THE YELLOW CREEK WATERSHED

What is a Watershed?

A Watershed is a Place - It is an area of land in which all the water or snowmelt drains to a single stream, river, or lake.

A Watershed is a System - It is a complex system of interactions between the land, water, plants, animals, and man-made elements that exist within its boundries. Those interactions clean the water and support the habitat that, in turn, supports life.

The Yellow Creek Watershed is located north west of Akron and south of Cleveland, Ohio. Yellow Creek and its North Fork are about 17 miles long.  The watershed covers 31 square miles.  Yellow Creek drains east into the Cuyahoga River and is one of 26 watersheds in the Cuyahoga basin. To learn more about the Cuyahoga Watershed click here. 

The southern edge of the Yellow Creek Watershed designates the continental divide. Water in the adjacent Wolf Creek watershed flows south to the Ohio River and eventually to the Golf of Mexico.

The boundaries of municipalities are often straight and follow roadways. Watersheds follow the contours of the land and drain from higher to lower areas. Much of the head waters of Yellow Creek are located in Richfield, Granger, Sharon, Copley, and Fairlawn. Land usage in one municipality can have a great effect on the adjacent township, city, or village. This makes the health of the watershed difficult to control. 

The Watershed Book - A citizen's guide to healthy streams and clean water; written by the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization. (Large file - may take time to download)