By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
ASHTABULA — Work under way on the former “5 1/2 slip” in the Ashtabula River will help the stream live up to its Native American name: River of Many Fish.
Fred Leitert, co-chairman of the Ashtabula River Remedial Action Plan (RAP), said the restoration work is part of the huge river cleanup project that was conducted under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA). The $60 million project dredged 500,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Ashtabula River.
The dredging was completed in 2007, but the issue of habitat restoration remained. Leitert said it has been estimated that $4 million will be needed to restore habitat along the stretch of the river that was heavily contaminated by decades of industrial pollution and transportation activity. The work taking place this fall is just a small part of what could be done there.
“We don’t have that kind of money,” Leitert said. “We’re going after grants. So what you are seeing down there now, it’s coming from the Great Lakes Legacy Act.”
Earth-moving equipment was moved onto the site about two days ago and is being used to build shallow-water habitat along an 800-foot stretch of undeveloped shoreline on the Norfolk Southern Railway’s property. The stretch is between the railroad’s bridge and the mouth of “5 1/2 slip.”
Leitert said the dredging left a deep channel in the river, perfect for navigation, but not conducive for fish to spawn. The work will create “shelves” near the shore where fish can flourish in the clean water.
The habitat project is a coordinated effort among EPA, Ashtabula City Port Authority, Ohio EPA, the railway and RAP. Design and construction are being funded through cash and in-kind contributions from those entities, according to a press release from EPA. The railroad is providing access and easements.
EPA expects the earth-moving and in-water construction work to be wrapped up next month. Next spring, native vegetation will be planted in the area to complete this phase of the project.
Leitert said the restoration work is another step toward getting the river delisted as an area of concern. The river was listed in 1985, and the Ohio Department of Health posted signs along its lower reaches, warning fishermen not to consume fish caught there.
Restoring habitat will encourage the return of sport fishing to the river, and, after several years of testing, could lead to a clean bill of health for both the river and its fish. Leitert said RAP is looking for additional funding to create more habitat and further restore the river.
“Hopefully, in five to seven years, we’ll get this river delisted,” Leitert said.
