Riverbank Erosion Prompts CVSR Curtailment

Erosion of the bank of the Cuyahoga River has prompted the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to cut back operations to between Peninsula and Akron.

The National Park Service is undertaking an emergency stabilization effort to shore up the river bank in an area near the Columbia Run picnic area north of Boston Mill in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

However, the work is expected to take weeks to complete.

NPS officials said in a news release that the erosion occurred as a result of recent rains and reached within three feet of the ballast of the track used by CVSR trains.

The track is owned by the Park Service. As part of the repair process, engineering must be performed before the bank can be stabilized.

NPS spokeswoman Pamela Barnes said the erosion progressed quickly. She said park staff routinely monitors the riverbank.

 “The river is a dynamic system, and it is constantly changing,” park officials said in the news release.

Tags: Cuyahoga River, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, erosion