Cuyahoga River Gorge Dam removal marks start of river’s next era

By Samantha Lutton/Kent State NewsLab

Shovels are breaking ground around the Gorge Dam. Workers are removing sediment from behind the dam in preparation for dismantling it and allowing the Cuyahoga River to flow freely. 

When the river was deemed an Area of Concern in 1987, many realized that the dam was an issue for the river. But phase one of its removal, cementing the plans and funding, wasn’t completed until April 2025. 

Phase two, the debris removal, is underway and expected to be complete by the fall of 2027. This step is essential so that debris along the shore doesn’t pollute the water. 

Phase three will continue after the sediment removal with the official breakdown of the Gorge Dam, which is expected to be completed in 2030.

The Gorge Dam is the last of six dams along the Cuyahoga River scheduled for removal. Its original purpose was to provide hydroelectric power and cooling water. The power plant, once used by the dam, has been out of commission for decades. 

But the dam removal requires significant funding from both federal and state governments. Summit Metro Parks now estimates a total cost of more than $100 million for the sediment and dam removal.

That’s up from an initial estimate of $50 million. But despite the increased cost, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was able to provide 65% of the funding needs, along with other partners such as Ohio Edison, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, H2Ohio, and the City of Akron.

“The anomaly that 2025 has been at the federal level with funding and, with such a large project, it really is quite amazing how all of the stars have seemed to align,” said Jennifer M. Grieser, Director of Natural Resources at Cleveland Metroparks and Chair of Cuyahoga River AOC (Area of Concern). 

After removal over the next two years, the debris will be transported to a “sediment site”, where it will be safely stored. 

The breakdown of the concrete dam structure will be the second longest part of the process, after receiving the funding. The dam must be taken down in sections to avoid further environmental impacts.  

“It’s over 50 feet tall, the dam, and they can only reduce the water level one foot a week, just so that you’re not sending a surge of water downstream and causing a bunch of downstream erosion,” said Grieser. 

With the removal of the dam, the crew will then move into the last phase of the project, focusing on restoration. 

“The water behind the dam often stagnates, and so it impacts the river upstream of the dam,” said Mike Johnson, Chief of Conservation at Summit Metro Parks. “We still have higher inputs of phosphorus than we should in our rivers, but a free-flowing river would accommodate and process that. A dammed river cannot.”

Fish will benefit from the restoration, too. 

“Dams also prevent fish movement, so a lot of fish can’t migrate to their spawning grounds. We have a lot of fish here in Ohio that migrate,” Johnson said. 

Cascade Valley Metro Park went as far as to place a location tracking tag inside fish to understand their placement and observe their movement patterns. 

This tagging can also help keep the fish in sight while construction happens, monitoring how they react to the change of the river over time. 

“We are just learning some really cool things about a variety of fish,” Grieser said.

The pattern of the river will also be affected. It connects the two streams of the Cuyahoga, upstream and downstream of the river. That will create a five-mile continuous stretch of whitewater rapids, between Class III and Class V level. Those are among the most difficult to navigate.

“Downstream of the dam, I think that’s a good representation. Large boulders, cliff walls, I think it’s going to be absolutely gorgeous,” said Grieser.

This story was originally published by the Kent State NewsLab, a collaborative news outlet publishing journalism by Kent State students.