Blackbrook Creek Restoration Project

 A major step forward in the restoration of Blackbrook Creek is now complete.

Just upstream of its confluence with Mentor Marsh, a once-channelized stretch of Blackbrook Creek has been transformed to create a healthier, more resilient stream and improve the creek’s ability to process sediment and nutrients before they reach the Marsh.

The project was funded through the Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) grant program, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The Cleveland Museum of Natural History was awarded the grant and partnered with the Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District to manage and execute the project. Davey Resource Group was selected as the design/build contractor.

Blackbrook Creek has a long history tied to the industrial impacts on Mentor Marsh. In the 1980s, this section of the creek was excavated as a diversion channel to prevent additional salt contamination from reaching the Marsh after tailings had been discharged into Blackbrook Creek in the late 1960s.

Since then, more than a decade of dedicated restoration and remediation work has helped restore and protect the Marsh’s remarkable biodiversity. Following the 2022 salt and fly ash remediation, restoring the diverted Blackbrook Creek channel became an important next step.

The existing creek was highly channelized and deeply entrenched, with very little natural variation. Its straight channel, sluggish flow, uniform streambed, and lack of habitat complexity limited the creek’s ability to function like a healthy stream. Large amounts of sediment were also moving downstream, accumulating in a sediment fan where Blackbrook Creek meets Mentor Marsh.

The completed restoration gives the creek a more natural shape and room to function as a living stream. The channel was realigned to add sinuosity, floodplain areas were regraded to improve connectivity, and in-stream habitat features were added. Wetland and riparian areas were also restored, helping slow and process sediment and nutrients before they reach Mentor Marsh.

Construction is now complete, with final planting planned for spring. Native wetland and riparian trees will be planted throughout the restoration area to provide wildlife habitat, stabilize the streambanks, and help the site continue developing into a healthy, connected stream and wetland system.