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Willoughby Hills - Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation Stream Restoration Project

The Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation Stream Restoration Project is located in the City of Willoughby Hills in Lake County in the Euclid Creek Watershed at the headwaters of the East Branch of Euclid Creek. This tributary is wooded, which is a rarity in our highly developed, urban watershed characterized by degraded habitat and polluted stormwater runoff.

The Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District received a $156,462 grant through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Section 319 Grant Program to conduct the restoration project October of 2017. The grant requires a local match of 40% which is committed by the City of Willoughby Hills through their Lake County Stormwater Management Program Funds, up to $104,000, and by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), up to $50,000. The restoration provides an opportunity for students at the School of Innovation to be involved in a restoration project from the planning stage through to implementing the long term monitoring and maintenance of the restored segment of Euclid Creek.

Project Status:
To date, through NEORSD matching project funds, CSWCD hired local consultant, the Environmental Design Group to serve as the criteria engineer and construction oversight manager. They will assist the Watershed Program Manager at CSWCD in developing the RFQ to hire the design-build contractor who will construct the project this fall (2018). They will also oversee construction once the project begins.

On April 13, the Request for Qualifications for the restoration project was issued. See details here.

Biohabitats was awarded the project on June 7th, 2018.

30% Design meeting was held August 21, 2018.

60% Design meeting was held September 27, 2018. The 60% design details are available here.

Construction started October 23, 2018.

In-stream construction was completed in December 2018.

December 3rd 2018 we planted 120 trees and 159 shrubs with 6th-8th graders.

April 8th 2019 we planted 600 live stakes with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Watch video about the process here.

Our Live Stake Planting was featured on WKYC on April 23, 2019.

800 wetland plugs were planted on May 16th, 2019 with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders as well as Friends of Euclid Creek, NEORSD, Cleveland Metroparks staff and volunteers.

September the 9th in the evening WES teachers helped lead a tour to update the public on the project. See video of the site at the beginning of this WKYC feature.

November 14th WES students and teachers met to help create signage for the project.

Project Partners/Technical Committee:
City of Willoughby Hills
Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District
First Energy
Friends of Euclid Creek
Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District
Lake County Stormwater Management Department
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools

To see the project fact sheet, click here.
To see the detailed concept plan designed by Biohabitats, Inc. through a Cuyahoga Area of Concern (AOC) Habitat Restoration Project Planning grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) in 2015, click here.

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