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Cleveland MetroParks commissioned Davey Resource Group and Behnke Associates, Inc. to prepare a greenway protection plan for the East Branch of the Rocky River. As a part of this study, Davey Resource Group compiled and developed natural resources and other secondary source data using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The East Branch of the Rocky River was the focal point in defining the study area, which includes several Cleveland Metroparks lands, namely Hinckley Reservation and portions of Mill Stream Run Reservation, Brecksville Reservation, and Valley Parkway.
Some examples of natural resource data compiled from secondary sources and constructed into a GIS include:
- Floodplains
- Steep Slopes
- Water Quality Designations
- Flood Prone, Erosion Prone, and Hydric Soils
- Historic and Archaeological Resources
- Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species
Using secondary source data and aerial photograph interpretation, 15 vegetative cover types were identified within the study area and a riparian focus area was established for the East Branch of the Rocky River. Vegetative cover categories identified by Davey focused on identifying specific types of woodlands and wetlands. The riparian focus area included floodplains, steep slopes, sensitive soils, and wetlands adjacent to the stream or within floodplains. The objective of this component of the study was to define a riparian zone that maintains a functional capacity to protect stream banks and help to buffer the East Branch of the Rocky River from the effects of surrounding urbanization.
Using the newly created data and secondary source data, Davey Resource Group identified potential stream and wetlands restoration opportunities and developed a natural areas inventory for the East Branch of the Rocky River and its tributaries located in the study area. These GIS map layers were further used as a decision making tool to develop the East Branch of the Rocky River Greenway Protection Plan.
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