Climate Impacts in Cuyahoga Valley

River debris and damage at Lock 29 Trailhead, after a July 2003 flood.

NPS

Northeast Ohio gets about seven more inches of annual precipitation when you compare 1960 to 2020 data, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers. Small increases of about 0.12 inches every year add up to an overall increase of about 18%. Precipitation often falls as rain during storms that have become more frequent and more intense. Temperatures are warming too. Climate change affects all aspects of life in the valley, across America, and globally. National parks and other federal lands are responding with a Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) approach. Resisting means working to maintain current ecosystem conditions. Accepting means allowing things to change. Directing means actively shaping ecosystem changes in ways that we prefer.

Climate Impacts and Possible RAD Responses

Click the headings below to learn about each impact to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and what park managers might do in response.

Changes in Trail Use

Higher temperatures mean increased visitation in spring and fall, our shoulder seasons. That is good for visitors but adds pressure on our resources. For example, more trail use during wet spring weather means more mud and people widening the trail to get around big puddles. This requires more maintenance money to repair the damage.

RAD Response: We are resisting by trying to make our trails easier to maintain. Through the Community Access Plan, we’re considering whether to temporarily close certain trails during wet weather to reduce damage. We currently do this for the East Rim Trails which are used mostly for mountain biking.

Changes in Winter Sports

Higher winter temperatures mean less predictable snowfall. This makes it harder for the park to provide a winter sports program.

RAD Response: We are accepting the warmer weather and adapting our winter programs. In 2018, we moved the Winter Sports Center from its historic location at Kendall Lake Shelter to Boston. Our visitor center staff now manage our free snowshoe rentals. We require at least four inches of packed snow. This does not happen as often, so we no longer staff a second operation. We phased out cross-country ski rentals and programs because these require even deeper snowpack. The valley doesn’t reliably get this anymore. Ohio Winter Special Olympics had to adapt too. They moved their cross-country skiing events from Ledges Shelter to Brandywine Ski Resort, which makes snow.

Changes in Pests

Higher temperatures mean more pests avoid being killed by winter freezes. People, pets, and wildlife pick up more ticks. Ticks are native to Ohio. Their bites can spread diseases if people don't use precautions. Invasive insects already put a large strain on our forests. Spongy moth (formerly called gypsy moth) began defoliating trees in Northeast Ohio in 1993. Emerald ash borer reached Ohio in 2003 and has done widespread damage. Hemlock woolly adelgid and spotted lanternfly are newer threats. Invasive plants can also expand their ranges farther north and gain a greater foothold if our growing season gets longer. At least 61 kinds are already threats. Kudzu, an aggressive vine that chokes many southern states, has reached northern Ohio. It is not widespread yet. How much longer will our winter weather keep it in check?

RAD Response: We are resisting the spread of a few insect pests such as hemlock woolly adelgid, as well as the 16 worst invasive plants, using pesticides and other control methods. Park scientists are resisting the spread of diseases by cleaning their equipment. One concern is an infectious skin disease called chytridiomycosis that is impacting amphibians worldwide. We are accepting most insect pests and a few invasive plants (such as Japanese stiltgrass) as too difficult to control. It costs time and money for crews to monitor, treat, and restore habitats that are harmed by invasives. These efforts need to be sustained over many years to be effective. Because conditions are too wet for large forest fires, we only remove dead and dying trees from places where they are hazardous. This is happy news for woodpeckers.

Changes in Forests

The National Park Service has started to assess Eastern forest vulnerability in Cuyahoga Valley and 120 other parks. The study examines what conditions will be like by 2100. It predicts that 56-66% of Cuyahoga Valley tree species will experience a large change in suitable habitat. Familiar trees such as red maple, eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, northern red oak, and black cherry will lose potential habitat. Sycamore, eastern redbud, honeylocust, and bitternut hickory are among those which will increase potential habitat. We can also expect new species to be able to survive here. The study also predicts that 43-51 tree pests (mostly insects) will infest our area. In addition, we can expect changes to our forest understory plants. Some kinds of trees, such as oaks, are more important than others for supporting diverse wildlife. Scientists are also concerned about our floodplain forests drying in summer. This could kill too many seedlings and other understory plants that are already stressed by invasive earthworms.

RAD Response: Some southern tree species such as black locust already make Cuyahoga Valley home. We’ve been resisting these via our invasive plant removal program. However, we would become accepting if we stop treating black locust as a pest. That would save money. We could also start directing by picking trees that are suited to our future climate when we do planting projects. Our white-tailed deer management program is indirectly resisting climate change. Reducing the deer population increases the number and variety of tree seedlings and other plants in the understory. This helps our forests bounce back if one type of tree dies off.

Changes in Streams

Higher temperatures mean a loss of coldwater habitat in certain streams. Some wildlife need cold streams that flow all year to reproduce. With less habitat, their numbers will decline. Vulnerable amphibians include two-lined, long-tailed, and red salamanders. Vulnerable fish include southern redbelly dace, central mudminnow, and brook stickleback. Vulnerable insects include various kinds of mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, and midges. These live underwater when young and then emerge as flying adults. Warm water has less dissolved oxygen than cold water, making it harder for aquatic animals to breathe. Warmer air temperatures might dry up some streams for part of the year.

RAD Response: Currently, we are resisting by planting trees in open areas and along exposed streambanks to shade and cool the water. If that isn’t enough, accepting would mean the loss of these wildlife “specialists.” Directing would mean trying to relocate some of them. That is unlikely.

Changes in the River

More frequent and intense storms mean more erosion along the banks of our river and the streams that flow into it. Powerful storm water digs waterways deeper into their channels. The Cuyahoga River has a harder time flooding all along its length. Where the water can escape its banks, flooding is more severe downstream. This can cause more damage to infrastructure near the river, such as the Towpath Trail and the tracks for Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. In some cases, erosion may destroy archeological sites. Within the national park, there are at least 11 major sections along the river that need serious bank protection. The cost of these projects is in the millions.

RAD Response: We are resisting through a variety of river and stream restoration projects. These do two main things: slow the flow and give water a place to go. Engineering is needed to reshape the landscape. We add more bends to increase the length of a waterway, spreading it out and decreasing the flow's force. We shave down bank heights to reconnect a waterway to its wetlands. We build new floodplain wetlands. We reinforce banks with rock and trees near our trails, bridges, roads, and train tracks. We plant trees to suck up water and hold soil together. An example is the Stanford Run project in Boston.

Changes in Farming

Warmer temperatures mean more pests will survive our northern Ohio winters. New pests may migrate into this area. Some will be insects that damage crops. Some might carry diseases the affect livestock. Some will be invasive plants. Warmer temperatures and more frequent storms are already causing more flooding. The growing season is getting longer. Fortunately, Ohio is rich in water resources. As other regions experience water shortages, Ohio farms may become more profitable.

RAD Response: One strategy for resisting is to apply more pesticides. This can be expensive and harm the environment. A directing strategy is to plant crops or raise livestock breeds that are better adapted to climate changes. For some farmers, this will mean new opportunities. For others, the cost of changing might be too high. Throughout history, valley farmers have adapted in order to make a living. The national park is resisting by supporting sustainable agriculture through our Countryside Initiative program and our farmers’ markets.

While the Great Lakes region has its climate challenges, other places are more vulnerable to water shortages and rising sea levels. There are two big questions. Can people, native wildlife, and native plants adapt quickly enough to protect our economy, human life, and nature? Can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions to buy ourselves more time?

Learn More

In 2013 Cuyahoga Valley started on a path to becoming a Climate Friendly Park, drafting an action plan. Explore ways that you can make your park visit even more “green.” Cuyahoga Valley's invasive plant monitoring report explains how these resistance efforts are going. The climate section of our park's Natural Resource Condition Assessment includes the latest climate trend data.