Timeline
The Long Path to Recovery for the Black River
1970
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Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed
1972
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Clean Water Act passes and leads to regulation of discharges
1979
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Steel mill faces air pollution enforcement action
1980
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Brown bullhead catfish liver studies conducted
1982
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Ohio EPA conducts intensive survey of the Black River
1983
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Ohio Department of Health issues contact advisory for the lower Black River
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Ohio Department of Health issues a Do No Eat Fish advisory for the lower Black River; later revisions of advisory follow
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Steel mill coking plant closes
1984
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Brown bullhead catfish liver studies conducted
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Black River is identified as a Great Lake Area of Concern by the International Joint Commission
1989-1990
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Remedial dredging of contaminated sediments begins
1991
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Black River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) formed
1992
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Ohio EPA conducts intensive survey of the Black River
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Brown bullhead catfish liver studies conducted
1997
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Ohio EPA conducts intensive survey of the Black River
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Brown bullhead catfish liver studies conducted
2002
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Ohio Department of Health lifts contact advisory for the lower Black River
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The Black River RAP applies for and receives a re-designation of the Fish Tumors and Other Deformities Beneficial Use Impairment from "Impaired" to “In Recovery"
2005
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Black River delists benthos impairment in the East Branch; it is the first RAP area in the U.S. to completely remove any impairment
2009
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Lower Black River Ecological Restoration Master Plan completed in December 2009
2011
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Black River Remedial Action Plan Stage 2 Report completed in November 2011
2011-2013
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Fish sampling and fish tissues studies conducted by the Ohio EPA
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City of Lorain secured numerous grants for ecological restoration activities within the Black River AOC
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Invasive species removal along the lower six miles of the river as a result of a U.S. EPA Challenge Grant
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2014
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Ohio EPA releases updated delisting guidance for Ohio AOCs
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The name is changed from the Black River RAP to the Black River AOC Advisory Committee
2015
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Black River AOC Advisory Committee votes to begin the process to delist BUIs for fish and wildlife consumption and eutrophication and undesirable algae
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U.S EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office gives approval to re-designate the AOC to exclude the East and West Branches of the Black River. Based on environmental data, the branches do not significantly differ from other agricultural non-AOC watersheds around the Great Lakes.
2021
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The U.S. EPA announced the 100th Beneficial Use Impairment from a U.S. Area of Concern, a historic milestone in restoring the Great Lakes. This accomplishment occured at the Black River AOC, where the EPA removed the Degradation of Aesthetics beneficial use impairment.
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USACE completes substantial repair of confined disposal facility in Lorain Harbor (pictured). Click picture for more information.
2022
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Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) for Restrictions on Navigational Dredging Activities - REMOVED
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2023
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LoCoBROH app is launched. It allows users to virtually visit project sites, view pictures, identify species, & more​
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U.S. EPA removes the 'Fish Tumors or Other Deformities' Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) on October 6, 2023
2024
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Local, state, and federal partners have worked together in substantially completing all management actions, with the final step anticipated to be finished in summer 2024.
Pre-1900
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1st Iron Furnace (1860)
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1st Sanitary Sewer (1892); it pumps sewage directly to the Black River, resulting in an increase of typhoid cases
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Johnstown Steel relocates to Lorain (1894-1895)
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Johnstown Steel becomes Lorain Steel (1898)
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1st Blast Furnaces, Lorain Steel (1899)
1901-1910
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Lorain Steel becomes part of US Steel (1901)
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First pipe made at National Tube Company (1905)
1910 - 1970
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Limited environmental regulation of discharges
