Historical Information
1. Dam Name: Munroe Falls
2. Estimate height of dam in feet 13’
3. Dam Type:
a) earthfill dam ____
b) concrete arch dam ____
c) gravity dam ____
d) masonry dam X
e) timber cribs ____
f) other, please explain ____
4. Location Description: Munroe Falls-Cuyahoga River
5. Year Constructed: 1817
6. Dam Owner:
a) public X - Munroe Falls
b) private ____
c) abandoned ____
7. Dam Function:
a) generate hydropower ____
b) irrigation ____
c) domestic water supply ____
d) navigation ____
e) flood control ____
f) recreation ____
g) industrial water supply X
h) unknown _____
8. What repairs have been done to the dam?
The original dam was built in 1817 out of wood. It was rebuilt with masonry in 1903
9. Reason(s) for Removal:
a) aesthetic enhancement X
b) fish and wildlife habitat improvement X
c) cost savings ____
d) community revitalization ____
e) public safety hazard X
f) water quality improvement X Cited in EPA’s TMDL Program as oxygen impaired
g) recreational improvement ____
h) alternative to dam ____
10. Project Sponsor (who initiated project):
Department of Environmental Services, Summit County – Contact Person Tim Gott (330) 926-2501
11. Dam Removal Funding Sources: a) federal ____
b) state X WRRSP
c) local governmental agencies ____
d) other (please explain) _________
12. Cost of Dam Removal: $1.37 million
13. List all Contractors by Name, include Address and Telephone #:
1) Kenmore Construction, Akron,OH
14. Permits Required:
a) federal X
b) state X
c) municipal X
15. Dam Photographs:
a) before removal X
b) during removal X
c) after removal X
16. Problems Encountered
a) before removal – Political issues
b) during removal _____________
c) after removal _______________
17. Before Removal:
a) Estimated Reservoir Area in acres _________
b) Composition of river bed (e.g., sand, pebbles, boulders, bedrock)
bedrock and sediment
c) Types of Fish caught in the river __________
d) Water Quality
i) behind the dam Good ___ Fair X Poor _____
ii) below the dam Good X Fair___ Poor ____
18. Were any studies of the river conducted before the dam was removed?
Yes
If yes, who conducted the studies and who is the contact for obtaining them?
Akron University conducted sediment studies of this area prior to removal.
Peck et al., 2007. The Legacy Sediment Record within the Monroe Falls Dam Pool, Cuyahoga River, Summit County, Ohio. J. Great Lakes Res., V. 33 (Special Issue 2): 127-141.
19. Have studies been conducted on the river after the dam was removed to document changes in the river?
Yes
If yes, who conducted the studies and who is the contact for obtaining them?
NEFCO and The University of Akron.
NEFCO has been monitoring riverbank changes since the removal. A 319 Grant is the source of additional funding to restore and stabilize the upstream bank. Summit County has been providing aerial documentation to detect changes in sedimentary features.
The University of Akron conducted a post dam removal sediment and morphologic study of the Cuyahoga River.
Rumschlag, Joseph H. and Peck, John A., 2007, Short-term Sediment and Morphologic Response of the Middle Cuyahoga River to the Removal of the Munroe Falls Dam, Summit County, Ohio. J. Great Lakes Res., V. 33 (Special Issue 2): 142-153.