Cuyahoga River Restoration

Cuyahoga River Restoration is the new name for Cuyahoga River Community Planning, the organization working toward the restoration and protection of the Cuyahoga River and nearshore Lake Erie watersheds.

The organization serves as the nonprofit facilitating organization for the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (formerly the RAP). The Area of Concern and its Remedial Action Plan Coordinating Committee (now the Area of Concern Advisory Committee) were created in 1988 by Ohio EPA to plan and promote the restoration of the environmental quality of the Cuyahoga River through the remediation of existing conditions and prevention of further pollution and degradation. Cuyahoga River Community Planning was created shortly thereafter as a nonprofit organization, to enable funding to flow to support the work.

Our programs embrace a broad range of restoration, education and outreach initiatives: Cuyahoga ReLeaf works to reforest riparian areas and urban forests in general to support watershed health and aquatic life. Habitat for Hard Places works to improve aquatic habitat along the five-mile industrial and commercial ship channel at the river’s mouth. DePave NEO is a new program geared toward removing impervious surface and replacing it with vegetation to reduce sewer overflows and enhance water quality.

The American Heritage River
The nonprofit has been designated as the principle resource, point of contact, and funding for the American Heritage River Initiative, to coordinate efforts with our AHR partners to develop and implement community based projects for the entire watershed.