Cuyahoga River

Cuyahoga River

The Cuyahoga River, located in Northeast Ohio, owes its name to the Iroquois, who dubbed it the "crooked river", or Cuyahoga, in their native language. Today, the Cuyahoga is used for recreation and commerce and is the crown jewel of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Cuyahoga is a hundred miles long and flows south out of the streams and bogs of Burton, Ohio. It winds through Kent and Akron, creating beautiful waterfalls and rapids that are enjoyed by both sightseers and kayakers far and wide. Its falls were in fact more dramatic in the past, before the river was dammed for power production for the city of Akron's streetcars. Indeed, cities like Cuyahoga Falls and Monroe Falls owe their names to the once-magestic chain of waterfalls that stretched for miles. Today, these falls are disguised by higher water created by the dam. There is an effort afoot lobbying for the removal of the remnants of the dam. This could potentially restore the Cuyahoga to some of its original granduer.

The river makes a quirky turn northward as it cuts through the city of Akron. In the 1800s and early 1900s, the Cuyahoga's drop in elevation provided the power that fueled a booming flour milling industry and gave rise to the city of Akron. Today, remnants of mills and their water use systems still dot the downtown areas. An adjacent canalway and locks can also be found in Akron, parrelling the river.

After turning north, the river heads through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which is America's newest national park. It empties into Lake Erie within the city limits of Cleveland. In Cleveland, the Cuyahoga still functions as an important shipping channel for barges and boats loaded with industrial materials, steel and other goods.

The Cuyahoga, once neglected and mistreated by the dumping of industrial and residential waste and runoff, was for decades an environmental albatross for the region. Today, clean-up efforts have restored much of the river to a more healthy state. Gamefish, wildlife and native plants rely on the river. Otter, beaver, bald eagle, ospry and other species - once nearly non-existant in the region - today call the Cuyahoga home.