Lorain scores $1.3M more for Black River
Morning Journal – Federal grants worth more than $1.3 million will pay for additional ecological restoration along the shores of the Black River.
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration on Monday is giving the city two grants to design and reconstruct natural habitat, including new planting along the stream bank and fish “shelves” made of piled rocks to support plants and fish.
“The Black River is an important natural resource in Lorain, and serves as home to many species of fish, birds, and many other types of wildlife,” said U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who announced the grants. “These funds will help ensure that the River is clean, healthy, and safe for our children and grandchildren to enjoy both now and in the future.”
Lorain’s Utilities Department already has scored millions of dollars to remove buried metal and slag buried in the land between the steel mills and the Black River. This summer, Lorain hosted the first Black River Kayak-a-Thon to showcase the creation of fish habitat and a natural flood plain behind the mills.
