Large watersheds are areas that separate waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or oceans. Cuyahoga County is intersected by three major river watersheds: The Rocky River, Cuyahoga River, and Chagrin River watersheds.
In addition, much of Cuyahoga County drains directly to the shores of Lake Erie. Within those major watersheds are 32 smaller subwatersheds, ranging in size from 200 acres to more than 20,000 acres. Although they follow the natural contours of their respective drainage areas (as opposed to local community boundaries), these subwatersheds are characterized by varying degrees of urbanization and degradation. In a few subwatersheds, there is no significant above-ground drainage, while others benefit from extensive protection in the form of parks and conservation easements.
These subwatersheds are typically monitored and managed by local watershed stewardship groups, such as Big Creek Connects or Friends of Euclid Creek. Their Watershed Action Plans are key to a cleaner Lake Erie.
Existing and Potential Tree Canopy
Among the 32 subwatersheds, 15 exceeded the County average of 34.7% tree canopy. Those with the lowest canopy are within the most urbanized areas within and adjacent to downtown Cleveland, including several Lake Erie and Cuyahoga River drainage areas. Those that are below the County tree canopy average are typified by areas with high degrees of imperviousness and areas “not suitable for
Many subwatersheds with low to moderate canopy levels can be encouraged to realize higher canopy coverage by their availability of “Vegetated Area”, including Rocky River West Branch, Abrams Creek, Tinkers Creek, Euclid Creek, and Mill Creek.
Existing Tree Canopy
Possible Tree Canopy
Components of Tree Canopy
Change, 2011-2017
Consistent with findings for other geographies, very few subwatersheds showed any substantial gain in tree canopy from 2011 to 2017. Only the Chagrin River Aurora Branch and the Lake Erie Tributaries West of Chagrin River had gains above 4%.
Losses exceeding 10% of the 2011 canopy occurred in largely western subwatersheds: Lake Erie West Tributaries, Doan Brook, Baldwin Creek, and the Lake Erie Tributaries East of Black River.
Tree Canopy Data by Watershed
| Existing Tree Canopy | Possible Planting Area (Vegetated) | Possible Planting Area (Impervious) | Not Suitable | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Total Area, Excluding Water (Acres) |
Acres | Percent | Acres | Percent | Acres | Percent | Acres | Percent | Acres | Percent |
| Abrams Creek | 6,477 | 1,325 | 20% | 2,442 | 38% | 1,424 | 22% | 1,287 | 20% | -113 | -8% |
| Baldwin Creek | 6,340 | 2,165 | 34% | 2,582 | 41% | 732 | 12% | 862 | 14% | -277 | -11% |
| Big Creek | 23,984 | 5,099 | 21% | 7,709 | 32% | 5,535 | 23% | 5,640 | 24% | -402 | -7% |
| Brandywine Creek | 214 | 54 | 25% | 98 | 46% | 37 | 17% | 24 | 11% | -5 | -9% |
| Chagrin River Aurora Branch |
5,415 | 2,878 | 53% | 1,686 | 31% | 368 | 7% | 484 | 9% | 124 | 5% |
| Chagrin River Main Branch | 27,902 | 15,420 | 55% | 8,361 | 30% | 1,942 | 7% | 2,179 | 8% | -1,052 | -6% |
| Chagrin River Upper Main Branch / Beaver Creek |
1,477 | 871 | 59% | 361 | 24% | 95 | 6% | 150 | 10% | -16 | -2% |
| Chippewa Creek | 11,327 | 5,247 | 46% | 3,977 | 35% | 1,037 | 9% | 1,066 | 9% | -486 | -8% |
| Cuyahoga Navigation Channel / Morganna / Burke Br |
3,050 | 410 | 13% | 692 | 23% | 1,110 | 36% | 837 | 27% | -6 | -1% |
| Cuyahoga River / Cuyahoga Valley National Park |
18,297 | 9,038 | 49% | 5,874 | 32% | 1,827 | 10% | 1,558 | 9% | -713 | -7% |
| Cuyahoga River Navigation Channel |
5,269 | 747 | 14% | 1,208 | 23% | 1,533 | 29% | 1,781 | 34% | -44 | -6% |
| Cuyahoga River Navigation Channel / Kingsbury Run |
5,938 | 1,150 | 19% | 1,738 | 29% | 1,533 | 26% | 1,517 | 26% | -33 | -3% |
| Doan Brook | 6,234 | 2,266 | 36% | 1,692 | 27% | 994 | 16% | 1,283 | 21% | -323 | -12% |
| Dugway / Nine Mile / Green Creeks |
15,012 | 4,310 | 29% | 3,984 | 27% | 3,103 | 21% | 3,615 | 24% | -412 | -9% |
| Euclid Creek | 13,259 | 4,281 | 32% | 4,878 | 37% | 1,866 | 14% | 2,234 | 17% | -315 | -7% |
| French Creek | 3,922 | 1,879 | 48% | 1,366 | 35% | 277 | 7% | 401 | 10% | 32 | 2% |
| Furnace Run | 1,871 | 665 | 36% | 800 | 43% | 220 | 12% | 186 | 10% | -65 | -9% |
| Lake Erie East Tributaries |
8,074 | 1,196 | 15% | 2,128 | 26% | 2,253 | 28% | 2,497 | 31% | -55 | -4% |
| Lake Erie Tributaries East of Black River |
600 | 260 | 43% | 193 | 32% | 51 | 8% | 96 | 16% | -29 | -10% |
| Lake Erie Tributaries West of Chagrin River |
6,313 | 1,513 | 24% | 2,039 | 32% | 1,265 | 20% | 1,497 | 24% | 86 | 6% |
| Lake Erie West Tribs (Cahoon, Sperry Creeks) |
12,823 | 5,026 | 39% | 3,899 | 30% | 1,681 | 13% | 2,218 | 17% | -89 | -2% |
| Lake Erie West Tributaries |
5,915 | 1,086 | 18% | 1,495 | 25% | 1,412 | 24% | 1,922 | 32% | -201 | -16% |
| Mill Creek | 12,396 | 2,673 | 22% | 4,434 | 36% | 2,715 | 22% | 2,573 | 21% | -147 | -5% |
| Plum Creek | 1,141 | 504 | 44% | 375 | 33% | 115 | 10% | 147 | 13% | -14 | -3% |
| Pond Brook | 1,112 | 510 | 46% | 472 | 42% | 60 | 5% | 70 | 6% | -34 | -6% |
| Porter Creek | 4,147 | 1,670 | 40% | 1,312 | 32% | 515 | 12% | 649 | 16% | 6 | 0% |
| Rocky River East Branch | 20,523 | 9,055 | 44% | 7,309 | 36% | 1,933 | 9% | 2,227 | 11% | -744 | -8% |
| Rocky River Main Stem | 9,515 | 3,047 | 32% | 3,005 | 32% | 1,588 | 17% | 1,875 | 20% | -308 | -9% |
| Rocky River West Branch | 15,760 | 5,382 | 34% | 6,309 | 40% | 1,797 | 11% | 2,272 | 14% | -330 | -6% |
| Tinkers Creek | 24,600 | 7,966 | 32% | 9,214 | 37% | 3,836 | 16% | 3,584 | 15% | -462 | -5% |
| West Creek | 12,100 | 3,259 | 27% | 4,253 | 35% | 2,314 | 19% | 2,273 | 19% | -171 | -5% |
| Willow Creek | 264 | 171 | 65% | 83 | 31% | 4 | 2% | 6 | 2% | -5 | -3% |
| Total | 291,269 | 101,124 | 35% | 95,966 | 33% | 45,170 | 16% | 49,009 | 17% | -6,605 | -2% |