Announcements
Recent Announcements
Last Updated: May 17, 2024
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Black River Clean-Up
Saturday, May 18th, 2024
9:00am - 11:00am
Cascade Park
387 Furnace Street, Elyria, Ohio 44035
Supplies provided. Join members of the Black River Advisory Committee to help keep our Black River looking good!
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BEACH CLOSINGS BUI - PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OPEN UNTIL MAY 31!
Another important step toward delisting the Black River as an Area of Concern! Invitation for public comment is available until May 31 for the Black River AOC Draft BUI Removal for Beach Closings (Recreational Use). The removal recommendation is based on the identification of actions to improve water quality throughout the Black River AOC, as well as a comprehensive evaluation of beach advisories at Lakeview Beach. While evaluation showed elevated beach advisories are a region-wide issue within Lake Erie’s central basin, conditions within the Black River AOC continue to improve with work funded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and other state, local, and federal partners.
More information, as well as the draft & Lakeview Beach study, can be found here or download the documents below:
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Comments can be sent until May 31st to Hannah Boesinger, Northeast Ohio AOC Coordinator, Ohio Lake Erie Commission @ Hannah.Boesinger@lakeerie.ohio.gov
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Billboards to be displayed around Lorain County
The Black River Advisory Committee has approved several designs for billboards to bring awareness of the Black River & the strides that have been made toward delisting. Look for 4 key messages beginning early March & running through early April. Also, as you drive around Lorain County, keep your radio set to WOBL & WDLW. Our latest campaign includes 912 commercials to run through the end of March, which also includes a digital banner with a link to our website, digital slide show on each of the stations, Radio Text on WOBL (on the digital display in a car it will have info on Black River AOC) and a live podcast! We're very proud of the work being done to improve the Black River watershed & want to share the news far & wide! We are grateful to Ohio EPA & the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for providing funding for these projects.
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BUI 4: Fish Tumors or Other Deformities Removed
On October 16, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed the 'Fish Tumors or Other Deformities' Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) from the Black River AOC that was caused by Historical industrial pollution in the Black River, which resulted in poor water quality and sediments contaminated with toxic compounds that negatively impact fish health, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Elevated PAHs in particular can cause liver tumors and external deformities in fishes - especially in more susceptible bottom-dwelling or resident species such as brown bullhead catfish and smallmouth bass. Fish populations in these rivers suffered from excessive rates of both internal (liver tumors) and external (deformities, eroded fins, lesions, and tumors) malformations as a result of sediment contamination, prompting the initial designation of the Fish Tumors and Other Deformities BUI in the Black River AOC. This marks the fifth BUI removed from the Black River AOC with four remaining BUIs. Read more here.
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Lorain County Soil and Water District to Facilitate Black River Area of Concern Advisory Committee
September 2023
Lorain County Soil and Water District has taken on the important role of facilitating the Black River Area of Concern Advisory Committee. With a proven commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement, the District is poised to continue leading the collaborative efforts in restoring and preserving the ecological health of the Black River watershed.
3rd Black River Summit Video Posted
April 1, 2022
We have the entire Black River Summit, with presentations posted on our YouTube channel.
BUI 11: Degradation of Aesthetics Removed
On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed the degradation of aesthetics beneficial use impairment from the Black River AOC that was caused by environmental issues dating back decades. This beneficial use impairment is the third BUI to be removed from the initial nine BUIs for the Black River Area of Concern. The restoration criteria for this BUI included no observed ongoing occurrences of sludge deposits, oil sheens, scum, or other objectionable materials. This BUI removal marks the 100th Beneficial Use Impairment removal from a U.S. Area of Concern (AOC). Being a part of a historic milestone, restoring the Great Lakes, is a great start to 2021!
YouTube Channel
We have a YouTube channel that will feature past documentaries on the Black River restoration, along with short and informative videos, project information, and more. Please Click Here to visit our channel