Black River Area of Concern

Black River Advisory Committee's primary goal is to remove the Black River from the US EPA's Area Of Concern (AOC) list. The Advisory Committee is made up of city, state, and federal entities, non-profit organizations, private citizens, and other Black River stakeholders. Lorain County (Soil & Water) Conservation District receives grant support from the Ohio EPA and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), to assist the committee with funding requests, meeting coordination, and project outreach along the lower six miles of the Black River. Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) provides technical support in ensuring goals & deadlines are met.

While the entire mainstem of the Black River is 15 miles long, the committee's main focus is on the Lower Black River. Starting at the mouth of the river where it drains into Lake Erie and going 6.5 miles upriver to where French Creek flows into the Black River is the main area of focus.

Management Actions Complete - Moving Toward Delisting!

The Black River was designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) in 1987 and local, state, and federal partners have worked together in working toward completing all management actions, with the final step officially completed June 6, 2024. The Black River AOC has 3 Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) that remain impaired & are currently being evaluated:

Degradation of Fish Populations
Degradation of Benthos Populations
Loss of Fish Habitat

The Black River was once known for the mighty ships that were built on its banks. Along with steel and coal utilizing the banks and shoreline, this was Lorain's lifeblood. State, federal, and local efforts continue to help work towards the goal of delisting the Black River AOC, with a goal of delisting by the end of 2027.

Announcements (click here for more)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Public Comments Requested for Black River Area of Concern

CLEVELAND, OH (July 28, 2025) –Water conditions and fish populations continue to improve on the Black River.

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) and Ohio EPA are accepting comments through August 20, 2025, on the proposed removal of the Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) for Degradation of Fish Populations and Loss of Fish Habitat from the Black River Area of Concern (AOC) < click to download

These BUIs are the seventh and eighth to be recommended for removal from the initial list of nine for the Black River AOC. This is due to the continued improvement of fish populations and habitat conditions thanks to projects funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, as well as other state, local, and federal investments.

BUIs happen when there is a significant change in a body of water, whether chemical, physical, or biological, that leads to a deterioration of the water’s overall health.

Contamination and insufficient fish habitat within the lower Black River and portions of French Creek were previously linked to degraded fish populations within the AOC.

A summary of the proposed recommendation is available on OLEC’s website.
Written comments will be accepted through August 20, 2025, and should be emailed to Hannah Boesinger, Northeast Ohio AOC Coordinator, at Hannah.Boesinger@lakeerie.ohio.gov.

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For more information, contact:
Kris Patterson, Ohio Lake Erie Commission
(419) 601-5894

About the Ohio Lake Erie Commission:
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission was established for the purpose of preserving Lake Erie's natural resources, protecting the quality of its waters and ecosystem, and promoting economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) serves as the commission's chairman. Additional members include the directors of the state departments of Transportation, Health, Development Services, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and seven additional members of the public appointed by the governor.

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Public input meetings for NPS-IS watershed plans for 3 sub-watersheds of the Black River:

Jackson Ditch-East Branch of the Black River: Wednesday, September 10th, 5:00 - 7:30pm at the Lorain County Agricultural Center Conference Room, 42110 Russia Rd., Elyria, OH 44035

Main Stem of the Black River: Wednesday, October 15th 5:00-7:30pm at Amy H. Levin Center, 1165 North Ridge Rd., Lorain, OH 44055

Lower West Branch of the Black River: Monday, October 27th, 5:00-7:30pm at Grafton-Midview Public Library, 983 Main Street, Grafton, OH 44044

Contact Black River AOC Advisory Committee Facilitator Patti Donnellan for more information: pdonnellan@loraincounty.us

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The 2023-2024 Annual Report is now available for download! Check it out here or visit the Resources page.

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Billboards to be displayed in the Black River Area of Concern in 2025

The Black River Advisory Committee has approved another billboard campaign to bring awareness of the Black River & the strides that have been made toward delisting. Look for 4 key messages beginning early June & running through early July 2025. We're very proud of the work being done to improve the Black River watershed & want to share the news far & wide! Expected impressions (number of people driving past these billboards) is estimated at more than 1.6 million for the 4 week duration of the campaign! We are grateful to Ohio EPA & the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) program for providing funds for this project. Here are the 4 messages to look for:

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Quarterly Meetings
All of our meetings have the option to join in person or virtually via Zoom. Our next meeting will be late fall 2025 at 2:00pm at the Lorain County Public Health building, Community Room, 9880 Murray Ridge Rd., Elyria, OH 44035.
Please Click here for our current schedule of meetings coming up. You will also find an archived list of past meetings and minutes.

Timeline

Learn about the history of the Black River by viewing our timeline.

More Information

Multimedia

Learn more about the Black River AOC by viewing our Multimedia section.

More Information

Explore Black River AOC
Learn about the Black River through our multimedia collection and timeline.

LoCoBroh.com

View details of the Margaret Peak Nature Preserve/Fortune Ditch restoration project and Black River Remediation and Restoration Efforts.

Visit LoCoBroh.com