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%