Local Conservation Group To Host Tree Planting At West Creek Confluence On Oct. 17th

The West Creek Confluence as it looks today after eights years of restoration work.

The public is invited to participate at the event which caps more than eight years of restoration at the former warehouse site where West Creek flows into the Cuyahoga River. West Creek Conservancy is inviting the public to help plant hundreds of native trees and perennials at 6303 Granger Road in Independence on Saturday, October 17, starting at 10:00 am. 

The location is a newly restored parkland and stormwater retention site where West Creek empties into the Cuyahoga River. The creek is a 9-mile tributary of the Cuyahoga River. In addition to habitat protection, the park is planned to provide public access to its wetlands and, eventually, to the Towpath Trail across the river.

“We’re excited to have people come out and enjoy an autumn morning while helping to heal the land in this new park,” says West Creek Conservancy Board Chair Jeff Lennartz. “It’s a very personal opportunity for local habitat restoration. Even pitching in for an hour will mean that a few more trees or native shrubs can sink their roots into the earth and begin contributing to the ecology and beauty of this place. In the end, it will help us today and generations to come by cleaning the water that we all drink each day.”

The site is known as the Confluence and includes a former restaurant and tavern property across the road. The area is naturally prone to flooding and has been a recurring source of pollution flowing into the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. 

The plantings in October will culminate a restoration plan that West Creek Conservancy began nearly a decade ago when it became clear that a working floodplain would greatly help mitigate the stormwater pollution brought about by extensive upstream development.

In partnership with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and the City of Independence, West Creek Conservancy acquired the 10-acre property in 2007. At that time, it featured a large abandoned warehouse, a bank, and more than four acres of pavement. 

The Conservancy raised $2.5 million from the Clean Ohio Greenspace Fund, the Ohio EPA Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program, and the Scenic Byway Program. Following the acquisition, the Conservancy leveraged an additional $2.6 million to restore the site through the Ohio EPA’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program and 319 Program, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Office, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, and Kurtz Bros., Inc.

West Creek Conservancy reports that about 850 feet of channelized stream at the Confluence has been transformed into nearly 1,100 feet of a more natural, meandering stream. The deepened wetland can now retain 80 to 100 million gallons of floodwater. Across the street, at the former tavern site that the Conservancy acquired, West Creek flows an additional 200 feet. A newly created wetland there can store and filter an additional five million gallons of stormwater.

By trapping and filtering stormwater flooding from West Creek, the restored Confluence will improve the water quality of the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie, our source of drinking water. 

West Creek Conservancy is also developing a 20-mile network of recreational trails called the West Creek Greenway. As that nears completion, the Confluence site will link Cleveland Metroparks West Creek Reservation and nearby neighborhoods to the Towpath Trail, Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

Those interested in participating in the planting should register by October 14 by calling West Creek Conservancy at 216-749-3720. Participants should arrived dressed for the weather and ready to plant. Parking is available in the Kurtz Bros, Inc. lot at 6415 Granger Road, just east of Confluence.  Gloves, tools, plants, water and snacks will be provided.

West Creek Conservancy is a nonprofit land conservation organization serving Greater Cleveland. It has been connecting people to nature since its founding in 1997. Its mission is to enrich the lives of people in Greater Cleveland by conserving natural habitats, restoring the ecological value and sustainability of urban lands, and expanding neighborhood opportunities to experience nature. As a land trust serving all of Cuyahoga County, the Conservancy permanently protects the conservation values of selected land by acquiring and holding land and conservations easements, and providing ongoing stewardship of those lands. West Creek Conservancy is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

EVENT DETAILS:

What:  West Creek Confluence planting of native trees and perennials

Registration:  By October 14 by phone at 216-749-3720

When:  Saturday, October 17, starting at 10:00 am

Where:  Confluence site, 6303 Granger Road, Independence, OH

Dress:  Arrive dressed for the weather and ready to plant

Parking:  Park in the Kurtz Bros, Inc. lot at 6415 Granger Rd, just east of Confluence

Provided:  West Creek Conservancy will supply gloves, tools, and plants (and water/snacks)

Questions:  Contact Jakob Hamlescher at 216-749-3720 or Jakob@westcreek.org