Watershed Glossary

Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI) -  A fluvial geomorphic assessment procedure used to evaluate the susceptibility of stream bank erosion on a section of stream, based on a combination of several erodibility variables.

Bankfull – The water level, or stage, at which a stream, river or lake is flowing within the channel and any further rise would result in water moving into the floodplain.

Baseflow – The amount of stream flow that is not due to runoff but contributed by groundwater sources.

Baseline Data – Information providing a look at existing chemical, biological, or physical conditions.

Baseline monitoring – Characterizing existing biota, chemical or physical conditions for planning or future comparisons. Compare status, trend, implementation, effectiveness, and validation monitoring.

Basin –Entire land-drainage area of a river. Also called watershed, drainage basin, or catchment.

Bed load – Sediment particles resting on the channel bottom that are pushed or rolled along by the flow of water. Note that sediment can move between bed load and suspended load as the stream discharge changes. 

Beneficial Use – Uses of a water resource, such as recreation, aquatic life, and human consumption, that are protected by state water quality standards.

Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) – An impairment of beneficial uses means a change in the chemical, physical or biological integrity of the Great Lakes system sufficient to cause significant environmental degradation.

Benthic – Of, related to, or living in the soil–water interface of a body of water.

Benthic Macroinvertebrates – Animals without backbones or internal skeletons that live on or near the bottom of a water body.

Benthos – All organisms living at or near the bottom of a water body.

Berm – An elongated, elevated earthen ridge that is used to hold or direct stormwater runoff.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) – Methods, measures, or practices to prevent and/or reduce water pollution. Examples include treatment requirements, operating procedures, erosion control practices, fertilizer and animal waste management, runoff control in urban systems.

Biofilm – Community of microorganisms attached to each other and to a surface.

Bioaccumulation – The process by which contaminants accumulate within the tissues of an individual organism.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) – The potential amount of oxygen consumed in the degradation of organic material by bacteria.

Bioindicators – Living organisms used to measure the health and quality of an ecosystem. Bioindicator species can demonstrate changes in water quality and/or pollutant levels within a system.

Biological Assessment – Evaluations of the condition of water bodies using surveys and other direct measurements of species diversity and species abundance (of macroinvertebrates, fish, and plants) to determine whether water bodies support survival and reproduction of desirable fish, shellfish, and other aquatic species and how aquatic life reacts to water quality.

Biological Diversity (Biodiversity) – The number and variety of living organisms on earth in all forms and at all levels, including ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.

Biological Integrity – Supporting and maintaining the biological components of an aquatic ecosystem to a level comparable to that of natural habitats of the surrounding region.

Biological Wastewater Treatment – Treatment process in which bacterial or biochemical activity is used to treat organic matter present in wastewater.

Bioretention – A process in which contaminants and sediment are removed from stormwater runoff. Stormwater is collected into the treatment area which consists of a ponding area comprised of specialized soils that allow runoff to filter through the mulch layer and underlaying soils. The surface may be turf grass or planted with herbaceous plants, shrubs or trees.

Bioretention Area – Location where stormwater runoff is filtered through specialized soil mixes that remove pollutants and allow runoff to infiltrate downward into underlying soils.

Bioswale – Vegetated channel designed to concentrate and convey stormwater runoff while removing debris and pollution.

Biota – All of the organisms, including bacteria, plants, and animals, that live in a particular location or area.

Bioturbation – The biological reworking, mixing, and disturbing of soils and aquatic sediments by living organisms including activities such as burrowing and feeding.

Blowdown – Trees uprooted and felled, or branches broken and felled by strong gusts of wind. Also called windthrow.

Brush bundles – Groups of trees and branches placed into a lake or stream to create habitat and cover for fish. Often used in conjunction with other habitat rehabilitation techniques.

Brush park aquaculture – Submerged or partially submerged structures made of brush, branches, and aquatic vegetation secured in place with poles or fences. They are designed to provide fish rearing areas, fishing opportunity, or refuge for fish. They vary in size from a few square meters to several hectares and are used in lakes, streams, and brackish waters.



Buffer – A vegetated area neighboring water bodies such as streams, wetlands, and lakes, that provides a permanent barrier against runoff from development, agriculture, construction, and other land uses. Buffers are designed to filter pollutants in runoff before the pollutants reach surface waters.

Baldwin Creek Dam Removal Project

Last October, Cleveland Metroparks completed a restoration project to improve water quality, habitat, and hydrology of a portion of Baldwin Creek just upstream of Coe Lake in Berea.

The work included the removal of a low head dam and select distressed structures along the ~510 linear foot stream corridor, as well as a number of restoration efforts to achieve the following goals: 

1. Restore near normal hydrology and sediment transport in Baldwin Creek
2. Improve fish passage and re-colonization of macroinvertebrates upstream of the existing dam
3. Restore ecosystem function in the floodplain and adjacent habitats

I had a chance to sit down with our Stream Restoration Ecologist, Elizabeth Hiser, to find out more about the project.

Sara Corrigan (Watershed Volunteer Program Coordinator): Alright, so, the project was completed in October of 2025. When did they begin working on it?

Elizabeth Hiser: So, do you want to know when they started design or when they started construction?

SC: Both

EH: Construction of the stream restoration project began in July 2025, from dam removal to planting trees in the floodplain took five months. That was just the stream restoration. Prior to that, in the winter of 2024/ 2025, the demolition work took place. There was demolition of the barn, parking areas and of the houses that existed on the property. There was also a driveway and bridge that had to be removed but were needed during construction. The driveway and the bridge were not rated for heavy equipment, so we had to bring lots of little loads over the bridge during demolition. Next, notched the dam to lower the water level so that the bridge could be removed. The last thing, on the way out, was to remove the driveway.

SC: Let’s talk about the design.

EH: We received a Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program (WRRSP) grant from Ohio EPA, and our sponsor was the City of Akron. The way that grant works is Ohio EPA approves you for a project, and then you have to get a sponsor to sponsor your project. The City of Akron sponsored this project. Once we got the grant in place, we put the project out for bid.
We went with a design-build approach, which means hiring the design consultant plus construction contractor all in one swoop: Biohabitats (design) and Meadville Land Service, Inc. (cosntruction), plus Schirmer Construction, LLC for demolition. They started the design process in early 2024. As that progressed, we had some delays when they realized that it would be better for connectivity to remove the driveway bridge that hadn’t originally been slated for demolition. It was a pinch point for the stream. Even if you removed the dam, the velocities would have increased through that stretch. It would have made building your riffles and various other stream features more complicated. We ended up with a little bit of delay for that, because we had to secure more money to pay for more design for the bridge to be removed.

SC: And that wasn’t covered by the WRRSP?

EH: Covenants for WRRSP are very specific and restrictive and the bridge was not within the covenant area we had previously agreed to, though within the property boundary. We originally acquired this property with funds from our partners at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). We were able to secure additional funds from NEORSD to design and remove the bridge through our Stormwater Reimbursement Fund.

SC: This wasn’t the first demolition of a dam on Baldwin Creek.

EH: No, there were a number of lowhead dams on Baldwin Creek. Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District had worked to remove three dams that were downstream of our site. Since ours was the last downstream component, it provides a connection to the area of the dams that they had already removed. Meaning, it flows freely from there to the Rocky River and then into Lake Erie. While there are still some dams further upstream, once this dam was removed fish scores improved almost overnight.

SC: That would include the return of the Big Mouth Shiner upstream.



EH: Yes, the shiner is classified as threatened in Ohio. It only exists in the Black and Rocky Rivers, and this was an important benefit of the restoration.

SC: Essentially, if you un-build it, they will come.

SC: What other developments can we expect from this project going forward?

EH: While the stream restoration is complete, the floodplain habitat restoration continues. Now, we're supplementing and adding to the restoration that the contractors did. We ended up with some extra money at the end. We didn't need to use planned contingency funds, so we opted to use contingency money for more trees and more seed. We'll apply another mix of upland seeds in the winter over areas that just didn't grow. Now that the site had some time, and we don't have active equipment in there, we can sow plants like blue lobelia, aggressive native grasses, black-eyed susan, and vervain. We also plan to plant around 300 trees this fall.

SC: That’s right, WVP will be joined by our friends at Rocky River Watershed Council on Saturday, October 10th to help get those trees in the ground. I’m very excited for us to be a part of this and hope that others will come down, join in the fun, plant some trees and check out this amazing project. Thanks Elizabeth!

(E) Watershed Wednesday w/ Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory*

Wed, Sept 30, 6 - 7:30 p.m. @ Watershed Stewardship Center in West Creek Watershed

(R) Huntington Seed Collection

Sat, Oct 3, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ Huntington Reservation in Cahoon Creek-Frontal Lake Erie Watershed

(R) Rzepka Park Seed Collection

Tue, Oct 6, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. @ Nathan & Esther Rzepka Park, South Chagrin Reservation in Chagrin River Watershed

(R) Wendy Park Tree Planting

Thu, Oct 8, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. @ Wendy Park in Lake Erie Watershed

(R) Baldwin Restoration Project Tree Planting*

Sat, Oct 10, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. @ Mill Stream Run Reservation in Rocky River Watershed

(R) Baldwin Restoration Project Tree Planting (Part 2)

Mon, Oct 12, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. @ Mill Stream Run Reservation in Rocky River Watershed

(R) Hinckley Tree Planting

Tue, Oct 13, 3;00 - 6:00 p.m. @ West of Ledge Pool, Hinckley Reservation in Rocky River Watershed

(R) Lake Isaac Deer Fence Building

Wed, Oct 14, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. @ Lake Isaac, Big Creek Reservation in Rocky River Watershed

(E) Cuyahoga AOC Project Completion Celebration at Hemlock Picnic Area

Wed, Oct 14, 5 - 7 p.m. @ Hemlock Creek Picnic Area, Bedford Reservation in Tinkers Creek Watershed

(R) Lake Isaac Tree Planting

Wed, Oct 14, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. @ Lake Isaac, Big Creek Reservation in Rocky River Watershed

(R) Chalet Seed Collection

Sun, Oct 18, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ The Chalet, Mill Stream Run Reservation in Rocky River Watershed

(R) Green Infrastructure Planting

Mon, Oct 19, 5:30 - 7 p.m. @ Brecksville Reservation in Chippewa Creek Watershed 

(R) Green Infrastructure Planting

Wed, Oct 21, 5:30 - 7 p.m. @ Brookside Reservation in Big Creek Watershed 

(M) Marine Debris Monitoring

Sun, Oct 25, 9 - 11 a.m. @ Euclid Beach in Euclid Creek Watershed

(E) Salt Watch Talk and Training with Izaak Walton League of America

Wed, Oct 28, 6-7:30 pm @ Watershed Stewardship Center, West Creek Reservation in West Creek Watershed

(R) Scranton Flats Seed Collection

Fri, Oct 30, 5:30 - 7 pm @ Scranton Flats in Cuyahoga River Watershed

(R) Hinckley Seed Collection

Sat, Nov 7, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. @ Hinckley Reservation in Rocky River Watershed

(E) Watershed Book Club

Mon, Nov 9, 6 - 8:00 p.m. @ Watershed Stewardship Center in West Creek Watershed

(R) Seed Processing

Wed, Nov 11, 6 - 8:00 p.m. @ Watershed Stewardship Center in West Creek Watershed

(R) Live Stake Harvest

Sat, Nov 14, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ Hinckley Reservation in East Branch Rocky River Watershed

(M) Marine Debris Monitoring

Sun, Nov 15, 9 - 11 a.m. @ Euclid Beach in Euclid Creek Watershed

(E) Watershed Wednesday: Documentary Screening of All Too Clear: Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes

Wed, Nov 18, 6 - 8 p.m. @ Watershed Stewardship Center in West Creek Reservation

(R) Live Staking Event

Sat, Nov 21, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Hinckley Reservation in East Branch Rocky River Watershed

WVP volunteers, please log into Volgistics to register for primary events.

*Open to the public.  Click Here or Email us for the registration link.

---- From Our Friends at Chagrin River Watershed Partners ----

Fall Drainage Tips for a Healthier Watershed | Read on

Cedarville, Ohio University Looks to Use Midges as Pollution Indicators | Read on

Humans in The Andes Appear to Have Evolved a Strange Genetic Ability | Read on

We’re Running Out of Sand; It’s a Bigger Problem Than You Might Think | Read on

David Attenborough Honored with a Special Mural | Read on

[Photo Credit: Sunnyfields Farm]

Last May, David Attenborough turned 100 years old!

To honor the legendary broadcaster and naturalist for that milestone birthday, a farm in the U.K. decided to design a mural of him made with an enormous amount of pumpkins. This special design even broke a world record! The story directly above has all of the details.

Note: If you're a fan of Mr. Attenborough, check out our 12/11/2024 newsletter installment. We included a news article about the annual Red Crab migration on Christmas Island where he is featured in a video covering the subject while on location.