Cuyahoga River Water Quality
Visitors should still use caution when contacting Cuyahoga River water. While water quality has steadily improved over the past 50 years, contaminant and bacteria levels can still be high, especially after periods of rain. Note: Use the official hydrograph at the top of this web page for river levels within the next 48 hours.
See the Product Description Document link for more details on the interpretation of the 10 day graphics. Discover water data collected at monitoring location USGS-04208000, located in Ohio and find additional nearby monitoring locations. The Cuyahoga River watershed is degraded due to sediment and streambank erosion, water quality impacts from municipal and agricultural discharges, and historic contamination from urban and industrial sources.
Cuyahoga River. There were numerous objectives of this study. The first objective was to evaluate the potential water quality impacts of Southerly WWTC on the lower Cuyahoga
The Cuyahoga River watershed is located in northeastern Ohio. It drains a total of 812 square miles and flows through all or part of six counties. Major municipalities partially or fully in the watershed include Cleveland and some of its suburbs, Akron, Kent and Cuyahoga Falls.
The lower 46.5 miles of the Cuyahoga River, including all the tributaries that drain to that section of river, and the adjacent Lake Erie shoreline and its direct tributaries, comprise the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern. Fifty-five years after the Cuyahoga River last caught fire, its health continues to improve. But determining what prevention and cleanup practices are most effective remains difficult.
The U.S. EPA recently analyzed levels of solid contaminants in the river reported over a 20-year period. Operated in cooperation with: Ohio Water Development Authority USGS - Cooperative Matching Funds USGS - Federal Priority Streamgages
Read about general weather trends and check the current forecast. Cuyahoga River water quality is not always good. Check the current status to plan a safe visit.
Learn how to prevent injuries and who to contact in case of an emergency. Parking is for limited mobility only.