Clean Water 2000 fact sheet

What is it?

Clean Water 2000 is an update of Northeast Ohios water quality management plan. It outlines a comprehensive approach for local government action to maintain and protect the region's water quality, particularly in the urbanizing areas of Northeast Ohio where future threats to water quality are most pronounced. The plan has been prepared pursuant to Section 208 of the federal Clean Water Act. Because it describes where sewers and wastewater treatment facilities will be built and recommends policies for managing development to protect water quality at the regional level, it is perhaps as close as we will get to an official regional land use plan in Northeast Ohio.

Responsible agencies

The planning process was coordinated by the regions two federally-recognized water quality management agenciesthe Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) and the Northeast Ohio Four County Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO). NOACA serves Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina Counties. NEFCO serves Portage, Stark, Summit, and Wayne counties.

A task force was appointed to develop the plan. It included representatives of municipalities, counties, sanitary sewer agencies, boards of health, planning commissions, county park districts, soil and water conservation districts and watershed advisory bodies from each of the seven counties in the planning area. The task force was chaired by Erwin Odeal of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and David Crandell of the Akron Department of Public Utilities.

Planning area

The planning area encompassed five watersheds in Northeast Ohio that are tributary to Lake Erie. From east to west, these are the watersheds of the Grand, Chagrin, Cuyahoga, Rocky and Black rivers. The planning area also includes interbasin areas (such as Doan Brook or Euclid Creek) that drain directly to Lake Erie.

Issues addressed

The water quality plan attempts to take a comprehensive approach to improving water quality in the region. It includes recommendations to address the expansion of public sewer services, failing home sewage systems, nonpoint source pollution and stormwater runoff, protection of critical water resources, urban stream restoration, control of erosion from construction sites, protection of floodplains and habitat along rivers, and the use of road salt. It also recommends ways that communities can cooperate more effectively to manage growth and development at the regional level.

For more information

• Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), 216-241-2414.
• Northeast Ohio Four County Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO), 330-835-5731.
• Ohio EPA, information on current water quality conditions from the agencys 305(b) report or more information on Section 208 water quality planning.
• Clean Water Network (national water quality information and legislative information).
• Center for Watershed Protection (information on protecting and restoring urban watersheds).

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EcoCity Cleveland
3500 Lorain Avenue, Suite 301, Cleveland OH 44113
Cuyahoga Bioregion
(216) 961-5020
www.ecocitycleveland.org
Copyright 2002-2003

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