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Volum.e 1, Number 10 ' January I ?94 Editor Iwriter: Davi d Beach

The bicycle: "Serious transportation

for Northeast Ohio7 o

\Vhat we wa~t: New Year's resolutions

from our readers o

An ecosystema.!'proaqh to the 'regeneration 01' cities

o ' Rytrotittitig watersheds

to,!llanage' stor\1lwater ,upstteam o

Showbelts of1Th,e Gr¢at Lakes o

·Theautbmobile,.. which hasbro~ght industrial

,s~~1~tY a degree ofindi~idual mobility and , convenience not knoW!! before .: hal! long ]leen'

considered the vehicle oftbefuture, But

countries th!>t bave bec6me dependent on the

c~r arep"yi~ga terribLe price': each year brings a heavier toll ftom roaqaccidents; air pollution,

urbanconge~ti~n, and oil1>ills. Today people . wli~ choose to, drive rather than walk or,cycle ~

sport distance do so not merely.foT

convenience,: but also~!o insulate thenl~elv~ from the barshness of a street ruled br: the" motor ,yehicle: The broadening o,ftransport

options beyond 1hose thai.require anengin~ can help restore the environment and hUman health

;~indeed, the veryquaJity Of1lfbiln life.

-- Marcia D, Lowe The Bicycle: Vehic/~for a Small Planet

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

PLEASE SUBSCRIBEI

FLOOD CONTROL

Flooding threat: Doan Brook Dowing down from the Heights to Cleveland.

'. Managing stormwater .and restoring urban strea,ms

The Doods start in the suburban heights, gathering in the headwaters of Do an Brook near the. border of.Sha.ker Heigh~s . and Beachwood. Where raiqdrops once rell on woods .andfields and wetlands, they now rail on rooftops, parking lots and streets. Where the water _once soaked into deep soil and vegetation,· now it races off asphalt and concrete.

In a violent ~urge, the water flows through storm sewers arld into the brook. And then the brook rages downhill to Cleveland where it floods parts of University Circle and Martin Luther King Boulevard. Cars are swamped, and, as it

,

happened in the tragic case of a little boy . severa~ years ~go. children can drown:. .

To stop the persistent Dooding, the city of Cleveland has obtained $1.& million in state Iss.ue 2 and loc~l matching funds for a "multi-community, watershed management process. II This translates into t.hree construction projects: ·

• A new spillway to protect and shore up the earthen dike at Horseshoe Lake, one crthe Shaker Lakes fed by Doan Brook. The structure wou.1d be located in

. Cleveland Heights, ~ Dredging of th'e Lower Shaker Lake .

Continued on p. 10

I

HOME AT ECOCITY

The gleal'ler , ,

The man made his rounds on Sunday night after everyone on the street' had'

set Qut their trash, I watched from my livi~g room window as he singie- , , handedly heaved and' rolled myoid hot water heater onto his battered truck. , I wanted to go out the front door and talk to him -- ask him what he would ,

"do with th~ water heater and teil him r was glad someone fouod value iii

something I could no longer use. ' Biit I didn't. Opening the door might have scared him. He probably ,

wo~ld have thought that I was going to yell at him -- or call the cops. After all, he was breaking Cleveland Heights' anti-scavenging law.

So r just watched ·as he secured his loa<! and resumed his slow drive , . down the street. I imagined that .

he would sell the old water

heater to a scrap dealer for a few doilars,.' The dealer would

shred'it, separate out the steel

witp. magnets, compress the , steel into blocks, and then 'sell . the blocks to LTV Steel. That' would be the proper fate fof'arusty old water heater.

These days, the city also would have taken the water heater to a scrap dealer. But I was happy for the nian to have found it fIrst. He looked like he needed the few dollars he would earn. And while he was picking up scrap ,

metals that could be recycled, he was also picking up chairs and other

furniture that would have ende<! up in a landfill. As he turned the corner, I hoped he would slip through the rest of the

night without being harassed. As long'as he didn't take bundled newspapers or bottles and cans in the biue plastic bags (items which residents cleaned

, and placed out for special piCkup and which the city couIited towards its recycling goals) the authorities shouldn't inind. Police have more important

things to worry about. , In fact; the man was doing hard, useful work. If he had an offIce and a

new truck; he·would be caIled:a uresource. recoyery consultant. II But since

he only had an old beater, he was a scavenger, a garbage picker, a

dumpsterdiver. But I had a less pejorative name in mind -- gleaner. ,

Thank you The George Guod Foundation brightened up our holidays with news of a generous grant. The funding will help sustain us through the next'two years as w~ build our subscription base. Our thanks also go out 'to everyone who responded'to oirrrecent, fundraising ,appeal; as well as everyone who gave £CaCity Cleveland holiday gift subscriptions (espeCially the reader in the Youngstown :.rea who had the great idea of giving subscriptions to his local elected offIcials).,

2

-- David Beach Editor

QuestionsTNews tips? Call us at (216) 321-6478,

----------- ---

.. ,;-Mission

EcoCityCleveland is a np\tp,ofit, tax-e~emp4 ' ,educational organization. Throughtbe publicatiori cfthe

£CoGiIy ClevelandJourna(a~d ot~er programs" it will stimulate ecological thinldng about the Northeast,Qhio

[egion (Cnyabog~, Bioregion), nurture an EcoCity Network among local groups worklng,on urban"and

enviro-nome~hH .issues, and pro:IDo~ sus~inaI:iI~ ways to meetbasic huinannee_ds {of food,snelter, pro'ductive

work-and stable ,communities;

Board.of.Trustees David Beach, . Eco€iry a.v.rand J,ourndl Robert·$taib,Cleveland 1)ivisi0f'J0! lhe ·Envir.onJ1;t~nl Phil Star, C.nt<rforNeighborhbod !)~v<lopm..nt, CSt! ChrisTrcpal, TheEarth'Day Coalilion '

AdvisQry Board , p_eborah ·Alex-~Saunders.Minority.Envirdnme.ntal Associ,afion Thomas Bier, CSU H<JUsing Policy R ... arch Prog,am James Bissell,' Clew land Mus.u;" of Natural Histoiy

'OianeCameron) NdiuraliResoufces Defense. C0)4ncil: Anne Chaka, Union ofConc<rned Sci.ntists ;Edith Chase ... Oh'io Coasta/Resource Manage111ent Project ' Jo~Deq~, Cuyahoga Valley Natip~all}ecr.ealion~r.~a'i ·Stuart Greenberg, Enviromn."tal H;wlth Watch Lynne Hannah, North.ast Ohio Gro.ns Kim Hill, Si<rra Club ' RobertJaquay, Cu),?hoga GountyflatllJI'ng Go'fmissfon David'Knapp, Uniieil Labor. Agency , . Susan Lacy, Churahes~cting Tog.thor for Change and Hope (CATC!f) '. . ' Craig L!mpacb, Wildlifo biologist Elaine Marsh, Friends of Ihe Crooked River Mary O'Shea, The 'Food Co-op

" Norm8ll Robbins, CWRUProgramfor the Enviromn~nt Jerome'W-a !_co~ Commission Oli Cath.olic Com"!unity

:'4ction . Roberta Wendel, Friends of the Black River . .

prgruiiza.tio~ Iis·ted for-;ideritjficat!~n_, (:tnIY. Articles in EcoC1tr Cleveland: <fo -notnecessarily~flect ,the-~iews:of:

b6atd.l!1emb"~, although there'~,a'goO~_c~an~:theydo~

. '.' . Th¢ EcoCity,Cleveland'Joyrnalis-publishedroqnthlyatt, , 3145 Berkshire. Road; devoland Heights, OR 44i,18, '

Cuyahoga Bioregion, (210) 321-64'l8"Unless otherwise Doted, all articl~ and, photographs are iby David ;Be1;tcn, SUbmi~si()1isfrom, others¥e welcome, bu~ple~e call first. We cannot be responsible for unsolicited materials~ _Copy iteadlin,e is the 1 5t~ 'of each' month,

R:eaders;~ e~cou~ed to useJhe infonnationill" EC9CityC/eve~o/!l/-. -J,!~call· for pe~_issio~ .t? 'reprint artic1_es, A~er Y9u'r~;fin1s~ed ..vitl(yo~r cqp?,.{)~llie newsletter.-,pass jtonto friends or (¢cycle.;it 'If you area regular reader. please 'subscribe. : ~ _. .. ._ . ; .. ," <

S\tPported bY' a grant from The George Gund Fo~ndation.subsCriptions -and individual donations:

Printed at Orange BlOssom P(e" i~ Cleveland on 100% post~c:-onsumerwaste re~ycJed paper uSU;gs6Y~~ased -wks.

© 1994 'Ec6City Cleveland .

, EcoCiTy ClE~EIANd 0 January 1994

TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES "

e 1992 Dennis Kuklok

Tal<ing ·bacl<thestreets: The bicycle as serious transportation ·Our region is riot very bicyclejriendly. To explore the reasons why -- and to start setting an agenda/or improvements -- EcoCity Cle~eland recenily convened an in/Qrmai meeting o/local bicycle

. and environmenJa/.activists. Participating in the meeting were D~ryl Davis,founder of Wheels of Change, ·the bicycle advocacy project of the Northeast Ohio Greens; Jaines Guilford, editor and publisher o/CrankMail, the bi9yc/e mi11i-magazine/or Northeast Ohio; Daniel Ray, street skating activist; Jim Sheehan, independent bicyi;le courier .and co-founder o/Spokes Cycle Couriers; Bill Trentel of the Cleveland Area Bicycling Association; as weli as EcoCity Cleveland edit9r: David Be.ach. Here's a .

. s~mmary 0/ the .discussion. . .

• . The basic frustration .

Third, existing bike routes don;~ go plaqes yQu ~ee~' to go. Recreational paths through the Metroparks are nice, but most aren't function.al ~ansportation routes-~ .

. Fourth, bikes aren't linked to public tran5portation. In other cities, people can take their. bikes on trains or load them on buses . . But not here .. You can bring all kinds of luggage and baby strollers

: on the Rapid, but not a bike. . (To improve bike parking at public .transit stops, RTA is

purchasing 59 bike racks, each of which hold two locked bikes. They will be installed at 38 Rapid Transit and bus stops this year, and more. raCKS will be added ifthere is suffiCient demand. RTA .haS 'nQ plans, however. to mount carrying racks .on buses or tQ allow bikes on Rapid cars.) . .

Bike facilities for whom? Bicyclipg is good for you, good fQr the environme-9-t, inexp~nsive and t,he most efficient fQim of transportation. Yet, in our auto-

Another ~{jmplaint is that even members of the local bicycling community do not all appreCiate the transportation potential of the

bicycle. The community is divided among ~---"""-..,;----.. --~ high-tech ~acers, long-distance tQuring cyclists,

On dtystre.e.ts you . rugged mountain bikers, utilitarian commuters,

have. to be. gutsy and . fitness buffs, and casual, w.eekend riders (the most common .type). These groups all have ·

40minated society, yQU sometimes risk your life to ride.

- The activists all have stories: They've been . verbally assaulted by motorists. Sideswiped by cars. Mangled by chuckholes. Fumigated by diesel exhaust. Slashed by broken glass. On city streets you have to be gutsy and lucky to survive. They think o:f themselves as urban deer, or stealthy alley cats down to their last lives.

. lucky to survive.. The.y different interests and needs. There's no

think or the.mse.lves as common agenda, no' unified voice. . urban de.e.r,or Thus, transportation planners are lett

wonde~ing for whom to plan. Some riders are ste.althyalle.y cats indeed 'satisfied with park' bike paths which

Ten-speed gripes . down to the.ir last keep them safely separated from cars. Others The first complaint is that motorists just dori't don't want spec~al treatm~nt, fearjng · th'~.t . #Ve.£ . get it -- ·can't understand .that bicyclists have an · special paths and l~es tend tQ marginalize ' equal right to the road. Drivers become '-----'----c----,.---'--------:---' bikes. Instead, theY'd rather figh{ for the outraged when they have to slow down behind a bike, as if the cyclist's 'basic right to the road. In the Metroparks, for example, it's blcyqlist iS ,acting recklessly just by being in the ·street. . .. dangerous for fast cyclists to ride on the all :..purpose paths where

Second, transportation. planners don't view bikes as a serioiJS ~hefe ar-e small children or people walking their dogs. But when mode of trans port. Bike facilities ~.Iways seem to be "extras" tacked . they ride on. the park road~, motqrists yell at.them; "Hey, get back on to transpor:tation p'ians ifthere is. money left over from highway - on the .bike path where you belong." work. - . Bike lanes -.- special lanes-on roads-marked off for. exclusive

bike use .:- can present other problems. Debris and brQken

EeoCiTY ClEVElANd 0 January 1994 3

glass often end up in the bike lane. And bicyclists and motorists can become confused when m~kiJ1g turns. across each other's lanes.

What they want . While these activists don't want special paths or lanes, they would

" like wider curb.lanes that can be · shared by bikes and cars. Then ~oth can operate equally as vehicles, but with more room to maneuver".

They acknow"Jedge that many ~yclists feel more ~ecure in their ownJane and that there will always be a need for a variety of bike facilities for people of different abilities and ages. But, for these activist~, the goal is making streets less hostile for everyone. They

. want speed limits reduced to 20 mph so cars an~ bikes can mix more evenly. Education of motorists to make them more tolerant.

·Sigitage to warn car drivers of bicyclists. More promotion of . bicycling in general, so more drivers khow wha~ it feels like to ride

bicycle and pedestrian use and that bicycles be int~grated with transit. NOACAalso hopes to devote more staff time to bicycles in the .coming year. Agency planners are saying things like, "We should be putting the bicycle in the same conte~t of transportation as the car or bus. After a~l, there are more" bikes than cars in '

. the. region. It Thus, in the next several years,

there may be a window of opportunity for bicycle improve~ents in Northeast Ohio, an opportunity to elevate the, elegantly simple bike to its rightful place as s.erious transportation.

But the"bike activists know it won't happen without public support -- much more support than they've seen to date. The disparate factions of the local bicycling community must come together around a common agenda and haye a strong voice in regional transportation plartning. They must involve neighborhood groups, clean air advocates and eveiy~ody else w~o will benefit

.bike in traffic. A bottle deposit law to reduce broken glass ..

It would also be ni~e to have bicycle parking in do~ntown garages and showers in the restrooms of work places. Employers should reward health- and environment­conscious employees who bike to work, instead of frowning because their hair is mussed from wearing a- bike helmet.

. from a more balanced transportation _ "'"---------------- syst~m and friend"lier streets. .

In the next several years, 0 there may be a window of Bicycleresources

, • Cleveland Area Bicycling opportunity for bicycle Association (CABA), Bill Trentelat 522-

improvements in 2944 or write to P.oBox 94226,

And people should stop making excuses about our weather. Inclement weather is a barrier to bicycling only a third of the year, less for a properly equipped rider. Other ' northern cities have high rates of bicycle commuting.

Oh· Cleveland, OH 44101. . , Northeast 10, an • CrankMaii 9611,Lorain Ave. ,

opportunity to elevate the Cleveland, OH 44102, or call James

elegantly simple bike to its Guilford at 281-9933. CrankMail contains a roster of local bicycle dubs ,and a

rightful place as serioUs monthly calendar of events.

transportation. • Ohio Bicycle Federation, 40 W. 4th L ___________ ---' St, #400, Dayton, OH 45402, (513) 226-

The bicycle future is now ' ,,' , The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), the transportation planning ag~ncy for the five-county· regio~, should be promo.ting bicycling as a major transportation alternative. Back in the '70s and '80s, NOACA studied the development of a region~1 bikeway system. A 1978 report proposed' "the development of a hasic system that will encou~age greater use ofth~ bicycle as an alternative mode of daily transportation, as well as a means of recreatipn, sport and physical fitness. II The report also identified a number of specific objectives:

• Make bicycling safer in the NOACA five-county area. • Reduce bicycle. theft in the area. . • Develop· a continuous bikeway system that provides access to

and links with work centers, recreational activity centers and . ·resldential centers.

• Provide supportive facilities and services along bikeways. Unfortunately, this regional bikeway plan has languished on the

shelf. NOACA has devoted little staff time to bicycles in recent years, aside from assisting the development of mostly recreational bikeways in "individual comrn~nities. "

But th"ere is hope for change" The new federal transp"ortation act .encourages alternative modes oftransportat.ion. And NOACA's recently completed Long Range TransportationPlan calls for the agency to "revive its. bik.eway planning emphasis. n The plan recommehds-that major art~rial corridors be made more ·friendly to

4

1444. • Wheels of Change, the bicycle advocacy project of the

Northeast Ohio Greens, Daryl Davis at 734-3613 or Jim Sheehan at , 575-7551.

.. Bicycle Federation of Am~rica, 1818 R Street NW, Washington, DC, 20009, (202) 332-6986.

• League of American Wheelmen, 190 W. Ostend Street, Suite ' 120, Baltimore, MD 21230, (301) 539-3399. '

• The Bicycle: Vehicle for a Small Planet by Marcia D. Lowe, ' Worldwatch Paper 90, Worldwatch InstitUte, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036. '

Types ,of bikeways Transporlationplanners generallYre~ognizethiee classes o~ bikewa¥s;

• Bikepatbs. Completely Separalebicycle and, motor vehi?les by pr~vjdiDg a seParaterigbt'"of':'!"ay-for t.he -excb.:(si""e o~ s,erri-excJusi~e, use;of:bicycles (eJ{cept where t~cy must i9ters~ctwith ro~d_s)"

• Bike lanes. Part of the higbwaYrigh,~-of-way,~ut separated from . vehicuiartriufic .bYine~s of ~vement m_arkings, _;cnirbing~,parked vehicles or other barriers S9 as to minimize ~nf1icts between pikes and motor vehic:Ies.

• Bike rout .. , Share the highwaY or street with motorYehieles. " , 'No separation· of bikes_ and· cars~: and designation of bike routes, is rn~st often btsiW's ~nly. .' "

EcoCiT)' ClEVElANd 0 January 1994

Bicycle-friendly communlities "[fthe roads seem safe to ride on; if motorists seem friendly; if you see people of all ages riding tbeir bikes for a wide variety of purposes; if people are riding well; if there are good places to par~ your bike; if signs tell you how'to get places; and if 'someone' seems to be thinking of what cyclists need, .. that's a bicycle­friendly community."

The above description comes from the Bicycle Advocate's Action Kif publisbed by

. the Bicycle ,Federation of America. The kit , also provides the following bicycle-, ' friendly checklist:

0' Active'bicyc,e aqv~cacygroups . 0' Supportive local agencies and

public officials. ,0' Active bicycle advisory commitiees, 0' Bike coordinator in local

government. 0' Bike element in local transportation

plan and otber appropriate plans. 0' Bike-friendly streets and highways. 0' Bike-friendly road design standards. 0' Bike-related projects in the 10c~1

T[P (regional plan that lists transportation projects).

0' Bike parking requirements in the, zoning laws.

0' Biqycle parking at major destinations.

0' Multi-use t~ails for recreation and access.

. 0" Poli;'" department bike patrol. 0' Fair, effective bike enforeemen,t. 0' Fun rides/workshops' in parks. 0' Special bike days and events, 0' Good bike coverage in the media. 0' Safety campaigns on key topics. 0' Bicyclist training in the schools. 0' Bicyclist training for adults. 0' Motorists awareness and training 0' Bicycle,route and suitability maps.

EeoC;,y ClEVElANd 0 January 1994

Wheels of change For the past three years, Wheels o/ Change. Bicycle advocates argue that no other ronn the bicycle advocacy group of the Northeast ofpersonl;ll transport offers so many qhio Greens, has been organizing quarterly advantages. The bicycle is efficient and· cheap. bike-Io-work days to promole bicycle It's not dependenfon foreign oil. It doesn't transportation. Upcoming rides will be on the contribute to: smog or global warming: 1t can ·filSl Jfednesdays 0/ May, July and September. . provide healthful exercise. And for trips under There will be a·special Groundhog Day ride on five miles or so, it can move you almost as fast February 2, Call 734-3613 or 575-7551 for a car or p.blic transport, In much of the world; details. . bicycles ~e.fa major form of transportation. . Dav~d Beach wrote the/o/lowi~account Develoning'natio s' see them as affordable of a Wheels o/Change '.ide in ,M.o.j)fjl . - alternativ2 s to c s. · .

# .. " in Wes em Europe, people have become w.e met just before d ·wn;glidirm sil<:iitLy out al ed at-how cars- are ruining their cities. of the darkness 0 our bikes assembling at ey ' ar ~romoting-a more balanced the ·rendezvo s point like f and 0 ttansportatio s1stem that emphasizes mass conspirators. As we waite(j for stragglers to transit ana bicycles. Policies are aimed at" _ arrive, we Watched th~ ~ofid stream of fush maKing cars le~s convenient and more .-hour traffic ~o.uring down Cedar Hill. Mog.of e p nsive (by increas ing parRing rates, the cars had a solifary passenger -. housands eli i~ating parking, ~hargi g toUs for cars of pounds or~stly , gasoline·gul '6g and entering the city, or even banning ·cars from pollution·spewlOg utomobile to transport one certain areas, as wei as making it safer and person. But the drivers ad to get to. work. easier to ride a ~iKe (by constructing bike lanes They depended on their cars. What else could and trails, "calming" .traffic with speed bumps they do? and lower speed limits, and-providing bike

"Get a bike!" we wanted to shout. parking at mass tr.ansit stops). In· addition,l~d

On this· morning we were going to ride use policies discourage urban sprawl so · p~ople

downtown from Cleveland Heights 10 promote don't have to travel far between home! work

the idea of bicycle. commuting. I""---------~ and shopping. In Holland, 24% The event was organized by . . of all urban trips are made by Wheels of Change, the b,icycle There w~re a public transit, 20% by walking advocacy project of the dozen of us ' and 20% by bike. The result is Northeast Ohio Greens. healthier, friendlier, more

, Groups of riders from the east riding single file attiactive cities, and west sides were going to _ enough bikes A few cities, in the United cOlJ.verge on Public Square States, such as Seartle and . and rally for better facilities to make DaviS, Calif. , are successfully for cyclists -- bike parking, motorists promoting bicycle racks on bl;lses, showers and transportation. But in most of

' lockers at workplaces, wider beware_ ' We felt the country, the automobile's lanes and access to bridges, less vulnerable, domination remains and.respect from Q1.otorists. unquestioned. For one reaso·n,

We p~shed off,and ' even powerful_ the car's true costs are largely quickly accelerated down the hirlden -- the hundreds of hill. Our bikes -- just a few pounds of metal

. ~d rubber·· enabled us to convert renewable energy from.foo:d iqto forward, rolling· motion

. with unsurpassed effipiency. You can bike three and a half miles on the calories in an ear

. of com, according to Marcia Lowe bfthe Washington·based Worldwatch Institute. In her booklet, The Bicycle: Vehicle for a Small Planet, she writes, "Bicycle~ consume less energy per passenger mile than any other form of transport, including walking. A IO·mile commute by bicycle requires 350 calories of energy, the amount in one bowl ofrice. The same trip in the average American car uses '}8,600 calories, or.more than half ~_ gallon · of gasoline."

billions of"dollars a ye{ir the pu~lic pays for pollution d3J!lage, health problems, accidents, police, road construction and maintenance, lost tfme from traffic congestion, and the military defense of Persian Gulf oil fields. Also not tallied are the poten"tial costs of global wanning and ozone depletion.

That morning. we ra~ed the cars down Carnegie A venue. There were a dozen of us riding single file -- enough bikes to make

- motorists beware. We felt less v~lnerable, even powerful. We made it downtown almost as fast as the cars. As we swooped into Public Square,

·, a ~ouple of motorists honked at us for getting in the way. We laughed and road on .. For a

fleeting moment the ~tr~ets were ours. 0

5

I .

WHAT WE WANT

Our list for ·the bioregion Resolutions from our readers Last month we asked readers /0 send in their New Year's resolutions/or the bioregion -- what they want to happen to enhance our quality of life, res/ore the environment and achieve a more sustaInable economy. We compiled the ideas we received in the following list. It's an initi~l offering which we'll expand and. refine in .the fulur.e . Someday 'it might be'come an agenda/or the region.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

• Land use/urban restoration

Establish urban growth boundaries: around existing 'urban areas.

Make the state realize the incredible damage it is doing to cities and suburbs by . allowing and P!omoting unbalanced growth on the fringes of metropolitan . ,.

--~---' are&S. Make a reasol1:able compromise on

" wetlands in Ohio -- wetve lost more than 90 percent so let's restore 40 percent so we

'have at least half of what we had" . Halt sewer/water line extensions for

new development·uJ.1ti1·a comprehensive . land-use plan for the region is in effect.

Create more public greeq spaces in the region's cities.

Greatly expand public access to the . . lakefront.so that ClevOIand is more like

Cliicago. . Make a major commitment to land '

assemblage, clean-up of contaminated "brownfield" sites an4 rede~elopment in central cities.

Increase awareness of land '. conservancies to preserve open space.

Establish a moratorium o~ mall and mega-store construction.

Set aside ·green corridors for wildlife

6

migration . . Begin an ecosystem-wide

program of pavement removal, . and restore farms and natural areas with. plantings and ~oil dev.elopment. .

. Cre~te a Bioregional Conservation Corps to provide jobs by' restoring the environment.

Fonn a special team within the conservation corps to ·specialize in biologically-based elm tr~e care, working to save Greater Cleveland's elms from Dutch Elm disease.

Conduct a detailed biological survey of the region.

Replant lawns with diverse asse.mbJages of native plant 'species:

Plant one tree per person in the region in the next 10 years.

Favor trees over utility lines on treelawns.

Protect iarge tracts of land in Lo'rain, Medina, Portage, Geauga, and Lake

. counties as wilderness and farmland. Protect the 'Mentor Lagoons and

surroundi~g landS from development and assure publi.c access.

Energy/resources Become more self­

re.liant· in energy through conserVation and

. development of renewable, solar energy sources within the region.

Replace old power · plants with. wind turbines along the lake shore.

Expand .utility programs to reduce '. demand for electricity (especially at Cleveland Public Power).

Import fewe~ resources by recycling and re-using material~ in 'the region.

Shut·down the Perry and Davis-Besse nuciear power plants 'and replace their capacity with con~er:vat1on an~ renewable sources.

Transportation Follow Oregon's lead and set targets

for reductions in VMT (vehic:le miles travelled) at the state and regional levels ..

B~e. fransportation planning on mas~

transit, .bicycles and pedestrians ratber than on the automobile . .

Start ,?ommuter rail ~ervic'es from downtown to the suburbs . .

Publish a good, understandabie transit map. for the region.

Create calm streets for pedestrians and bicyclists in every neighborhood.

Tum RTA into· a hip, '90s kind of transit sy~tem with a progressive plan to boost ridership. .

Connect the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area to the Cleveland lakefront : and downtown Akron via the Ohio '& Erie Canal Towpath Trail and t.be.Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Raiiroad.

Quit delaying and build the Cleveland ·. Lakefront Bikeway.

Raise gas taxes to $5. a gallon. Redirect the military budget to building

a good p~sseng'er railway system. Close Euclid A venue to cars -- make it

for traI;lsit, bikes ~d pedestrians.

Water Increase appreciation of our local water

resources, especially Lake Erie. Gain federal approval for an Ohio

Coastal Management Program that respects public trust lands and erosion h'azilrd areas.

Prohibit the use of herbicides for ' seaweed control in Lake Erie:

Have one healthy eaglet ror each active eagle nest near Lake Ede.

Change pollution discharge pennits so they actually eliminatethe discharge.

Require building setbacks and vegetated buffer strips along all streams.

. Adopt stonnwater m'anagement . . ordinances in every community.

Eliminate all combined ~ewer overflows . in the region by the

year 2000 with . cr~ative tecbJ:tiques to capture stonnwater runoff throughout watersheds . .

EcoCiT)' ClEVElANd 0 January 1994

~rain citizens to be erosio'n and . sediment control inspectors at construction ' sites.

Closely monitor oil and gas wells. Keep up efforts to restore the Cuyahoga

and Black ri"ers (push for strong action by Remedial Action Plans focusing on these rivers) .

. Increase efforts to · s~ve high~quality ·rivers (Cbagrin, East Branch of the Rocky, Upper Cuyahoga, Grand) from encroaching development.

Fortn local w~te~shed councils of cit.izens in urban watersheds (such as Doan

. Brook, Mill Creek, Euclid Creek). The councils will craft ecosystem restoration strategies to plant and'maintain trees, . reclaim va.cant lots with gardens, 'and re,construct w~tlands and natural stream channels.

Preserve and iinpro~e remaini~g patural habitat along the Cuyahoga River from Rockside Road to the lakefront.

Improve home septic systems.

Air/toxies Make. Ohio a leader in pollution

prevention so it can lose its reputation as a leading polluter.

~educe 'greenhouse gas emissions so the region does not contribute to global warming.

Print daily air pollution indices in the newspaper:

Monitor the health effects of air pollution. . .

Switch dry cleaners from solvents·to . non-toxic cleaning solutions.

Cut down on smoking --' drive less, incinerate less. .

Prevent and reduce lead paint hazard·s . . by integrating tead safety considerations ... into the whole rarige of hO~,sing activities -­building codes, financing, inspection, renovation, maintenanc,e ~d cleaning.

Develop safe, effective and affordable lead haiard reduction methods for low­income housIng so that Cleveland-.area 'housing can be made safe and can maintain , its market value. Create a "lead safety standard of.car~" to protect children from

EcoCITy CIEII£iANd 0 January .1994

learl poisoning, protect property owners from liability and preserve low-in.come J:1ousing.

Reduce risks of chemical accidents by reducing or eliminating the use of extremely hazardous materials 'in industry. Also reduce the use of h'a:?:ardous materials in the -home.-­switch to · non-toxic products.

Prevent. toxies from being discharged into sewers' so sewag'e sludge can be used as fertilizer . .

Greatly reduce the use of lawn · chemicals. 'Promote wonns instead of artificially ·green grass .

Food Elimi~at.e cancer-causmg pesticides in

food. Consume more food grown within the ·

region and develop strong I inks between city residents and local

. farmers. Create food co-ops

in every town. · ·Plant trees with

edible fruits and nuts . Expand urban gardening programs.

Education Increas~ people:'s respect for the earth

so that litter laws can .become.obsolete. Help peopl~ · understand that everyihing

is connected to everything else so that their actions reflect this understanding. (Less ego-system thil1king and more e'cosystem thinking!)

. Develop regional bio-ethics.and spirituality -- a sense that the beauty, balance, harmony and peace within the human heart is a reflection of the natura.i order.

Help people .. spend more time out in the natural world, understanding the balance, experiencing-the beauty .. . and, monitoring the pollution·.

Have school curriculum emphasize ' ecological a\yareness 'and the natural

. history of the region. . Expapd the Sierra Club's Inner:City

Outings Prognim to include all central ciiy . schools. ·

Start ttie. Cleveland School District's . proposed "Rebuild Cleveland School"

'where students could learn by participating in building and restoration projects.

And don't forget""~ Start a maSsive, gr~en public works

program for eco-enlightfmed infrastructure building, rebuilding and debuilding -- a program which will provide tens of .

· thousands of high-payingjobs and apprenticeships. Fund it by a combin'ation· oftaxes on financial transactions, gasoline

·taxes and a progre,ssive sales tax . Strengthen nonprofit environmental

organizations so they can become' more visible and effective. .

Watch less TV -- become more active in community affairs.

Celebrate Cleveland's Bicentennial by preserving its distinctive industri~l heritage ' in the Flats. (Save the Hulett unloaders on Whiskey Island!)

Link Cleveland and Zoar via the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor,

Question assumptions about the need for ' ~growth.n Change the name of the -Greater Cleveland Growth Association to the Sustainable Development A.ssoCi~tion. ·

Pass a bottle bill in Ohio.

• And finally, one reader requested that

no matter how outrag~d "we" (the predomin:antly white, college-.educated subscribers to EcoCily Cleveland) become over t.he degradation of our bioregion, we , should avoid self-righteousness andretain . the ability to listen. For-starters, we should:

• Realize that white environmentalists · don't speak for the environmental .aspirations of African-AmeriCans, Hispanics or poor whites.

" Understand Ihe perilously narrow profit margins of small- and medium-sized

· businesses when dem~ding pollution prevention improvements.

" Understand that urban sprawl has to do with jobs, cri~e and school systems; as well as transportation a.nd tax structur·e.

." Understand that much darmige to the regional enviro~ment comes from individual choices in life-style.

" Understand that· at .this point in time reaching out tohelp develop a sense of community ~d c~msensus can be as 'important as activism on. specific issues.

o 7

BIOREGIONAL THINKING

·An ecosystem ·approach to the regeneration of cities T~e following article calls upon us "to look at cities in a new way ~ - as human places connected to their natural regions. The authors, David Crombie and Ronald Doering. were commissioner and executive director of the Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront: Like Northeast Ohio, the .Toronto is region is divided into many municipalities and other political subdivisions. To counter this ' /ragmentation. the waterfront commission·recommended a new style of planning - one that iakes into account ~hole ecosystems and long­term sustain.ability. The commi~sion's reports even use the term "bioregion" to des~ribe the appropriat~ geographJc unit for planning.", O/particular interest is this article's list offeatures.common td an ecosystem approach 'to cities, .• Half the world's .peoples will Jive in urban areas by tHe e.nd of this

. decade. Whet~er we achieve a great~r degree of environmental sustainability over that time will therefore be determined largely by our cities. Surely. sustainability is not possible in the long term unless we can soon fin~ ways to regenerate ou.r ~'ban ecosystems, keep them iil good health, and adopt more sustainable urBan lifestyles,

But the environmental challenges facing citie eceive relatively little attention.-- ~s any reyiew of the literature on sustainable development quickly makes clear. Even the United Nations World Commission on Environme t and Development (the Brundtland . Commission) devoted little to the analysis of what it caUed the uroan challenges. As Micheal Hough said in his book City Form and Natural Process (1989), "In a world increasingly concerned with the problems of a deterior:ating environment,~e they ener~, pollgtion, vanishing plants, animals or productive landsc!:,pe.s .. there is a marked propensity to bypass the environment most people live in'· · the city i"lself"

The city as pestilence Why do most environmental commentators eng ge in so little analysis of our urban ecosystems? Perhaps one reasQn is that many

. environmentalists continue to see cities as unnatural -- or worse. Re~ently, fo~ example, Canadian geneticist [i)avid Su~uki, a widely. read analyst of social and environinent.al issues, offered .his perspective on cities around the world:

We can't eradicate cities, Nor would we want to. . ~ut we must recognize that cities disconnect us from nature and each other, They exist by draining .resources from t~e planet while spreading toxic materials and debris. And if we regard all living things on earth as an immense supra-organism (which some have called Gaia), then cities must be

. seen as the Gaian equ.ivalent of cancer (1991). Dr. Suzuki's view of cities, however harsh, plays to a familiar bias

in North American literat:ure, Cities, in the accepted vfew, are not good things, ("Pestilential to our future," said Thomas Jefferson.) Bad things happen there. The countrysid~ is a good thing. Good things happen there. "Nature" is at home in the countryside but not in the city, and God is clearly more knowable in the wide-open spaces than . ­on city streets.

Ciiy bashing, therefore, is an easy occupation, but it makes the regeneration and renaissance of cities much more difficult (or those who, like lewis Mumfo.rd, se~ the city as a place where "the separate

8

beams of life" are brought together and "the issues of civilization are brought into focus" -- a place where an9ient connections, 'origins, and ' identities merge with overwhelming events that suggest new opportunites, new.dreams, and new questions.

The city as beacon H has not been all one-sided, though clearly the bashers have had their way. In a valiant brigade, city lovers such as Jane Jacobs, William H. Whyte, Ian McHarg, Tony Hiss, and others have struggled to frame a . more positive view of the city, and have offered both philosophical perspectives and practjcal steps for a more hopeful future.

They are supported, of course, by the millions upon millions of _. ordinary people who Over the centuries have chosen 'to leave' the countryside in order to live in the city. Why do they come? Why have cities grown ana grown? Why do people, if they have the choice, decide to live in the "pestilence" and "cancer" of the city?

Cities are del irable and important because they continue to be be~cons ofhop~!illd freedom to each new generation, Travel on any continent and you will see young people taking h.e road to town, drawn by the agnet ism of cities. € ities are places where fame, fortune 'aDd the futUre seem ripe for the picking. They are places where you can try·to Be what you want'to be -- and here, if you're lucky, you will find a'sense of community that wil!-serve your needs, shape your day-to-day experiences, give focus to y,our freedom and meaning to your hopes. For these .reasons, as the Alberta E vironmental <;;ou.ncil (1988) put it in its publication Enviran ent by Design, cities 'continue to be "the habitat of cheice for <;lst people."

The city as natural ,p.henomenon . But hke us, a city is not separate from nature. Within cities we have vegetation, forests, fields" sfeams, I~es, rivers, terrain, soils, and wildlife. Hydrology, topography, and climate set the fundamental structure for human habiL;tion and the building of the city itself. As 1}evin by ch (1981) wrote in A Theory oJGood p ty Form; "People and their citIes ar as much natural phenomena as trees, streams, nests, and deer paths. It is ·cruc'al that we corrie see ourselves as an integral part of the total living community."

BaSed on this understand.ing, we must begin the regeneration of our cities and waterfronts over the next decade, Only by u~derstanding the city as a part of nature can we deal. with the ~ounds inflicted on it, mend its ways,. and design its form so t~at it functions sustainably to sati sfy needs without dimi~isbing opportunities for future generations . ..

The environmental revolution There is, of course, no other choice. The E-rivironmental Revolution is already here -- as almost everybody knows. ·It developed out bfthe perspectives of the conservation movement at the tum of the century, and was qui~kened by the actions of the anti-pollution activists in the last 25 years. As 'a result, the envirQnmental imperative today is hitting the city wi.th seismic force: .

The fact is thai, in pursuit of its needs and pleasures, our throw-. away society has poisoned ~he air, polluted the.rivers, and . contaminated the earth, without wQrry ing or caring to learn about the lo~g-term damage caused to the environment or about the way we are foreclosing opportunites for future gener~tions.

EeoCiTy ClEVElANd 0 January 1994

An integrated approach to cities It is for these reasons, among others. that the idea of using ~ . ecosystem approach to the regeneration of cities has gained increasing acceptance. An ecosystem is composed of air, water, land, and living organisms, including humans, as well as the. interactions among them. The concept has been applied to many types of.intera~ting systems, . among them lakes, watersheds, the biosphere. and cities themselves.

Traditionally. human ~ctivities have been ~anaged on a piecemeal basis. treating the economy separately from social issues or the envirpnrnent. But the ecosystem concept holds that these are . interrelated, that decisions made in one area affect all ot~ers. Dealing effectively with the environmental problems in any city requires a

The ecosystem approach, then, requires new institutional arrangements. As the U.N.'s Brundtland Commission warned in its -1987 report, Our Common Future:

Most of the institutions facing those challenges .. tend to be independent, fragmented, working to relatively narrow mandates with closed decision processes. Those responsible for managing natural resources and protecting the environment are institutionally separated from those responsible for managing the economy. The real ·world of . interlockl?d economic and ecological systems will o.ot change; th.e policies and institutions concern.ed must.

holistic or ecosystem approach to ~ ___ • . _____ .;. _________ _

managing human activities. Common features to diverse solutions There are certain' key' characteristics of

an ecosystem approach tha~ help i1.Iustrate what is required, An ecosystem approach.:

• includes the whole system, not just parts of it;

• Focuses on the interrelationships among the elements.

Only by understanding the city as a part of

nature can we deal with the wounds inflicted on

Each city region- in the world will have tp develop .its own institutional adaptions i"n ord.er to implement an ecosystem approach to planning. Each adaption will reflect the history, culture, traditions. habits, and customs unique to that city, But it is ·also possible to see that cities will discover some common features in their new approach:

• U~derstarids that humans are part of nature, not separate from it.

.• Recognizes the dynamic natu~e of .the ecosystem, presenting. a moving picture rather than a still photograph.

• Incorporates the concepts carrying ' capacity. resilience, and sustainability-­suggesting that there are limits to human activity . .

• Uses a broad definition of environments -- natural~ physical, economic, social, and cultural.

it, mendits ways, and design its form so that it functions sustainably to

satisfy needs without diminishing

opportunities for future generations.

• The recognition of the primacy of natural boundaries and processes.

• The integration of lahd use with environmental planning in public process and law.

• The integration of urban' and rural . planning to link the city with its region.

• The ereation of concurrent. rather than consecuti~e, planning processes . .

• Encompasses both urban and rural activities. . .

• Is based on natural geog~phic units' such as watersh~ds .. rather than on political boundaries. .

• Embraces all levels of activity -- local. regional. national, and international.

• Emphasizes the importance of species oti)er than humans and of generations other than the present.

• Is based on an ethic in which progress is measured by the quality, well-being, integrity. and dignity it accords natural, social, and economic systems.

Overcoming jurisdictional fragmentation . Unfortunately, most of society is not organized in a way that facil!tates this comprehensive approach. In Canada, for example. four levels of government have jurisdiction in the Toronto City region. and more than 100 agencies exercise responsibility with Iilt.le effective

. coordination among them. Indeed, in the past, the parochial pressures of bureaucracies and repre·sentative governments have almost. compelled them to be unresponsive to cross-jurisdictional issues. When everyone is in charge, no one is in charge. .

The result is bureaucratic and political paralysis -- a situation in which almost any agency can stop projects, and no one can do anything. Because lines of accountability are completely distorted or hidden by this jurisdictional fragmentation. the citizen is left without any means of recourse. The implications for our democracy may be. more crucial than we know~ The jurisdictional gridlock throughout th'is region is the single biggest obstacle to its environmenta, '(and . economic) regeneration. An~ this is not a problem unique to the Toronto city region.

EcaCiry ClEVElANd 0 January 1 994

• The integration of capital budgets .of all government departments and agencies

to eQsure coherence, economies, and financial strength. . • The recognition of the i"ncreasing importance of designing

places and spaces that allow people to feel a part of nature while they take advantage of the immemorial human pl~aSures that only cities can offer. .

These kinds of institutional ada·ptions will help. cities develop their poten~ial -fuliy . Environment by Design could not express it better than by quoting Claude Levi-Strau~s;

Cities have often been !ikened to symphonies and poems, and the comparison seems to me a perfectly natural one .... By its fonus, as by the manner of its birth, the city has elements at once of biological procreation, organic evolution and aesthetic creation. It is both a natutal object and a tbing to be cultivated; something lived and something dreamed. It is the human' invention p~ excellence.

o Adapted with permission from ·an article publish~d in the December 1991 edition ofECODECISION: The Environment and Policy Magazine, 276 St. James Street, Montrftai, Quebec. H2Y IN3 Canada. The article also was published as the preface to. Regeneration:

. Toronto's Waterfront and the Sustainable Cjty, the final report of the Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront. For more information about the commission's work, contact the .Toronto Waterfront Regeneration' Trust at (416) 314-9490.

9

WATERSHEDS

Flood control Fromp. , so it can retain more stonnwater. Shaker Heights is coordinating this project.

• A new "control structure" where Martin Luther King meets North Park Boulevard. ·This 40-foot tall; concrete structure -- looking like a huge, upright pipe -- would hold back water in the wooded ravine of the brook. During a major rainstorm, water would pool hundreds of feet up the ravine and then be released over several hours to reduce the chance of floodil')g . downstream. ",

The project has been o~· the . drawing boards for years. It's needed, says Cleveland Water Pollution Control commissioner Darnell Brown, because ~ev'elopment in upstream communities has caused increased storm runoff and more than

. quadrupled water flow. in Doan Brook. Not only are flo·ods a ihreat to lives and property; but they destroy aquatic habitat. The · powerful surge of water scours the stream bed, erodes the banks, rips out vegetation and sweeps'~way

aquatic organisms . . "People don't realize the habitat .

destruction thatls already occurring down~tream . n he says.

. Commercial lot '. '" ',' .....

\ Parking loi

\1

landscape Area (typ)

Urban retrofit to redUce runoff Above: Traditional site and stre·et design

Below: Minimizing connections between impervious surfaces Grass '

I

He says this in response to the· concet:Jls of residents living nearby the planned control strUcture. They worry about the environmental impacts of ponding water temporarily in the ravine. And they object to a concrete eyesore being built in scenic park. Just look at what happened one watershed to the east on Dugway Brook, they. say, If you've ever seen the

"------S:~~I~;!rr ~-: --------~----~--~ -~--------------------: ----~~~-~---_-!~~~c§~~:'_~~~~-_il · Culvert .'" Storm Sewer . :=;treet . ManhOle!

. monstrous flood control dam that disfigures Dugway [see the photo in our August issue], you have to wonder if th~re isn't a better way to manage urban stormwater,

Indeed, isn't there a better way? In this case, well-meaning Cleveland officials". are at the bottom of the hill witli a dangerous flooding problem they didn't create: They have to do something. And It .seeins simpler to build a centralized structure to control the symptoms ofthe problem than 10 deal

10

. " . . - " . . Source: Urban.Storm Drairmge Cril~rlaJ.1aIll/OI. Denver Urban Drainage and Flood Contro[ District

with all the causes upstream in Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and Beachwood. After all, goven:tment and cc;>rporations often find it eas.ier to finance and plan big, centralized facilities -- big 'sewage ' treatment 'plants, big power generating plants -- than small-.scale, decentralized . facilities that work with nature,

. But what ifthey did decide to work upstream? What would a real watershed management approach entail?

Stormwater alternatives · First, the emphasis would be on keeping stonnwater on the land where it falls --" .eliminating excess runoff or holding it on site. This would mean making small adjustments lot by lot; house by house, parking lot by· parking lot. Instead of one big .structure, there would be many changes throughoutthe watershed . . Every property 'owner or in~ager would have to assume

EcoCi!)' CIEV~IANd 0 January 1994

g,eater responsibiliiy for their Disconnecting downspouts: Restoring urban streams stonnwater. 1=== Dutch drains over gravel-fiiled , We have spent too much effort and

Here are some available 't II ' t fil money gettl'ng rid of water -- and . seepage pi s a ow wa er to Iter strategies. Although most are easier 1=-== into the ground. turning our living streams into to install when doing new drainage ditches and culverts. Now construction, they could be part of it's time to reverse the process. We r~trofitsjn already-developed urban ' must learn to live more forgivingly areas. with water on the land. -In such a

• Minimize impe.Nious \Yatershe'd management scheme. ~urfaces and maximize ~egetation regiona:,I deteo.tion facilities like the.

\ \ \ I'/i, ori each, s'ite, ,Treat every square one planned for Do~ Brook would . foot of land at a potential sponge"; \1 \ I1II 1/11.' I be considered only as '3 last resort. plant trees, shrubs and ground Cleveland officials covers to protect the ground and acknowledge that their flood absorb rainwater. ' . con~rol facility is a band-~id, not a .

~ Direct runoff from streets and solution. "We need a "policy for-"the , parking lots to grass median strips whole watershed," says Darnell ' or perimeter strips whiCh allow Brown. ' "

water to s<;>ak into the ground. " l __ -,=-,,,=:~~~~!~I~!~~:~=j But he's not optimistic about • D!sconnect roof do~nspouts retrofittjng the communities from storm sewers and allow Raleigh. NC upstream. Rather he believes that rainwater to flow onto lawns or into the current projecf is all we can gravel-filled dcywells. treelawns. hope for at present- He wants to break

o Install gravel trenches along , ' 0 Modify streets and parking lots to ground in the spring. " driveways or patios to collect water and ' "store several inches of water temporarily , On the other hand; Doan Brook would ' ~llow " it to"soak into the 5011. during ~torms. ' be a good test case for altern"ative '

• Control "fl,JOoffwith "grass swales an"d • Develop a master drainage plan for stormw"ater management. Compare·d to most " ' berms instead of pipes. This slows down the every watershed. urban streams; it, is in relatively, good shape. water and gives it more time to soak into the "In new developments, the options for It" is almost entirely unculverted. It flows , d . " " creative storlnwater management ate much through open park lands for m.uch of its groun . .

o Install porous pavement __ modular ' g'reater. Clustering',buildings can preserve ' length. )t shouldn't need more flood control blocks and other paving materials .which open' space and wetlands. Shorter setback structures, allow water to. infiltrate. . requirements can redu,ce the length of

. • Cut curbs to direct water onto " driveways. Buildi.ng can be restricted on steep slopes and other sensitive areas: , '

o See article on p" 12 for more about new trends in storm water management.

'Reducing stormwater pollution In ~ddition to reducing the

l 'votulme of stonnwater 'enterlng , our urban streams, we can also <

take sleps to reduce the amount of contaminants that wash into local streams via stann' sewers. Here are some good practices for citizens and municipalities;

II' Never dump motor oil, paint, or o!her chemicals into storm sewets. o Employ organic gardening methods and restrictleliminate use of lawn'

chemicals. ' • Don't curb your dog ;- deposit animal waste where it won't wjlsh in~o

stann sew'ers. o Sweep streets and clean catch basins regularly. • Prevent erosion and "soil loss from construction sites. o MiIiimize use of de-icing salts. . o Maintain vegetated buffer strips to, tilter nut contaminants along stream

ca~dors"

EcoCllY CLEY,iANd 0 January 1994

Problems with stormwater 'ponds? A favorite device for coritrolling stonnwater in new su~urban developments is the permanent retention,PRnd. , Abuilder digs out a basin and piles 'up ail earthen ~am" , ~th an outlet pipe. The structure can hold a lot of runoff at relatively low cost. And it often eMancesthe

. value ofthe development. 'Fhtow in a couple of geese and some cattails and you've got a picturesque centerpiece for a ,new sl!bdi~jsion. .

But large stonnwater ponds are coming under increasing scrutiny. Negative "impacts can include:

• Jncreased downstream water temperature, which alters native plant and animal communities,

o Poor 'Vater quality during dry weather. ,

o No control of peak flows above the pond, so no protection for aquatic life upstream.

• Ponds are a barrier to fish migration upstream . Nonnative species stocked in ponds (like goldfish) escape downstream and disrupt native fish communities.

. 0 Destruct,ion of existing wetLand or forest habitats.

II

I -.

WATERSHEDS

Moving upstream: . .

Changing views of urban stormwater management by Diane M Cameron

-The field of urban storInwater management is rapidly evolving in the 19905, as urban areas struggle to comply wjth new regulations governing storm sewers and overflows from ·combined sanitary/stonn sewers. As I look back over the more than 20 years since the passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act and the history of delays in urban stormwater regulation, the current 'crises and headaches that confront urban stann water managers are not surprising at all -. rather, they are the inevitable r~ult of two decades ofrieglect. .

Th~kfully, many urban storm water managers have progressed in their thinking. They have shifted their attitudes away from HLet's ignore the p'roblem and hope it will go away" to "How can we. accomplish observable improvements in water quality at the least cost to urban residents?"

As municipalities seek out private ' . ~ngineering firms and government policymakers for guidance 'in storm water management in the '90s, it is critical that they be conscious of the mindset -- the attitudes, beliefs and assumptions -- that they and their advisors are using to make decisions and create plans.

Three schools of thought

usefulness of large, structural, end-:-of-pipe treatment devices, but who caution that these .devices may. also create new problems that 'in tum deserve mitigation. Thi:s camp's philosophy goes like this:

ULarge, downstream, downpipe, offsite storm water ponds and constructed wetland-pond systems are the preferred; widely applicable tech!J,oiogy for stemming the flow of urban storm water and. its poll\ltants. As long as the negativ.e 'side effects' (loss of trees, warmer water, etc.) of these devices are recognized and mitigated, they will be the beneficial centerpiece of any municipal stormwater strategy. Although we recognize that meeting water quality standards and habitat go~ls may be impossible in.. some urban·drainage .basins, in others we may be able to at least partially meet water qualitY goals and standards.

"Citizens should be eocouraged to use on- ' site runoff reduction methods wherever p.ossible. But such small-s'~ale, multi-site, up-pipe strategies are usually not feasible for retrofitting already-urbanized areas. More commonly, they '

. are feasible for use in site designs for new urban developments. U

- The uplanders and up-pipers .. These are the progressive thinkers on the edge'of the sto~water management field who are prQmoting

. a decentralist, on-site, property-owner-:­responsibility ph~losophy towards 'urban runoff. Tneir numbers are few but are growing as more and more municipaJities are disappointed by

I see thre.e s.chools of thought in urb~ stof1l1water management ~- mainstream thinkers, reformers, and uuplandersu at the cutting edge of the field. My observations are

L-_________ --, ____ ~--' expt!nsive, pour-the-concrete, mainstream approaches that ultimately fail to meet their own'

st~ted goals. ~asically, they believe: cased .on a number 'of sources: a scan of the urban storm water technical literature; my own studies and obset:vations in the Chesapeake aay region, Clevel3!1d, ~d elsewhere; and conversations. with a variety of stormwater researchers and practitioners:

.- The mainstream. Here are the bulk of government" water quality and flood control officials, the bulk of the large engineering firms and

. even some environmentalists: Their philosophy is as follows: "Both flood control and ~tormwater pollutant removal can be

accomplished primarily through structural devices, like detention ponds, that collect runoff from large urban areas and se~t1e and/or filter out pollutants. Non-structural devices -- such as planning and zoning controls for new devel.opment, public education and used oil recycling programs ~- are also useful for- pollutant reduction.

. uThe structural devices ~ap be used for existing urban areas as . retrofits, but only where open spaces' permit construction of large, "mega-systems" that can collect massive runoff volumes off-site and downstream of large shopping malls, office parks, .and subdivision tracts. ae.cause of the large land area requirements for these 'regional retrofits,' they are very expensive and thus not feasible for widespread use in exis~ing urb~ watersheds.

"Accqrdingly," say the mainstream thin.kers, "we cannot hope for, nor should our discharge permits require, meeting water quality st~dards or attaining' ecosystem restoration goals' for existing urhan areas .. If.we can avoid massive fish kills, and our rivers no longer catch on fire, w~ have attained the maximum feasible standards. II

- The reformers (or end-oC-pipe devjces and their discontents). This group includes the more' progressive engineers. government managers and envirorimentalists who believe in the necessity and

"Current thinking about urban stormwater management is far too . compartmentali zed, fragmented and defeatist, despite all the talk about 'integrated watershed approaches.' Municipalities are still taking Ii sledgehammer to their storm water problems, when what they really need to apply is a scalpel:

UUltimately, urban stormwater managers must follow the same pollution prevention hierarchy that has become second nature to solid wC!Ste managers: l) eliminate/reduce, 2) reuse, 3) recycle, and 4) treat/dispose as the last resort. In other words, the very first priority is to design new urban developments and retrofit existing urban developments to reduce' and eliminate runoff at the source. This means working on-site at the level of each parcel, building, single-family lot, parking lot; neighborhood, etc .

UMany of the decentnilized; site~ level techniques 'that are increasingly required for new developments -- such as . peri~eter infiltration trenches around parking lots, downspout disconnections, below-ground storage tanks, grass swales, reforestation ~- are valid and necessary as retrofits for existing developments. In the short run. retrofitting will require more creativity and more work, and some times more f!1aintenance and money, th.an work with new developments. In the long run, however,. cities that apply these options as retrofits will save themselves both money and aquatic resources." 0

Diane Cameron is an environfne!ltal engineer for Ih f! Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington,' DC. Besides being an' authority on urban stream restoration, she is a member of the EcoCity Cleveland Advisory Board and co-author of the new book. The Clean Water Act Twenty Years Latec

· 12 Il1l1strlUon; Puge! Sound Water Qullity Authority

EcoCiT)' ClEVElANd O:January 1994

ECOCITY DIGEST

Whitewashing brown fields In recent months wetve been" hea,ing a lot ahout "brownfields," those contamimited urban sites that make it risky to red~velop in the city. Task forces at the local . and state level have called for

. legislation to streamline the . cleanup process arid limit

. financial liability (current Superfund regulations make new

- property owners fu,lly liable for any chemical mess left 'by "· previous owners).

While the goal of urban revitalization is-laudable, the . danger is that legitimate environmental safeguards will be pushed aside in the name of economic deyelopment. And that is exactly the problem with the "Industrial Property ReuseH bill currently in the Ohio Legislature (SB 221), Sponsored by Sen, Betty Montgomery (R­Perrysburg) and drafted largely by industry lobbyists, lawyers and consultants, the bill would create a panel. dominated by banking and business interests to set health standards for clean-ups. It also would allow de'lelopers' consultants to dctennine whether or not a' cleanup is necessary and, if so, how to achieve .it. Theoretically, Ohio EPA would monitor the process, but the agency would get little fundin~ to hire additional staff. In addition, a "Property Revitalization ·Board" could overrule the agency and impose lesser standards.

The loopholes in sa 221 have alarmed no.t only environrriental groups but the Brownfields

Working Group of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, which is developing local strategies for rede.velopiil:g brown fields. For updates on the progress of the bill, contact your

·state legislator or the Ohio En~ironmental Council af (614) 224-4900

Sprawl zones Another Statehouse debate. with env·ironmental implications is over

. enterprise zones, thos~ special districts in which new businesses can get property tax breaks, Originally intended to attract investment to <:lepressed urban ~.eas, ente·rprise zones can now be found in 261 locations around the state, including many w~althy suburbs, Not only is it questionabl,e whether tax give­aways make a big

· PROTECT ING YOUR WATER AND SAVINGS ACCOUNT

While water quality is i llproving , tl'lara continues to be a lot of ac:tivity allong spec:ial interest groups, fede ral agenc:ies, and Conyress to le91s1ate additione1 envir:onnental c: ~nt rol s. The Hortheas t Ohio Regional Sewe~ District takes part in the legis btive proc:ess to assure that proposed bOIS wUl protec:'t Grea t er Cleveland's waterways.

Propose d l aws o ft e n laC:k a strong sc:ienti.fic: basis. Also, groups say that envi ron",~ntal benefit s c:an ' t be .. easured and that <=ost d_sn't lIatter . But, if proposals lac:king a stron.9 sc: ientific: foundation bec:olll8 iaw, the c:osts c:ould be high and the environnental benefit srlall. This inc:re;osus our c:osts .and your sewer bill.

We don·'t want inc:rease~ c:osts and have expanded our sc:·ientific: researc:h on water qualit y protTle ns, Our "oal is to· c:ontinuO! i,.provin!J ar",a water quality "hile keeping your service c:harges as low as poss~ble.

We urge you to $hare your views with your sta~e and federal e lec:ted offi<=ials. CUSTOMEFl COPY ~ KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS

Propaganda in our bills One of our Cleveland readers recently sent in a copy of her October, water/sewer bill from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. With the bill was a message (reprinted above) entitled·"Protecting Your Water and Savings Account." The messagewams ratepayer..abdut proposed environmental laws that "lack a strong scientific basis" and could increase

.sewer bills. Our reader wrote that.she was offended by the message and that "this kind oflobbying ofa captive audience coupled with the threat or'a retaliatory price increase is underhanded,:' . ,

While the message does not name specific laws, it'obviously refers to the Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative, a recent effort by the U,S, EPA to write u,niform water quality standards for the eight Gr.eat Lakes states, Environmental groups have supported the initiative as a major step toward reducing toxic pollution In the Great Lakes ecosystem, The Northeast 0hio Regional Sewer District and business 'groups have vigorously opposed parts

, of the initiative, , , "

difference in business location decisions, but the zones have e~couraged c~stly and . erivironmentatly-~~structive sub.urban sprawl.

RiverDay will be May 7 The Friends of the' Crooked River are busy planning RiverDay '94 for May 7, To volunteer for the an.nual event, which celebrates and helps clean up the Cuyahoga River, call.1ohn Kaminski at 356-8974,

Environmental sense Two quotes from; a recent issue

of Sierra magazine:

• Sierra Club pres·ident

Mich~le Perrault on Legislators are now

considering proposals to l1Jake it tougher to qualify for enterprise zone status. To build a more: sustainable state economy, we need measures to focus development in urban areas where infrastructure, population and public transportation already exist. ..

Cuyahoga waste plan finished After ,three years of work, the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management District has released its plan detailing how the county will reduce. recycle and dispose of solid. waste in the future. Local governments will have until April 4 to approve the plan. For ' more infon:nation, call the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission at 443-37QO,

HazMat routing If you've ever .. ~;:::~,

I" • you"ve probably

seen the signs that route trucks

. with' hazardous cargo,es around the city ord-270, Communities in Northeast Ohio haven't been able to ·coordinate such a plan to keep hazardous materials shipments out of congested urban areas ..

But that could change, The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency recently obtai~ed funding to complete the plannin'g.

compromise and co~sensus: ' I A

lot of people have this idea that consensus is wonderful ... Sure

we need to \alk with developers who are opposed to us, but itls

ludicrous to think we must

weigh all vie~s equally,

b~c~lUse unwise devel~pment .has destroyed so much already.".

• An article 6n EPA's

proposal to use risk asse~sments

to allow pesticide residues in

food: "Risk managers look at a ·glass of contaminated water and

ask, how many people wi ll it kill? Risk preventers look at the same glass and ask, why do we

have· to drink this at all?"

EcaCilY ClEVEll'Nd 0 January 1994 13

GLEANINGS

Plain Magazine · debuts . The Center for Plain Living, ·which w~ profiled in our July issue, has published the premier, issue of Plain:" The Magazine of Life: tand and Spirit. The issue covers the impact of !echnology on agricultural c.ommunities. Upcoming ,issues will address ways to exit the information highway. small-scale fanning, media-free living, home,and one­room -schooling, avoiding consumer culture, intentional communities and returning to more envi~orimentally-sQu'nd lifestyles.

•

Subscriptions are $~8 per year for six issues. Write to the cent,er at P.O. Box 200, Burton, O·H 44021 (They don't have a phone.)

• Our pledge to the Great L~kes The Great Lakes Commission is coordinating efforts to draft an ·"Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin'," The charter . will be a statement of principles, findings an4 commitments that the· entire Great Lakes-St. .Lawrence community c~ embrace and work toward . It will define goals for ecosys·tem·management and proyide a framework for aU the policies and ·programs affecting the· basin. . . Citizens are invited to comment on drafts' of the charter. For more . information, contact the Great Lakes Commission, The Argus Building U, 400 Fourth St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, (313) 665-9153.

Here is the draft .v.ision· stateme·nt from the charter:

Our vision is a Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem ... . • Where all· pec;>ple consider, conduct,

and respect themselves as part of our ecosystem.

• In which humans and other inhabitants can brea~h~ air, drink water, and eat foods untainted by human activity from any part of the Basin.

• That exists as an evolving natural and cultural system·which demonstrates

integrity - the ability to self-organize and adapt to diverse changes. .• That includes the natural integrity of pristine areas as well as the

cultural integrity of properly stewarded ·landscapes in develop.e:d areas. • That manifests itself in a rich mosaic of wafers and lands, of

wilderness and cultured places; ~Ad of different peoples who govern themselves in various ways. .

• That nurtures an abundance and diversity of native species in their natural communities and habitats. .

• That supports and sustains well· planned, visually pleasing, and biologically sound human activity conducted in an environ·mentally sustainable manner that meets the responsible needs of this generation without compromising the ability of future generations.to meet their needs.

• That sustains all people and their communities and economic activiti·es in. socially equitable and just ways . .

• That is held in trust in which people act as stewards committed to protecting and preserving both natural and desirable cultural components. benefitting this and future generations.

.. • In which·citizens, governments, businesses, industries, and organizations accept the responsibilities and challenges to transform our consumer society to a sustainable society.

• In which a shared governance process, among diverse and respected traditions, provides an accessible and equitable context for responsible action and effective accountability among persons, peoples, and institutional entitles. .

14

Permits to pollute. Here are some Ohio EPA actions of interest from ,recent weeks. For complete and up-to-date lists of permit activities in your county. watch for weekly legaJ notices in your loca:l newspaper. For more detailed information, call theOhio EPA Northeast District Office in Twinsburg, 425-9171.

• Solid waste rule change~ Public hearipg on proposed rule changes governing solid waste disposal (including revisions concerning landfill construction, location, operation, closure,',ground water monitoring and financial assurance for municipal and industrial solid waste landfills) at the Ohio EPA ceniral office in Columbus, 5 p.m., January 31.

Water pollution permits Aluminum,Waste Tech., Cleveland, discharge to Cuyahoga River. SP Oil Company Pipe Line, Cleveland, discharge to Cuyahoga River. American Steel and Wire, Cuyahoga Heights, discharge to Cuyahoga

·River. NASA, Cleveland, discharge to Rocky River. Zircoa Products, 8010n, discharge to Tinkers Creek.

. Ohio Edison, Lorain, discharge to Lake Erie, Wellington Water Plant, Wellington, discharge to Charlemont Creek. Polson Rubber, Lodi, di~charge to Black River East Branch.

·Spenc.er Manufacturing, Spencer, discharge to Black River East Branch. TecQ-nical Services, Kent, discharge to BreakneckCreek, Chrysler Corp.j Twinsburg, discharge 'to Tinkers Creek. Sun Refining and Marketing, Akron, discharge to Little Cuyahoga

River,

Water pollution permit renewal applications . Ayon Lake Wastewater Plant, Avon Lake, discharge to Lake Erie. City of "North Ridgeville Wastewater Plant, Sheffield, discharge to

French Creek. . Moen., Efyria, discharge to Black RiVer. . USS/Kobe Steel, Lorain, discharge: to Black River. City of Aurora Wastewater Plant,·Aurora, discharge to Pond Brook.

Air pollution permits . Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cleveland . Clorox'Co., Cleveland, material handling and mix.ing vessel to produce

liquid cleaning agents. . Plain Deaier PubliShing, Cleveland, new printing.presses.

. Stoneco-Cleveland Asphalt Terminal, Cleveland, asphalt cement tank truck loading rack and four.2-million-gallon asphalt cement storage tanks.

Geon Co., A von Lake; fume exhaust system for polyvinyl chloride compounds.. . .

MonarCh Industrial Tire, Hartville, mix.ing and metering equi'pment for polyurethane tires.

Tallmadge Asphalt &:Paving Co" reco·nstruction and incre3$e in. capacity of asphalt concrete plant. · . . . .. ,

Boyas Excavating, Valley View, three fugitive dust ~mission sources. Stein Inc., Lorain, refuse slag screening plant.

Waterlsewer lIne extensions Achill Village, North Royalton. East Hampton Subdivision No.2, EJyria. Jaycox. Road Subdivision, A von and Avon Lake. Commerce Drive water main extension, L!\;Grange. The Kames Phase 4, .Stow. Austin VJ1Ias Phase i, Barberton Charter Lakes Estates Phase 2, Northfield Center: Villages at Fairlawn Phase 2A, Fairlawn. , Villas at Oregon Trails; Stow. S.B. Johnson Co., Elyria. Eagle Creek Subdivision Phase 1, Avon. Glenshire Woods Development Phase I.

Medina.

. EcoCiTy CLEVElANd

I I I

BIOREGIONAL CALENDAR

January I 5 Union of Concerned Scientists Northeast Ohio energy meeti~g, 9 a.m. to noon,. CSU College of Urban Affairs, E. 18th and Euclid · Avenue, Room 222. EcoCity Cleveland editor David Beach will speak' on regional . transportation planning. . .

. January 20

f Friend~ of the Black River '

. . monthly ineeting, 7:30 p.m,· at the . :~~~!~: ? Lorain County Metro Parks ' .t· .... Carlisle Visftor Center, 12882

Diagonal Road. Oberlin College ' . biologist Roger Laushman·will

speak on natural and cot).structed wetlands, .

January 20 "Building Communities: Together," a forum

. in Columbus on developing partnerships to . deal with problems of homeless ness, affordable housing and economic . empowennent, sponsored by the U.S. Department.ofHousing and Urban

. Development and hosted by the Ohio · Conference .of Community Development. Call 923-0.26? for more infonnation,

January 2 I Rudy Mancke, c;o-host of the PBS program, "NatureScene," will speak at the Cieveland Museum of Natural History at 8 p.m. as part of the museum's Explorer Lecture Se~ies . $8 for adults: . .

JanuarY 2 I . . .. The. Gr.eat Hopewell Road -- Brad Lepper of the Ohio Historical Society will speak on the · earthen embankments that are indications o( the complex society and commerce of the

· prehistoric flopewell culture in Ohio, 7:30 p.m. at the Happy Days Visitor Center of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, SR 303 west of SR 8. Fee $3, children fiee.

January 22.

r Farmer" in winter, a look at life in the fann . community durin'g the .

. ~oldest months of the year . . Program from · I tQ 2:30 p.m. at the Hunt Fann Visitor Center of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Are~ Bo!anz Road just east of Riverview Road. .

January ·23 The Canal Era in Portage County -- The Pennsylvania & Ohio Canal was only in existence for 2'0'years but carried as much freight and as many passengers as. the more famous Ohio & Erie Canal. A canal historian

will tell the history of the canal in Portage County at the Cuyahoga Valley Nationai Recreation Area's Canal ViSitor Center Canal Road at Hillside Road in Valley View, I :30 to 3 p.m.

Jariuary 23 Northeast Ohio Greens potluck; 6 p.-m. at 2871 Hampton Road, # II , in CI.eveland near Shaker Square. Call· David Ellison at 283-6420. .

January 25 Public .me~ting on the Black River

. Remedial Action Plan report summarizing polluHon problems aff~cting the river, 7 p.m. at Stocker Center, -4orain County Community

. College, 1005 North Abbe Road in Elyria.

January 26

January 27

Sierra Club Northeast-Ohio Group meeting,,7:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Natural-History, .university Circle. An intr'oduction to the Si~rra Club and its issues.

Wetlands program by the wetlands ,coordinator of the Great ta}ces Regional Office of the National AudubOn Society, 7:30 p.m. at the Church of Aurora, comer. of SR ' 306 ·and East Pioneer Trail. Sponsored by th~ Aurora ConseJ'Vation Council and the Audubon Snci.ety· of Greater Cleveland.

january 27-29 Models for 'Un'ity Conference at Cleveland State University featuring workshops on overcoming prejudice of all kinds and' promoting diversity ~ Registration fee f~r entire conference $60. Call Heights Community ~oilgress at 321-6775- for details.

r

January 28 Friends of the Crooked Riyer gala premiere

. of the group's video, "The Cuyahoga: Portrait of a Crooked ~iver." 5-S'p.m. (sc~eening at 6 p.m.) at the Sheraton Suites Hotel, 1989 Front St. in Cuyahoga Falls. $3 admiss ion. For reservations, call 883-6342 in Cleveland or 666-4026 in Akron. Copies of the video are $25 ($5 off fol' memberS afthe Friends or educators) .

January 29 Earth ~ay Coalition volunteer meeti~g, -11

~ a.m. at the Cleveland _

e~ rth Metroparks Zoo . ' . \i.1 ~ auditorium. L~am about

CO A L' T ·' 0 N volunteering . . . opportumtJes for

Earthfest '94. Call 281-6468 for details.

February 2 Ride-to-Work Day sponsored by Wheels of Change, the bicycle advocacy group of the Northeast Ohio Greens. Bicyclists will depart from points l.l1'~und Clevelan~ and converge downtown. For details,. call 734-3613·or 575-7551.

February 7 Northeast Ohio Greens monthly ~eeting,

7:30 p.m. at Cleveland State ~niversity, University Cen~er B'uilding, Room 368.

February 7 . Monthly meeting of the Audu.bon Society of

Greater Clev~land at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History; University Circle. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. arid .lecture on

. . the Amaion rainforest by the museum's Sonja Teraguchi at 8. p.m.

Board meetings of regional agencies . . Here are ~he regular, monthly m~etin.g times of agencies that are shaping our region.

Call to confirm . • Cleveland-Cuyah'oga .(:ountY Port Autho~ity, 10L Ei"ieside Ave. Cleveland 241-

8004. Friday of first full week at 10 a.m. . ' • Cleveland· Metroparks, 41Oi. Fulton Park",ay, Cleveland, 351-6300. Second and .

fQurth Thursday~ at 9 a.m. . ' . . . . . . ~ Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, 323 Lakeside Ave. West, Cleveland,

443-3700. Second Tuesday at 2 p.m. .. . . . .• Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), State Office Building, 615 .

Supenor Aye. NW, Cteveland; 566-5190. First and third Tuesdays at 9 a.m. . : • Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), 668 .Euclid Ave.;

Cleveland, 241-2414. Second Friday at 9:30 a.m. . • Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, 382~ Euclid Ave. Cleveland 881-6600

First and third Thursdays at 1.2:30 p.m. . . . . . ~ . ' . . .

Help us spread the word about ,..;. EcoCity Cleveland! ) ~)

Cell 321-6478 for fref!. sample copies .,. '-_____ ..1. ~ I ~ I · EcoChy ClEVElANd 0 January 1994 '------------..) 15

LAKE EFFECTS

Snowbelts The frigid air pools along-the eastern slopes <if

the Canadian Rockies -- vast stretches of cold

shore of the lake and keep rising and cooling until they· can no longer hold the water they

. sto le from the lake. Then it snows. The faster lhe clouds rise

and cool, the faster 'it snows. To the west of Cleveland are low lake plains. The moisture­laden air meets no sudden elevation. 'It car). slip in land and deposit snow gradually over some

anyone of these snowfalls is hard to predict. The squalls often appear in narrow bands, like ' curtains of snow which extend inland 25 to 30 miles before depleting themselves. The b~ds may stay in one place or ~ove with the shifting winds. One spot may be buried under two feet of snow, while a town just a few miles ~way may escape with light flurries.

, waiting for the ' ch~ce to roll south and east , over the plains of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, waiting to roll through the midcoritinental corridor between mountain ranges and into the Great Lakes Basin.

r-------------------, Tlie chances for lake effect snow

High in the sky, the jet stream is. . changing course. The stream of hurricane­

force winds races around the globe, crossing.North America from west to' e,ast; following the boundary between the warm and cold air masses. Now it. loops farther south, deep into the midwestern United ' States. It pulls the polar air behind it. Tne . leading edge forms a ~old fr,?nt, advancing, . picking up speed, ~ry, cold air rolling out of the north, and then crossing the warm w'aters of Lake Erie.

\ , , depend largely on the temperature difference between lake and air (it needs to be at least 25 degrees), the elevation of the ' land, and the am.ount of open water the cold air crosses (the fetch). A northerly wind may travel ~:mly 50 or 60 miles over the narrow width of the lake before reaching Cleveland. Much more snow can be generated by a southwesterly wind· blowing up the length of the lake 'to Buffalo and then climbing the mountains farther east.

This .is unusual snow. The leeward 100 200MI o shores of the Great Lakes are v.:ondrously

In the{all and early.winter, the iake is warmer than surrounding land. The land is a spendthrift that rapidly fritters· away its . summer warmth. But the lake is a Scrooge. It hoards a vast fortune of heat during the summer and parts with it penny by penny duri~g September, october, November, December.

~ 5.0 ' 100 150Km blessed (or cursed). Few other spots on Snowbelts of the Great Lakes earth·· tlie eastern shore of Hudson Say, (From TMGuQ/ Lake & Ie edited by Rosanne Fortner and-Victor Mayer) . the islands of northern Japan -- combine

L ______________ ~-.:....'--....J the right geographical conditions for so

distance. B.ut to t.he east of the city i.s the ' much lake effect snow. The right pl~ce (Ilust

As the surface water cools, it becomes more dense and 'sinks. Warmer water stored in the depths then rises to take its place. Until reaching about 39 degrees F., the lake is a circulatin'g r'eservoir of heat. The c.old air from the north passe~ over ~his wart)i, open body. The air warms, takes on moisture, ·rises up in clouds. The clou.ds pile. up on the cold southern

Portage Escarpment, the ~brupt climb to the have a body of water large' enough to warm the Heights, the last gasp of the Appalachian air, but not so large to warm it above the foothills. While the lake. is about 570 feet freezing point. It must have a large land mass above sea level and the city is 600 to 700 feet, upwind to supply cold air. And, finally, it must the Heights are 1000 feet and, beyond, parts of . be far enough from the equator to have . Geauga County are ~)V,er.t250. temperatures low enough for.,;;now, but not so

As the air is' driven up these elevations, "it cold th~t the~b~O~d;y~O~f~~it~~~t dumps snow suddenly, thickly. As'a result of Later in the of Lake this lake effect snow, the snowbelt near snow-Chardon gets two to three times the snowfall of the rest ofnorthen:t Ohio. The loca~ion of

. J.=.~r~_=-:_:-:_=-:_:'-:_=-~_~_=-~_:":_=-~_=-:-:-:-=-:-:-:-=-~-~"I~E:C:O~C~ity~C~I:eV:e:la:n:d:--E~..J..,~::,~~\)~\~\)~~~~~I ~O~R~Gl: 1 Subscribe. now! 1 3145 Berkshire Road ~'V,~~ r:\<?-.\\\.~ U.S. ~~~AGE l Each month, EcoCity Cleveland wilrbring you the .1 . Cleveland Heights. OH 44118 ~ ... ~'t.\) CLEVELAND. OHIO

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