream.
The current 12-foot-high structure still diverts about 2,200 cubic feet of water a day into the canal. This water maintains an illusion of realism for people coming to the park to see how the canal and locks operated. The 163-foot-wide structure is a major piece of heritage in the park.
As a fly fisher, I have mixed emotions about this conundrum. If the dam goes away, so will some great fishing opportunities provided by the canal. Casting for freshwater bonefish (aka carp) is easy and great in the canal.
On the other hand, about two rod lengths away in places, a free running stream would be a boon to the growing steelhead fishery and migrating native fish populations. The steelies already come up the river, and evidently jump the dam when water is high enough. People have been known to catch them 10 miles or so back up stream.



What to do? How can we find a balance between natural resources and historic resources?
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency biologists are ready to pull the plug on the dam. They claim it will improve the ecology of the river. Park ecologists say, they are determined to keep water in the canal.
In seeking a solution, the primary parties opened the discussion to the public, October 28. I went to the meeting, as did nearly 100 other folks. I’ll spare you my rant about people who attend meetings and have no idea why they are there—other than to pitch a bitch at public officials. Tonight’s meeting was the start of the information gathering required when environmental impact statements have to be written. The process will take at least two years before any decision is made on the fate of the Canal Diversion Dam.
After listening to Park Biologist Meg Plona, stream ecologist Bill Zawiski from the Ohio EPA, and Kevin Skerl, an ecologist with the national park, I’m convinced, getting rid of the dam is the best thing for the stream, the fish and us fishers. There are, however, many other things to consider, none of which, in my estimation, are as important as the health of the stream.