The document discusses creating preserves along the Portage Escarpment ravines in Euclid, Ohio to protect the local streams and greenspace. It notes that the ravines have escaped development due to steep slopes. The preserves would help reinvigorate nature in Euclid by acquiring vacant, tax-delinquent parcels along the ravines and legislating to keep the areas free from building. This would protect local waterways and Lake Erie while providing ecosystem services. Specific ravines that could become preserves are discussed.

1. With healthy, vibrant streams
Creating
Portage Escarpment
Ravine Preserves
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

2. With healthy, vibrant streams
Creating
Portage Escarpment
Ravine Preserves
The Portage Escarpment is the
hill above Euclid Avenue.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

3. With healthy, vibrant streams
Creating
Portage Escarpment
Ravine Preserves
The Portage Escarpment is the
hill above Euclid Avenue.
On the hill, beautiful forested
ravines have escaped development.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

4. With healthy, vibrant streams
Creating
Portage Escarpment
Ravine Preserves
The Portage Escarpment is the
hill above Euclid Avenue.
On the hill, beautiful forested
ravines have escaped development.
As we shift to sustainable concepts
of development …
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

5. With healthy, vibrant streams
Creating
Portage Escarpment
Ravine Preserves
The Portage Escarpment is the
hill above Euclid Avenue.
On the hill, beautiful forested
ravines have escaped development.
As we shift to sustainable concepts
of development …
Let’s protect these features as
Escarpment Ravine Preserves.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

6. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Portage Escarpment
(aerial photograph)
Euclid’s Portage Escarpment face has been too
steep to build upon.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

7. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Portage Escarpment
(aerial photograph)
Euclid’s Portage Escarpment face has been too
steep to build upon.
The slope thus has a
great amount of clear
greenspace.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

8. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Portage Escarpment
(aerial photograph)
Euclid’s Portage Escarpment face has been too
steep to build upon.
The slope thus has a
great amount of clear
greenspace.
Urban shrinkage relieves
development pressure
and has made for easier
access to the area.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

9. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Portage Escarpment
(shaded elevation)
Deep ravines harbor
much of the greenspace.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

10. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Portage Escarpment
(shaded elevation)
Deep ravines harbor
much of the greenspace.
The ravines are crucial
features of Euclidian
place and vital to our
ecological health.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

11. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Portage Escarpment
(shaded elevation)
Deep ravines harbor
much of the greenspace.
The ravines are crucial
features of Euclidian
place and vital to our
ecological health.
Let’s create
ravine preserves
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

12. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
A series of preserves will
help reinvigorate Euclid
nature and provide basic
ecological services.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

13. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
A series of preserves will
help reinvigorate Euclid
nature and provide basic
ecological services.
Richmond Heights
already has two such
natural areas.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

14. Summarizing the argument for
Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Euclid has
Escarpment Ravines
Source areas for streams leading down to Lake Erie
Channels that maintain eco-functions & place richness
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

15. Summarizing the argument for
Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Euclid has
Escarpment Ravines
Source areas for streams leading down to Lake Erie
Channels that maintain eco-functions & place richness
They lie in
Vacant parcels
Un-built due to steepness
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

16. Summarizing the argument for
Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Euclid has
Escarpment Ravines
Source areas for streams leading down to Lake Erie
Channels that maintain eco-functions & place richness
They lie in
Vacant parcels
Un-built due to steepness
Let’s make
Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Acquire foreclosed and tax-delinquent vacant parcels
Legislate to keep ravine parcels free of building
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

17. Summarizing the argument for
Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Euclid has
Escarpment Ravines
Source areas for streams leading down to Lake Erie
Channels that maintain eco-functions & place richness
They lie in
Vacant parcels
Un-built due to steepness
Let’s make
Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Acquire foreclosed and tax-delinquent vacant parcels
Legislate to keep ravine parcels free of building
Turn vacant parcels toward ecosystem service
Protect/enhance local waterways and Lake Erie
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

18. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
Following are outlines of
four possible preserves
in Euclid and the two
extant reserves in
Richmond Heights.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

19. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
Green Creek
Among our escarpment
ravines, Green Creek
stands out as a test case
for creating a preserve.
The City of Euclid is
well underway to
creating such a feature.
Go to
Bluestone Hts
Green Creek
slideshare
Go to
City of Euclid
Green Creek
proposal (pdf)
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

20. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
Lilly Creek
The Lilly Creek ravine
straddles Euclid and
Richmond Heights. It is
the longest and deepest
of our escarpment
features. The ravine
mouth lies behind the
Charterhouse building.
Presently, there are no
plans to preserve this
ravine.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

21. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
Babbitt Run
The Babbitt Run ravine
lies between Richmond
and Brush Roads.
The Cleveland Museum
of Natural History would
like to maintain 26 acres
here as one of its natural
areas. The City of Euclid
must grant a conservation easement.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
Go to
Euclid Observer
Babbitt Run
article (pdf)
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

22. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
Burk Run
Hillandale’s 80-some
acres constitute Euclid’s
most important greenspace outside the Euclid
Creek Reservation.
At Hillandale, Burk Run
begins as small ravines.
The head-waters are
ours to preserve.
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
Go to
Bluestone Hts
Burk Run
brochure (pdf)
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

23. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
Redstone Run
In 2013, the Friends of
Euclid Creek purchased
8 acres of bluestone
gorge on Redstone Run.
This parcel is a model for
creating Euclid’s escarpment ravine preserves.
Go to
Bluestone Hts
Redstone Run
brochure (pdf)
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights

24. Escarpment Ravine Preserves
Escarpment Ravine
Preserves
Greenwood Farm
In 2004, the City of
Richmond Hts bought the
Greenwood Farm estate.
The purchase preserves
17 acres along Euclid
Creek’s east branch.
Go to
Richmond Hts
Greenfield Farm
webpage
Google Earth
USGS LiDAR
railsandtrails.com
© 2013 Bluestone Heights