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 finished in summer 2024.
2024
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U.S. EPA and the State of Ohio officially remove the Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) for Beach Closings. Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC), Ohio EPA, and the local AOC committee requested the removal of the Beach Closings BUI after significant efforts to reduce bacterial contamination at local beaches like Lakeview and Century. These improvements are due to the investments made in understanding the causes and researching planned projects to address this issue, such as reducing contamination sources and enhancing improvements to nearby wastewater infrastructure.
2025
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U.S. EPA and the State of Ohio remove two Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs): Degradation of Fish & Wildlife Populations and Loss of Fish & Wildlife Habitat from the Black River Area of Concern in Fall 2025, leaving one remaining BUI: Degradation of Benthos.
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
