Cuyahoga River

It’s prime time for birding in Northeast Ohio as many species have arrived from warmer winter spots. ideastream visited two very different places for bird watching along the Cuyahoga River as part of its series, Cuyahoga River Comeback, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the infamous fire on the water.

A freight train chugs across a bridge high above as Cleveland Metroparks historian Karen Lakus begins a tour of what she calls the hidden valley. Not long…

Cleveland Public Theatre’s “Fire on the Water” reflects on the infamous Cuyahoga River fire and considers how people relate to the environment 50 years later. Through a series of short plays, “Fire on the Water” revisits the past, celebrates progress and explores present day issues. It is a refresh of a 2015 production, which was part of a cycle of plays aiming to change how people feel about the environment.

On June 22, 1969, a train passing over a trestle in Cleveland created a spark that caused a fire on the Cuyahoga River. That spark brought nationwide attention to the river 50 years ago, and it’s tainted Cleveland’s reputation for decades. Since then, fact and fiction have often mixed in the popular history of the fire. Cleveland Metroparks historical interpreter Doug Kusak and Case Western Reserve University law professor Jonathan Adler provide some context to the myths surrounding the river’s story.

June 22, 2019, marks 50 years since the last time the Cuyahoga River burned. Throughout the year, regional and local events will celebrate the crooked river’s revitalization. After taking place in August for the last three years, the Great Lakes Burning River music festival will celebrate its 18th year on June 22. River Rally, a national conference, will convene in downtown Cleveland the week of the anniversary. And stand-up paddleboarders will travel almost six miles along the Cuyahoga, marking the day the river burned.

The sun sparkles on the Cuyahoga River as it flows through the city of Munroe Falls, just upstream from Akron. The atmosphere is idyllic, apart from the…