SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO—Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and County Council passed legislation on Monday to provide $250,000 to support the removal of the Gorge Dam. The County’s grant will aid the Ohio EPA’s plan for contaminated sediment management and habitat restoration at the dam, one of the final steps to be taken before deconstruction of the dam itself.
“Summit County is proud to support the removal of the Gorge Dam. This long-awaited project will provide significant environmental, social and economic benefits to Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and our entire county. Removal of the dam is a massive undertaking that requires considerable collaboration between all levels of government and community. I commend each of the partners who have each invested substantial time and money to finally free the falls,” said County Executive Shapiro.
Before the Gorge Dam can be deconstructed, approximately one million cubic yards of sediment must be removed from where it has accumulated behind the dam. It will be safely placed at the Chuckery Area of Cascade Valley Metro Park. Project partners continue to work towards finalizing the engineering plans for sediment removal and expect to begin that phase of the project sometime in 2024. The Sediment Remediation, Disposal Site Construction & Dam Removal funding is being planned from multiple funding sources from federal, state and local entities including U.S.EPA through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The project recently received a $25 million contribution from the State of Ohio. The real estate tax that funds Summit Metro Parks will not be affected.
More information about the dam removal and updates on the project’s progress are available at https://www.summitmetroparks.org/free-the-falls.aspx.
