©JOHN CATALANO
Beaver, once extirpated from CVNP, are now abundant.
Numerous wildlife species–birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish populations–depend upon the river’s habitat for shelter, food resources, nesting, and breeding grounds. The success of several inland nesting colonies of great blue herons (from 42 nests and 105 chicks in 1993 to 129 nests and 316 chicks in 2007) in the lower Cuyahoga river valley is a reflection of favorable habitat created by an abundant beaver population, along with protection of the valley by local land management agencies, watershed organizations and individuals. Signs of river otter, animals that prefer unpolluted waters with an abundance of slow moving fish, were recently recorded by Ohio Department of Natural Resources in January 2009. Abundant wildlife populations such as deer, coyote, muskrat, mink and raccoon that use multiple habitat types also use the riparian area of the river for cover, water and food resources. The use of the river and its riparian habitat by a diversity of wildlife species including threatened and endangered and sensitive species is a direct result of improvement in water quality.