# Cuyahoga River Closed



## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Wife just saw it in the Sunday paper.
The railroad tracks and *the river* are closed due to the bald eagles nesting there again. Apparently, they lay their eggs this time of year.
Closed to wading and boating from rt82 to Fitzwater Road.


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## socdad (Jul 25, 2005)

Could be worse  a small section of the river is closed because a species is making a strong come to an area, that not all that long ago, would not support nesting. Many of us remember the good old days when the Cuyahoga was only closed to put out the fire!


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## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

I think this is a plus!!...no offense at all..but cmon BALD EAGLES!! Thats AWESOME!!!


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

It's cool as heck!
Two years back, took a bud out for his first float.
A little below 82 we saw an immature eagle ( they don't have the white head & tail) sitting way up in a tree raising a ruckus.
He had about a 3-4 ft snake in his claws.
Then one of the parents flew over our head and landed next the young one.
Awesome sight!
Fellow on the railroad said they took over one of the heron nests at the rookery below 82. Then all the herons left. There used to be over 100 herons nested there.
I've seen the eagle all the way up by Rockside Rd. and I've seen him several mornings along Canal Road.


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## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

that is awesome!


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

That's great. Hopefully they'll be enough around soon that they won't have to close the river. There was a report in the beacon journal last week about a pair that are hanging out near the confluence of the little and big cuyahoga rivers. The only thing I saw when I was there last year was an old rocking horse! It was just laying there on the gravel bar.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

the eagle is off of the endangered list so i dont understand why they would do that. pretty common occurance these days.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

I read somewhere that if they get disturbed, they will leave the nest and any young will die.
They will probably open it back up after the young have left the nest.


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## lakota (Oct 28, 2009)

Is this closing downstream of 82 in Mantua or Brecksville? Hope it's not Mantua!


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## johnrude (Mar 29, 2009)

brecksville


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## dmills4124 (Apr 9, 2008)

Well if the nest is anywhere on a reservation it is still protected because of two reasons, first is they are sacred and two, being on a reservation would put them under another nations control and protection. All in all it is really cool. There are two that nest on long lake and another set on nimisila. 
Just a side story for you here ya'll. I lived in arizona for some time and there was this indian fellow who escped from the state prison to go find an eagles feather. Come to find out out he got off on the escape charges because he was on a spirit quest. He also got to keep his feather when they brought him back to the prison. 
just another one of those geewiz facts stuck in my head. Little bits of useless information taking up space. hope ya'll enjoyed
later
donm


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

But the train continues to run and blow it's whistle?


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## dugworm (May 23, 2008)

Closing that stretch of river is nothing new. Been happening the past few years with the eagles nesting. :G


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

dugworm said:


> Closing that stretch of river is nothing new. Been happening the past few years with the eagles nesting. :G


I know been fishing that stretch for 30+ years


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## McMish (Mar 23, 2009)

I got to see the Bald Eagle Pair last Tuesday.

they were on bath road in between Riverview rd and Akron-Peninsula Rd at the great blue heron nesting area.

first time ive seen them in ohio with my own eyes. 
then saw 1 of them about 2 hours later flying back north on the hoga.


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## rustyhooks (Aug 17, 2008)

Bald Eagles in the Park 



©R. BELKIN

Nest building activities in early January 2011

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Bald eagles are routinely seen along the Cuyahoga River.


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Beginning In 2006 eagles built a nest in the Pinery Narrows area, the first recorded in Cuyahoga County in more than 70 years. That nest was unsuccessful, but the eagles returned to build another nest nearby the following years and successfully raised one eaglet in 2007 and again in 2008. A late winter storm in February 2009, caused the nest to fail, but in 2010, the same pair returned to the Pinery Narrows area, built a new nest and raised two eaglets! 

In early January 2011 adult eagles were observed near last year's nest. We expect that by the end of January some courtship behavior and nest building will take place  a sure sign of another attempt at nesting. Stay tuned for further updates. 

Read more in our Bald Eagles Return site bulletin.

Bald Eagle Closures
On January 17, 2011 there were positive signs of bald eagle nesting activity in the Pinery Narrows area in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Therefore, the area surrounding the nest will be closed and trail restrictions are now in effect until July. The Pinery Narrows area is north of Station Road Bridge Trailhead in Brecksville, Ohio.

While the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail remains open, the National Park Service will close certain areas surrounding the bald eagle nest to human traffic to minimize disturbance. Additional restrictions include the following:

The railroad tracks and 30-foot right-of-way on either side are closed to all pedestrian traffic, from the Route 82 Bridge at Station Road visitor use area north to the railroad tracks at Fitzwater Road.
The Cuyahoga River downstream of the Brecksville Dam to the Fitzwater Road Bridge is closed to all water activities (boating, fishing, and wading.)
Please observe any posted trail restrictions north of the Station Road Bridge Trailhead within the eagle nesting zone.

In late winter eagles lay one to three eggs that are incubated for approximately 35 days. Eagle eggs are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures so adults must remain on the nest constantly. Human disturbance can disrupt this constant care, jeopardizing nesting success.

Although recently removed from the endangered species list, the bald eagle is still protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Both federal laws prohibit "taking"  killing, selling, or otherwise harming eagles, their nests, or eggs.
.


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## SportTroller (Nov 3, 2009)

A friend was fined $100 for fishing past the signs.


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## jlapidak (Dec 12, 2010)

Check out the cell tower in the Home Depot parking lot on S.Arlington & 77.
There is a nest on top and all the traffic does not seem to bother them.


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## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

I think it is great that they do all of this for the eagles.


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## fishkiller (Feb 6, 2007)

There has been an eagles nest on the LaDue reservoir for several years. A few years ago an individual was photographing the nest and disturbed the eagles enough that the young died. Supposedly this person was caught but I never heard of any charges for this, does anyone know anything about this? Also some of these nests have people that monitor them on a fairly regular basis.


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## Joe kish (Dec 11, 2006)

i was out there last summer fishin in my boat thought it was an eagle above me but as it got closer it had diffrent coloring it landed in a tree by the bank so i took a closer look my question is could it have been an osprey...i know it was no hawk it was way to big more white on the bottom so i eliminated it being an eagle or owl! was just wondering if anyone has seen osprey out there?


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Yes. Saw one flying around a sand bar last summer.


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## Joe kish (Dec 11, 2006)

thanks for the feedback creekcrawler! its kinda been bugging me since i seen it people were telling me there are no osprey in ohio! thanks again gues i gota start bringin my camera out with me!


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

Osprey are all over Ohio. Southern portion of Nimisila Reservoir and Long Lake are two nests where I look for them on a regular basis.

PS Don't believe everything you hear.


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## Basshog (Aug 24, 2008)

There is a osprey nest on SR 87 by Punderson State Park in the cell tower as well. They have been there 2 years that I know of, not sure about this year yet


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

Saw Osprey two yrs back in spring on Moggie. They are great to watch hunt.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Yup. Saw one swoop down over LaDue a few years back.
Plucked a real nice sized crappie right out of the water!


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## johnrude (Mar 29, 2009)

i was at the dog beach at fairport harbor and there was an osprey hanging around. and gliding like a kite and then all of a sudden it would collapse its wings and dive to the water and was picking up some type of fish.it did it several times that morning. i have it on video from that day.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Neat, there's a dog beach at Fairport?


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## qwertyegg (Mar 6, 2010)

I have one quick question to you guys, can you still fish between the Brecksville dam and the 82-bridge?


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

yes......thats maybe 800 feet.


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## qwertyegg (Mar 6, 2010)

Bobinstow90 said:


> yes......thats maybe 800 feet.


Sounds like super fisherman need super long fishing line xD


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## bobby (Aug 1, 2005)

Two Novembers back a friend and I went out on Ladue. We were about halfway accross from the Washington boat ramp to the East shore, we had been casting a while when all of a sudden this beautiful bald eagle that had been circling opened its wings and looked like it was coming in for a landing. Snagged a pig bass from the water only to lost it from its grasp. By far one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. Wanted to thank the bird for helping me find the fish except I never did catch one that day. Sure was awesome, though. All happened within 50 yards of my boat.


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## jogi (Oct 14, 2009)

qwertyegg said:


> I have one quick question to you guys, can you still fish between the Brecksville dam and the 82-bridge?


I am pretty sure it closed from the dam downstream. Atleast that is how I interpreted the posted sign. Last year you were allowed to fish to the rt. 82 bridge. This year you are not allowed to fish from below the dam.


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## FishinNate34 (Feb 4, 2011)

I thought the sign said from the bridge down. I'm pretty sure you can fish between the damn and the bridge.


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## jogi (Oct 14, 2009)

FishinNate34 said:


> I thought the sign said from the bridge down. I'm pretty sure you can fish between the damn and the bridge.


When I went there a little over a month ago the sign said no fishing downstream from the dam. They could have changed the sign but that is what it said when I went.


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## ROAMER (Jan 24, 2011)

Morning, I'll be walking down in the valley today with my dog Rowdy,Ill report back .If i recall correctly the railroad tracks and the river is off limits but not the towpath.BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY ENJOY IT


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## naturallyblond (Jun 20, 2011)

Hey jlapidak

Saw the Osprey nest in the Home Depot parking lot last year atop the cell tower there. Over the winter someone cleared the nest out but it is back again with at least one young Osprey who may have left the nest too soon. It was sitting in the tower next to the nest on Saturday but on Sunday it was moving between light posts used to light the parking lot. Didn't see the parents around though I know they leave for short times looking for food.


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

NewbreedFishing said:


> the eagle is off of the endangered list so i dont understand why they would do that. pretty common occurance these days.


True, if you pay attention, a lot of those buzzards that you ignore all day turn out to be eagles. I see them very frequently in all parts of the state, almost see more eagles than osprey. And i dont buy the whole "nest disturbance" theory, there is an eagle nest built on top of a channel marker near my grandparents house on the st. lawrence, big loud boats constantly going by, they come back every year. I have also seen them on cell towers near heavily populated areas.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Real easy to tell buzzards from eagles - buzzards fly with a herky-jerky motion to their flight, eagles fly very _smoothly._


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

creekcrawler said:


> Real easy to tell buzzards from eagles - buzzards fly with a herky-jerky motion to their flight, eagles fly very _smoothly._


i know, but when most people see a large raptor soaring overhead they write it off as a buzzard. saw one today at pleasant hill.


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